Caroline Spence

"What beautiful music you guys write! I love stuff from Cocteau and the Projekt label, so when I heard you guys I found similarities in the style and sound that I really enjoyed along with your own unique delivery. You girls have great voices, too, definite ear candy... " - Tim MacAleese, Canadian Rawk Network - Tim MacAleese - Canadian Rawk Network

"This music instantly brings up images of the Smiths meets the Cowboy Junkies. It is part sixties folk and part twenty-first century rural meets urban adventurism... This is Adult Alternative all the way, the kind of music that appeals to Gen X’ers and sophisticated boomers..."- Chris K., Pro Critic Radio
- Chris K., Pro Critic Radio

"Rusticated soft rock with finely meshed female vocals and equally impressive interplay between keyboards, mandolin and acoustic guitar. Will make listeners think of the tradition-steeped melodies of Kate and Anna McGarrigle and the October Project." - Listen.com - Listen.com

"Great songs, well recorded, well performed - and not what you usually hear on the radio, but just as catchy and accessible. This is new and cool and will be the next music everyone is listening to, as it captures both the imagination and the heart, while you can respect the honest emotional expression and the craft. All the songs are interesting moments unto themselves, reflecting a prismatic and charismatic performer with many unique and important things to say." - Danica Nolan, Indiemark - Danica Nolan, Indiemark

It wasn't long ago that Canadian Musician teamed with Ball Media, launched the Great Canadian Talent Search and began the quest of seeking out Canada's greatest unsigned musical talents, something, it discovered, there is no shortage of. The contest was initiated to help bring exposure to Canada's independent artists and the music they produce.

From hundreds of entries that were received, a panel of industry professionals chose the best 16 songs to appear on a compilation CD that is being distributed to Canada's top record companies, music publishers, radio stations, booking agents and music producers as well as being available ata number of international music events.

Artists appearing on the album include...AITI MAA (Caroline Spence)...
- Canadian Musician Magazine - March/April 2003

And speaking of award nominations, the 5th annual Island Music Awards just announced their nomination list, which includes a number of Victoria acts. Up for multiple nominations in a variety of categories are the likes of Adonis Puentes, Casey Ryder, Art Napoleon, Zak Cohen, Joby Baker, Dave Harris, Caroline Spence, Warriors of the Infinite and Jell (who have quite possibly been nominated solely because of the vast number of stickers they've plastered the city with). . . Winners will be announced at a June 17 concert at the Central, capping off IMA's week-long "Proud of Our Own" Island music event. - Monday Magazine - March 2006

"Great songs, well recorded, well performed - and not what you usually hear on the radio, but just as catchy and accessible. This is new and cool and will be the next music everyone is listening to, as it captures both the imagination and the heart, while you can respect the honest emotional expression and the craft. All the songs are interesting moments unto themselves, reflecting a prismatic and charismatic performer with many unique and important things to say." - Danica Nolan, Indiemark - Danica Nolan, Indiemark

As the story goes, Consider This... began with the meeting of a handful of artists and music-related folk who were part of a Toronto networking group. They came together in Trinity-Bellwoods park on a rainy, late-summer day. Taking shelter from the rain, they hatched a plan. That plan flourished, and just over five months later, the expanded group released Consider This... - a CD representing "some of the sounds from Toronto's vibrant independent music scene."

"...solid ideas, catchy melodies, and intelligently written songs..."
- Lisa Johnson - Indie Voice - March 2001

“There is a wonderful mythical law of nature that the three things we crave most in life - happiness, freedom, and peace of mind - are always attained by giving them to someone else.” - Peyton Conway March

On Saturday, October 20, 2007, you really could feel the love at the Cornerstone Cafe in the heart of Fernwood. The love was in appreciation of a worthy cause. It was for music and dance performed with conviction and grace. It was expressed in the camaraderie between musicians and the connection between performers and audience. It was the love of a community of people who filled the Cafe for ten straight hours to show their support and generously donated over $875 to the Victoria Women’s Sexual Assault Centre (VWSAC), in honour of the Centre’s 25th anniversary.

