Music
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Maria Kotovych / maria@vueweekly.com
Drowning Ophelia
Drowning Ophelia
(TANDA)
Who doesn’t like a set of twins? No, I didn’t mean it like that. Stop it! I’m talking about twin sisters recording an album together, which is what we have here with Drowning Ophelia. Edmonton residents Candace and Karli Schiebelbein present a pop album with an alternative twist, beginning with “Cinderella,” whose quirky lyrics and Latin beats open the album and promise listeners good things to come. The album does a great job of balancing slower ballads such as “Watch Me Drown” with energetic tunes like “Road to Nowhere,” which races along like ska on speed. And what a fun song! I’m not surprised that this group mentions No Doubt as one of its influences. Vocally, the sisters express themselves most powerfully when they lead with a strong, stirring alto. “Hush Now,” for instance, depicts the twins’ vocal confidence and lyrical maturity. At other times, the ladies switch gears, allowing their voices to explore a more folksy, Jewel-like sound. I’ve heard too many albums where all the songs sound so much alike that I could never tell them apart; fortunately, that’s not the case here. - Vue Weekly: Edmonton's 100% Independent News & Entertainment Weekly
This past weekend's Edmonton show had some hefty competition!
Friday, April 27th, 2007
1st Place: Survivor Screams (Metal/Rock)
2nd Place: Drowning Ophelia (Indie/Pop/Alternative)
3rd Place: Dusk at Dawn (Indie/Rock)
The first place band at the Transalta Art Barns venue had the chops to win. Survivor Screams performed a tight and entertaining set, showing off their new screaming abilities with an additional singer, new guitar player and a heavy sound. They beat out the 11 other bands in the competition to get the 1st place prize of eight recording hours from Smashtbenz Studioz!
Second place prize went to the sister act of Candace and Karli who encompass what we know as Drowning Ophelia. Both now reside in Edmonton and had plenty of musical talent for the night, most notably in acoustics to acquire the second place prize of five hours in the recording studio.
Dusk at Dawn took home the third prize of five recording hours. Their band consists of female front and their music and performance were received well by the Edmonton audience.
Catch all three bands at the Edmonton Band on the Run Finals!
Supernova would like to thank Smashtbenz Studioz for sponsoring the event and for coming by to watch the show! Located just off the popular Whyte Avenue in Edmonton, Alberta, Smashtbenz Studioz prides itself on high quality results at a fraction of the price. Achievements include an A.R.I.A award (Alberta Recording Industry Awards) and producing for such commercially successful artists as Swollen Members.
- Tuesday May 1st, 2007 :: by Supernova
Major area residents know they will be entertained when 21-year-old twin sisters Karli and Candace Schiebelbein step on the stage.
The girls are scheduled to perform their array of alternative pop as Drowning Ophelia in an evening performance Friday since returning home from their post secondary pursuits in Edmonton. The evening begins with a supper at 5:30 p.m. followed by the performance at 7:30 p.m.
The talent of the twins is not new to the community. Throughout their adolescence the girls sang in the church choir and participated in talent shows, and in Grade 9 formed their first band The Mystic Angels.
"When we were 14 that's when we really started getting serious about music," said Karli. " We've done little concerts in Kerrobert and Major and were in the jamming club with Mr. Williamson."
Working around their post secondary commitments, the sisters completed a demo CD in 2005. They will spend this summer recording their first album which is expected to be released this fall.
"We collaborate and just play around and when we get inspired we start writing," Karli said. "One of us will start writing a song and the other will help finish it."
Musical talent runs in their blood with their parents playing in an oldies/country band and two siblings playing 90s cover songs. Karli plays piano and guitar and Candace bass and piano.
Their talents became more widely known after the twins entered Supernova's Battle of the Bands competition. Drowning Ophelia placed second in an April competition in Edmonton, and is scheduled to compete in the finals on June 26. Karli said both Sum 41 and Three Day's Grace started their music careers through the Battle of the Bands.
Bringing local talent to the community is the goal of the Major Memorial Rink Association to raise funds for the rink and hall, said secretary Stacey Steele.
"We are trying to promote our local talent," she said. "we have a lot of musical talent for Major being such a small town. We thought we could help out our local girls."
Drowning Ophelia is among the many talents the Major area has to offer when it comes to the performing arts, and among many the association plans to showcase, said Steele.
With more families moving into town and more recreational events planned, Steele said both facilities are being used more frequently. Events have included women's shinny hockey, ladies night out and softball tournaments. This summer Alicia Gardeski will lead a belly dancing group and Hayley Dommett will offer yoga.
"We are always in the process of putting on new events and the girls haven't performed a local show for quite some time," she said. "This is their homecoming."
Advanced tickets for Friday's show are available at the Co-op at $12. Tickets at the door are $15. - Tammy Rollie of The Crossroads
For the Week of March 1, 2010 Drowning Ophelia was one of Music BC's picks on the Province Playlist.
http://www.theprovince.com/entertainment/music/downloads/index.html - The Province
Drowning Ophelia consists of twin sisters, Candace and Karli. Candace on bass, Karli on guitar, and for some songs on keys -- and a drummer, Jared Bradley. They come to Edmonton from Saskatchewan and have studied music at GMCC - like many local musicians. I didn't talk, just listened -- maybe they are GMCC students at present.
I had not seen (or heard) them before I arrived at the Blue Chair. The website explains that they come from a family of musicians, with different styles. The music ranged from jazz, to country, to pop. Easy to listen. Interesting tunes and delivery.
Drowning Ophelia recently won a Supernova.com battle of the bands, and plan to release a CD in the spring - not too far away. Watch for it, watch for them, and you might be saying "I saw them long before they were so famous." - Tracy Kolenchuk -- http://www.edmontonstages.blogspot.com/
Discography
A Silent Star: Christmes EP (2009)
Drowning Ophelia (2008)
Drowning Ophelia - Demo (2005)
Photos
Bio
You could possibly label Drowning Ophelia as “alternative pop;” however, their music combines influences from classic rock to Latin sounds, and have been described as “Santana meets No Doubt meets The Barenaked Ladies”. Released in 2008, their self titled debut album showcases their diverse musical tastes, with songs that range from “slower ballads such as ‘Watch Me Drown’” to “energetic tunes like ‘Road to Nowhere’, which races along like ska on speed”(Maria Kotovych, Vue Weekly Magazine).
Drowning Ophelia is made up of twin sisters, Candace and Karli, who grew up in small town Saskatchewan. Being children of professional musicians, Candace and Karli were on stage before birth, harmonizing before talking, and reading music before storybooks. They both began piano at a young age and after turning 13, Karli dared to be different and picked up the guitar. Not wanting to be overshadowed by her ‘younger’ sister, Candace took up bass to show that she could be different too. This proved to be the catalyst that would have the twins writing music together and inspired them to pursue careers in the music business.
In 2003, their passion for music led them to Edmonton, AB, where Karli studied music at Grant MacEwan College and Candace attended the University of Alberta. Going to school by day and writing songs by night gave them valuable life experiences and prepared them for what lay ahead. In the summer of 2007, armed with only a guitar, a bass, and their voices, Drowning Ophelia won Supernova.com’s Battle of the Bands. Since then they have continued to dazzle audiences with their quirky stage demeanor and mesmerizing harmonies.
Currently they are working on their second album, hopefully to be released summer 2011. "Watch for them, and you might be saying 'I saw them long before they were so famous.'"(Tracy Kolenchuck, Edmonton Arts Photographer).
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