Music
Press
Why is Everybody, Anybody? -- his slick collection of impossibly catchy pop songs that at times sounds uncannily like the album Coldplay fans should have received earlier this month.
We will no doubt hear more from Ward too, if the well-crafted songs of the former Wellwisher's Why is Everybody, Anybody? are any indication. Confidently leading his band through rockers like Break Me and epic ballads like Silver Linings, Ward is in control throughout the album's 10 tracks, even calling the band off to tackle the haunting Sleepwalker alone with his piano. - Alan Wigney
- The Ottawa Sun
Getting set to release his debut solo record, Why Is Everybody, Anybody?, Ward's songs draw strong inspiration from the Gallagher brothers (Oasis) and crew, but with a distinct Canadian flair. - Jennifer Tattersall - Ottawa Xpress
The Ottawa singer-songwriter, who channels his love for British pop and Canadian indie rock into pensive but vigorous rock 'n' roll songs, plays his live shows with the Downtown Swingers, a group made up of friends and old band mates. - Fateema Sayani - Ottawa Citizen
"This is an inspiring collection of ten songs, all written by Ward, which has a deeply warm and inviting flavour about them. Combined with catchy lyrics, Kris Ward has developed his craft to the level of pre-international stardom...Their's no shortage of impressive songwriting on this album. "Between Starlight & Sunlight" has defining moments of brilliant guitar playing that blends nicely into softer passages. Kris Ward's singing is quite remarkable." - Chris White, Partyinkingston.com - Partyinkingston.com
"The 'lighter' side of Ward has been manifested in oftentimes moody songs that stem from his admiration for the sound of bands like Doves, The Verve and Ocean Colour Scene." - Allan Wigney; The Ottawa Sun - The Ottawa Sun
Ottawa scenesters might remember Ward from his previous band, The Wellwishers, who broke up last October. Tonight will be Ward's first solo show performing with a full backup band.
"The band isn't actually all that new," Ward says, "the drummer is Max Figueredo, who played with me in The Wellwishers, and the guitar player is Dan Seguin, who I played with — prior to The Wellwishers — for six years in my first band, Revolver."
The show will feature the debut of Ward's new songs, which he hopes to record in May for an album release this summer.
"I'm extremely excited as this is all new material that I will be playing. Each step in my musical career seems to be better then the one before it, so hopefully this tradition will continue."
- Jason Hailman; Chartattack.com - Chartattack.com
"That's not to say the second act, Kris Ward (above), was in the perfectly-same genre as Leave, but the match was far closer, complementing well, and most of the difference in vibe stemmed from the fact that Ward was flying solo here, having left his bandmates at home in Ottawa. He stuck mostly to an acoustic guitar, with some deviations to the piano. His is an easy voice, strong, and you can definitely hear the Stereophonics influence he wears so proudly in the way he uses said voice and with the occasional slight rasp. He carried a warm presence on stage too, regaling us with tales of being stuck in Montréal JazzFest traffic (which honestly did shut half the city down, as many major roads were closed off to make way for the stages and festivities), and covering tunes by Travis and The Doves. My favourite moment of his light and silly banter was his explanation of one of the songs he was about to sing. "I don't know if anyone here's pulled an all-nighter, but it's that time before the sun comes up but there's no stars. Some people call that 'dawn,' but I decided to go for the long, arty name - 'Between Starlight and Sunlight.'" Nice one. Nothing like a guy who can effectively recognize the corniness of art but still remain serious about it." - Andy Scheffler; CordMag.com - Cord Magazine
Kris Ward, the Ottawa rocker showing us the world hasn't seen its last Tom Petty/Jakob Dylan/John Mellencamp. The type of songwriter with a voice that comes across with a chippy vibe and a really neat ability to snap over to a higher note before swinging back to his normal range. A voice that is not fluid so much as it means it, where it becomes more about the emotion of the song than the music-school perfection of it, where the key is realism , where the edges scrape you just barely so you can feel you're actually alive. The songs touch you in a way that you just get it. You know what Ward means. You've been there. He can strain, he can lilt and flow when it counts, and he can get breathy. This comes out on the slower, more acoustic tunes, which by the time I'm up to the fourth track, appear to be pretty evenly split with the rockers. Said track, "Break Me," is one that I want to feel punch out a bit more. It has that slightly reserved sound that could be swiftly rectified by a level or two being adjusted somewhere in the mix - I just want to hear the guitar in this one shred more, cut loose a bit. However - this is not a regular occurence in the full CD. Most of it gives exactly what it needs to. Oddly enough, when I first heard him live, I thought more Stereophonics-Britrock, but now I hear more of the Americana-style backroads rock. Only Canadian. Rusty songs.