The event was called “20/20/20.” Twenty local artists performed twenty minutes each on the 20th day of October, hence the 10-hour marathon from 1:00 to 11:00pm. In opening “20/20/20,” Fernwood NRG Board Chair, Lisa Helps, welcomed the VWSAC and all the musicians to “our neighbourhood living room.”

Long-time Fernwood resident and veteran of the Victoria music scene Mike Demers kicked off the event with a powerful punch of acoustic numbers. Demers was followed by the duo Palomitas De Maiz - belly dancing accompanied by conga percussion. Other artists who graced the Cornerstone stage included: Irene Jackson, Tom Sandford, Boxcar, Azul Salvaje, Gord Phillips, Chelsea Rich, The Flying Barista Brothers, Dana Waldman, Steven Del Rizzo, Pedro Java, Greg Wolfe, James Kasper, Nastassia Yard, Jennifer Louise Taylor, Char, Quinn, Hollydene, Stacie Black, Thomas P. Radcliffe, Caroline Spence, Adam Basterfield, and Pauline Edwards.

The response to the call for performers for the benefit was so overwhelming that the 20 performer spots were not enough to accommodate everyone. So, surplus performers were squeezed in for single songs during transitions between official acts.

“I experienced a wide range of emotions and continued to talk about it for many days after,” said Tracy Lubick, Resource Development Offi cer for VWSAC, who spoke at the event. “At times I found myself smiling and laughing, at other times I found myself moved to tears by the passion of the performer, the music itself, a voice, or an instrument.” Lubick commended the event’s participants for their “commitment to community” and added that by helping the organization to raise awareness and funds, “20/20/20” will make a difference in the lives of many.

Last year VWSCA provided services to over 2,800 people who have been aff ected by sexualized violence. Donations are used to provide counseling to survivors of sexual assault and abuse, training for volunteers on the Sexual Assault Response Team, and prevention education workshops for youth through a program called Project Respect.

Thank-you to all who participated in the event and supported the cause. - Kasper - Village Vibe - January 2008

As the story goes, Consider This... began with the meeting of a handful of artists and music-related folk who were part of a Toronto networking group. They came together in Trinity-Bellwoods park on a rainy, late-summer day. Taking shelter from the rain, they hatched a plan. That plan flourished, and just over five months later, the expanded group released Consider This... - a CD representing "some of the sounds from Toronto's vibrant independent music scene."

"...solid ideas, catchy melodies, and intelligently written songs..."
- Lisa Johnson - Indie Voice - March 2001

It is still a risky undertaking for independent artists to release their own cd, even though the costs of recording and pressing cds have fallen dramatically over the last few years, and even though recent acceptance of “low-fi” has encouraged more musicians than ever to try their hand at recording and distributing their music themselves. But what is impossible for one to achieve becomes a reality when undertaken by a group, as the loose collective of Toronto area musicians featured on “Consider This” sets out to prove -- to good effect.

Many of the musicians on the cd don’t quite fit in with the electric guitar-oriented or experimentally leaning “alternative” rock bands heard at places like Lee’s Palace, the Rivoli and similar bars, nor do they have much in common with underground electronica; and admittedly, many of the featured acts verge on “pop” in the vein of Pursuit of Happiness or Sarah McLaughlin. Yet I would nonetheless not begrudge them the “alternative” label, not only because they would not likely get much air play on any commercial radio station, but also because they clearly try to push the boundaries of their craft, and seem committed to play what they like regardless of whether or not it’s trendy.

Those who like female vocalists will enjoy this cd, as there are many strong ones featured throughout: Marnie Levitt, Corduroy Leda, Ember Swift, Frances Swift, Caroline Spence and Colleen Gray of Aiti Maa, Carmen Townsend of Schek, and Sachne to name a few. The musicianship is, without exception, competent, and the production is clean and consistent -- an impressive feat considering that most of the acts seemed to have previously recorded their tracks at differing locations.

