Heather Kelday

A Band of Owls
Jazz folkers experiment big-time on new LP

Heather Kelday and Paul Cressman traded in life and music made on the shores of Lake Superior—Thunder Bay, Ontario to be exact—for Halifax a few years back. Their reasons for the move were fabled and practical. "The slow-paced lifestyle, welcoming music community and to find a new drummer," says Kelday.

And they found him. His name is Aaron Mangle and his hinting playing perfectly suits the dreamy jazz-folk vibe created by Kelday, who plays guitar and banjo and sings, and Cressman on acoustic standup and electric bass. "Rushing Love Song," from the band's new indie release Of Wood and Water, Stars and Song (official release on December 2 at the BusStop Theatre) demonstrates the trio's spellbinding powers.

Alongside the dreamy aspect, there's a healthy get-up to the Owls' recorded and stage work, rousing the crowd with bluegrass and tapping into their roots. "Our earlier albums"—when the outfit was called Barefoot—"are rooted in indie-rock and jam band styles conducive to dancing," Kelday explains. "Those albums highlight improvisational jams, ambience.

"Aaron, Paul and I have an affinity for experimental music," she adds. "We all grew up playing a variety of instruments."

Lately, Kelday has been writing on banjo and mandolin, along with guitar. The shared spirit of experimentation and acoustic music created a delightful surprise for Kelday and company on Of Wood and Water, Stars and Song. "To go from jazz to rockabilly to cabaret all in one album was pretty fascinating and unexpected," she says. "But somehow it works."

As for her songwriting, Kelday sings of the "natural world and social interaction …love, lust, loss—you know, the good ol' three Ls."

Once she has her words down, she shares them with Cressman and Mangle. "It is so beautiful when Paul and Aaron add their thoughts and lives to the story in musical instrumentation."

Beautiful too now that Band of Owls is in Halifax's musical life.

Sean Flinn
(November. 2006 - The Coast Magazine

“A blend of folk, roots music, blue grass, jazz, rock and ambient, they perform songs that soar through the heart, liberate the imagination, and bring us back down to earth with melodic poetry ground in the fertilit of nature and the human soul” Carolyn Sloan" (October, 2006) - Annapolis Spectator

New Album "Of wood and water, stars and song" chosen by Mark Rheaume for December featured Albums. - CBC Radio One

Heather Kelday's brilliant new CD, "The Hitchin' Post", showcases a songwriter who has reached artistic maturity; a versatile musician/composer with the gift of a warm, expressive voice. Those who need to categorize music would file "The Hitchin' Post" under "Indie- Pop - Jazzy- Orchestral- Folk"; for the rest of us . . . well, it's simply great music! Heather is pursuing her career as a solo artist, following her inspired work with Barefoot/A Band of Owls, and she still keeps good company, having enlisted some of our region's best musicians to form the Mud Creek Symphonic. With their support, Heather Kelday's music continues to reach new heights! - Deep Roots Music Festival 2009

"After a ten-plus-year successful run on the music scene, mostly fronting the bands Barefoot and A Band of Owls, singer/songwriter Heather Kelday is making a bold move and flying solo. Blessed with a dreamy voice, the gifted songwriter describes the world as she sees it in self-penned pearls that can be found on her much-anticipated debut solo album The Hitchin' Post. A versatile multi-instrumentalist, Kelday plays her own blend of folk-which makes definite forays into blues, soul, bluegrass, and jazz-on banjo, mandolin, guitar and piano and is often accompanied by well-known artists from the East Coast music community. One of our most promising musician Heather Kelday is not to be missed."
-Lunenburg Folk Harbour Festival 2009-
- Lunenburg Folk Harbour Society

If you’re looking for something to hoot about during some downtime at the Lunenburg Festival of Crafts, you may want to keep your eyes open for a low-flying owl — in fact, A Band of Owls, to be precise. - South Shore Now

“Their sound has a life and energy that is infectious.
They have a keen sense of melody and motion with a mixture
of a Daniel Lanois-style studio sound and the
jangly acoustic feel and relaxed vocals of folk/rock.”
Shelley Thompson – Halifax Herald (2005)

- Halifax Herald

Folk music band, comprising Lakehead alumni, has loyal following: played to capacity crowd during Orientation Week.
Maclean’s Magazine – Guide to Canadian Universities (2003) - Maclean's Magazine

It was definitely some of the most creative music I’ve ever heard.
Megan Valois - Athenaeum (Acadia University Paper – 2004) - Athenaeum

Playing a mix of folk and blues injected with a wholesome
dose of rock and roll ambition, their set was equivalent of musical opium, leaving everyone yearning for more.
Dave Briggs, Argus (2002)
- Argus Paper