clair reilly-roe
New York City, New York, United States | SELF
Music
Press
featured in SESAC magazine new and now - sesac magazine
I love the joke in the Blue Brothers movie: So what kind of music do you guys have here normally? “Both Kinds. Country & Western.” Well the answer around here is about the same but I thought it would be a good idea to focus on some pop music for a change. So here’s a cover by Clair Reilly-Roe doing “New Years Day”. Some pop can really gets under your skin mainly because you hear it too much or it all sounds the same, etc. Easy to be a hater for sure but every once in awhile there is some music that is pretty pleasant and you find yourself humming along because it’s just a good song or they actually do have taste. I literally pictured some Rastafarians jamin’ behind her in my mind when I hear her cover this song in her style and I’m then suddenly transported to a fancy beach front bar in the Hamptons or Cape Cod maybe. You get the picture. This music will help you escape your miserable winter doldrums. Also helps if the singer has some flammable assets and the music is recorded really well so there you go. Clair’s voice will burn right through with a blink of eyelash so check it out.
Back story short and full disclosure. I met Clair on a video shoot for the Create or Else documentary series that I’ve been working on for awhile. She is one of the many independent artists being produced by Tony Black’s music production umbrella and is a featured artist in the mini-doc. She spiritedly says about her tunes:
“…girls say that it’s good make out music!“
As is appropriate around these parts stalk her on twitter @ClairReillyRoe She’s got a city soul but you can check her out for yourself at The Bitter End Thursday Jan 20th 7pm - Review Stalker
By Gian Fiero for www.musemuse.com
"Clair Reilly-Roe, a singer/songwriter from Canada via New York, turns in a delicate ballad that is characterized by her sensual and whispery vocals. The track is reminiscent in tone and temperament to Prince's 'When We're Dancing Close And Slow' from his self-titled debut in 1979, and is perfect for placement in a movie or TV scene where the characters share their first intimate moment. Using a soft and delicate production that palpitates like a relaxed heartbeat, Clair sprinkles seductive and inviting vocals over gentle guitar chords that arouse and engage your emotions, leaving space for you to conjure up your own thoughts. Music supervisors take note."
- By Gian Fiero for www.musemuse.com
To be honest I have never heard of Clair Reilly-Roe. On the black-and-white photo of the cover a fine young lady looks uninhibitedly at the lens. After some research the mystery is revealed...
This album was recorded in her living room with help from some musician friends. The first song "Lying" rocks away with electric guitar. The rest of the material is mostly acoustic. When listening to the song "I say things" for the first time I instinctively think of Kristin Hersh's 'Your Ghost'. Choosing absolute favorites among a perfect piece of songwriting is not easy. I still would like to emphasize the sober beauty of the perfectly pure "Amazing" and the melancholic Goodbye Manhattan and Do You. The extra live songs show unambiguously that Clair Reilly-Roe not only deserves a record contract but also a spot on our stages. - www.keysandchords.com
Discography
-Melody Club Sessions EP '09
-'Island in the City' - 2011
Photos
Bio
The melodies are sweet and singable and the lyrics are pages falling out of a tattered, well traveled diary. Clair Reilly-Roe writes story songs, funny songs, love songs- songs about changing and letting go, about beginnings, endings, but above all else, the triumph of love.
As the child of real-deal hippies, folk music formed the foundation of Reilly-Roe's inspiration- from Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan, Carol King, and the Beatles- the music was always turned up loud. However, it was a career as a pro snowboarder that ultimately led her to a commitment to music. A knee injury forced Reilly-Roe off the mountain and she ended up trading her Burton for a Gibson to follow big dreams of "making it" in the big apple.
Arriving from Canada with only a single contact, Reilly-Roe “was very green,” she admits. “I only knew one person, producer Tony Black [The Hit Factory, The Diary of Alicia Keys], who has worked with a number of other Canadian artists. Luckily he was a good person to know and we have done some great work over the years together. Their most recent collaboration is Clair Reilly-Roe's debut album--- "Island in the City" --- a laid back, pop/reggae record, consisting of 5 originals and 6 covers, ranging from U2, the Police, to Daniel Lanois.
Reilly-Roe also cultivated connections from her early New York day jobs, turning a stint in the restaurant business into a long-time collaboration. “I met one of my writing partners, Kobie Powell (former member of US3) while I was a waitress in a uptown club.” That early meeting with Powell led to a project writing hip hop for young kids with award winning composer, sound engineer and mixer, Brian Rund. The team, KBC Kids, have placed songs in TV commercials and various film and TV projects (Lemonade Mouth/Disney, Running Russell Simmons, Kraft, ABC Family, Crickets) as well as creating their own animated TV show, currently in development with 9Story Entertainment (Max & Ruby/Harriet the Spy).
These days, Reilly-Roe jumps between the studio and stage; playing live with her band- Todd Caldwell on organ (Crosby Stills & Nash/Burlap to Cashmere) and Tanner Jacobson on drums (Michelle Branch & The Wreckers/Marc O’Conner/Jypsi) -- or working on tunes for commercials/TV and film with KBC Kids.
Clair Reilly-Roe is still chasing big dreams, but is also living them.
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