Jenifer Mclaren

It all starts with the voice. And Jenifer McLaren sings with crystalline clarity, a vivid passion and an unerring gift for melody on her latest work, which should soon bring her to greater prominence in her native Canada and attract a large loyal audience worldwide.

The multi-talented singer/songwriter began her performing career at an early age, playing piano, guitar and utilizing the unique Bell Canto vocal technique, which was popularized in Italian opera. Her talents soon attracted a passionate local following, while her music education progressed to a point where she received a music grant from the Canadian arts school called Factor. There she cut her first demo, which led to a spot performing at the North by Northeast convention showcase in 1998. Her performance was so stunning that it prompted Nettwerk Records to sign her to a deal.

While recording her first album, she toured with the likes of the Guess Who, Blue Rodeo and the Folks on the Road tour. With that added exposure, it wasn’t a surprise to see her debut Canadian release, Nightlight, meet with both critical and public acclaim. Her single, “Dynamite,” achieved success not only in the Great White North, but was a hit in several European markets. Nettwerk Records capitalized on her success by licensing many of her songs to hit TV shows such as Felicity, Roswell and Mercy Peak. At the same time, Jenifer lent her songwriting, vocal and piano playing talents to the work of a variety of international artists, including Delerium, whose record went Gold in several countries.

The momentum of her burgeoning popularity continued, as she opened for Mission UK for their 2003 summer tour through two-dozen cities in America. Jenifer attracted a particularly rabid fan base in Tampa, Florida, where she had a “live” residence of sorts, performing at several large local arenas. Other major film and TV companies jumped on her bandwagon. Disney decided to use one of her songs for latest TV movie of the trilogy called Zenon. What’s more, the makers of a big-budget computer-animated film, now in development, want to use several of her songs and have her voice one of the characters.

All the recording, soundtrack and touring work has led to this point: Jenifer McLaren is now in Los Angeles, collaborating with top-drawer songwriters and recording the new material for what will be her breakthrough album. A handful of songs are already completed, including the taut, snappy rocker “Rewind,” the delicate ballad “Heart of Stone” and the dynamic, provocative rock of “Never Say Goodbye.” They are all at once cutting edge and daring, yet still possess a timeless sense of melody and soul.

And that…all that…is just the beginning.