There are several strong tracks that caught my ear: the opening track, “We Are Lost”, by Aiti Maa (Caroline Spence), with its tasteful, George Harrison-influenced slide guitar melody; Marnie Levitt’s sensual, wah-wah driven “The World Will Come to Me”; Corduroy Leda’s , “80 Bucks”, a rhythmic tune somewhat reminiscent of the punk pop of late 70s bands like the Slits or the Mekons; the plaintive piano ballad, “Around You” by Frances Chan (who would be a perfect addition to an upcoming Lilith Fair); “Down by the Shore” a brassy, reggaeish pop tune that for me, calls to mind Dexy’s Midnight Runners, and the equally catchy, new-wavish, “Sundogs”, both by the five piece Nathan’s Flat. For me, the highlight of the local music collection is the catchy yet musically ambitious 8 minute progressive pop song, “Blue Skies” by Schek, a band who contrasts their male and female co-lead vocalists quite effectively.

“Consider This” is a fine collection of hook-laden songs by 12 independent local artists; hopefully the featured musicians will consider putting out another compilation next year. - Marc Fedek for BurningInk - 2002

A team of Toronto area musicians are gearing up for a benefit show to raise money for Canada's phone-in counselling service for youth, Kids Help Phone.

Artists from the local indie scene will be gathering together on June 11 to help raise funding for the service, which answers an average of 800-1000 phone calls a day. Holy Joe's (the lil' room above the Reverb) will be the place to be for the show and local musicians will include Chris St. Pierre, Catherine Hume, aiti maa (Caroline Spence), Prosad, Rice and Schek.

The event is organized by a collective known as Torontoindie.com. The group defines themselves as "a collective of stylistically diverse musicians working together on various projects – providing support, education and communication between artists – rather than strictly networking." The group released a CD in 2001 called Consider This which featured a collage of songs by independent artists from Toronto.

If you want to catch the concert, show up at Holy Joe's doors at 8 p.m. Suggested cover is $10, or if you can't quite dig it up, you can pay what you can.

- Katie Bailey - ChartAttack - May 2002

It is still a risky undertaking for independent artists to release their own cd, even though the costs of recording and pressing cds have fallen dramatically over the last few years, and even though recent acceptance of “low-fi” has encouraged more musicians than ever to try their hand at recording and distributing their music themselves. But what is impossible for one to achieve becomes a reality when undertaken by a group, as the loose collective of Toronto area musicians featured on “Consider This” sets out to prove -- to good effect.

Many of the musicians on the cd don’t quite fit in with the electric guitar-oriented or experimentally leaning “alternative” rock bands heard at places like Lee’s Palace, the Rivoli and similar bars, nor do they have much in common with underground electronica; and admittedly, many of the featured acts verge on “pop” in the vein of Pursuit of Happiness or Sarah McLaughlin. Yet I would nonetheless not begrudge them the “alternative” label, not only because they would not likely get much air play on any commercial radio station, but also because they clearly try to push the boundaries of their craft, and seem committed to play what they like regardless of whether or not it’s trendy.

Those who like female vocalists will enjoy this cd, as there are many strong ones featured throughout: Marnie Levitt, Corduroy Leda, Ember Swift, Frances Swift, Caroline Spence and Colleen Gray of Aiti Maa, Carmen Townsend of Schek, and Sachne to name a few. The musicianship is, without exception, competent, and the production is clean and consistent -- an impressive feat considering that most of the acts seemed to have previously recorded their tracks at differing locations.

There are several strong tracks that caught my ear: the opening track, “We Are Lost”, by Aiti Maa (Caroline Spence), with its tasteful, George Harrison-influenced slide guitar melody; Marnie Levitt’s sensual, wah-wah driven “The World Will Come to Me”; Corduroy Leda’s , “80 Bucks”, a rhythmic tune somewhat reminiscent of the punk pop of late 70s bands like the Slits or the Mekons; the plaintive piano ballad, “Around You” by Frances Chan (who would be a perfect addition to an upcoming Lilith Fair); “Down by the Shore” a brassy, reggaeish pop tune that for me, calls to mind Dexy’s Midnight Runners, and the equally catchy, new-wavish, “Sundogs”, both by the five piece Nathan’s Flat. For me, the highlight of the local music collection is the catchy yet musically ambitious 8 minute progressive pop song, “Blue Skies” by Schek, a band who contrasts their male and female co-lead vocalists quite effectively.

“Consider This” is a fine collection of hook-laden songs by 12 independent local artists; hopefully the featured musicians will consider putting out another compilation next year. - Marc Fedek for BurningInk - 2002