Moments later, we get "Sleepwalker" breaking the disc just over in half. It's like intermission. A really lovely intermission. It's a soft and sweet piano ballad. How old and Beatlesy... or not.. kinda jivey, but slow, echoey... nice tune. Beautiful. You can feel the strain in these vocals, so soft and touching. Well this is the sort of album that makes you want to sit on a dock at night and think about everything you've ever fucked up. Thanks a lot, Kris Ward, you just made me the most depressed human being in creation. The melodramatic/uppity switcharoo trend continues by the step up in tempo for "A Victory Song (For The Defeated)." ...see earlier note about depression. Ward definitely doesn't let you feel exactly the same way for more than 5 minutes. "Between Starlight & Sunlight" is pretty big and stadiumlike. And shortly, the album closer, "Silver Linings (This Is The End)" is sinking us back into the world of stormy, gutwrenching pianos. Misery is what I was given... This is like one of those songs where there would be slow-moton bouquets of dramatcially-coloured flowers being tossed and destroyed, and lots of inclement weather and moody lighting and scathing looks... and so it ends...
Song of choice : "Sleepwalker," no question about it. It's so haunting and longing. Beach at twilight style.
-Andy Scheffler
- cordmag.com
"O-Town Music Notes
Pensive soulful rocker Kris Ward, who worships at the Oasis of British pop, turns his tastes toward the Swedes tomorrow when he opens for The Caesars." - Fateema Sayani - The Ottawa Citizen
Discography
Why is Everybody, Anybody? - released May 31, 2005
A 10 song LP produced and engineered by Dave Draves (Kathleen Edwards, Jim Bryson).
1. Shake the Ground
2. Romance Made for Fairytales
3. Superhero's Epiphany
4. Break Me
5. Hand for Hope
6. Sleepwalker
7. A Victory Song (for the defeated)
8. Between Starlight and Sunlight
9. Country Cowboys and War Machines
10. Silver Linings (this is the end)
Availible on www.mymusic.com
Photos
Bio
Everyone talks about the sophomore curse. However, for twenty something singer/songwriter Kris Ward he has encountered that sophomore curse on more than one occasion. With enough drive and perseverance Ward will break that curse in early 2009 with the release of Hands to the Sky, a new five song EP and a follow-up to (2005’s) Why is Everybody, Anybody?
Ward got his start in music at the age of sixteen when, after purchasing his first guitar, he put together his first band REVOLVER. Revolver would go on to write and perform for close to five years releasing just one album. On the cusp of releasing album number two the band would break up and leave this Ottawa Ontario native looking for a new musical home.
THE WELLWISHERS were formed in early 2002, and within months were playing gigs and in the studio recording their debut EP. The three song EP entitled Too Far Away would be released with moderate success, earning the band some notable opening slots as well as some light radio play. However, once again in late 2003, while trying to put the pieces together for a new recording the band would break up. This time however, Ward decided to go the route or a solo artist taking the reigns of command on his own.
Ward spent the better part of the next two years working with different musicians and writing songs that were to be included on his first album. In May of 2005 Why is Everybody, Anybody? was released and did considerably well. The success of this album was noticeable from heavier radio play, opening slots for bands like The Caesars (Astralwerks), Marble Index (Universal) and Peter Elkas (Maplemusic). It also saw heavier touring in both Canada and the United States with shows ranging from New York City to Halifax and everywhere in between.
Now, in 2008 Ward, who now also fronts the band THE REBEL YEAR, will finally get to do something he has yet to do, put out a follow-up record. With a release date of early 2009, Hands to the Sky, will feature five brand new songs and is slated to be recorded at one of Ottawa’s premiere studio’s Gallery Recordings, enlisting the help of up and coming indie producer Dean Watson at the helm. Finally, Ward will be able to say that this is one curse he was able to overcome.
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