Marilee Yorston

"When I listen to Tom Waits I imagine I could be the kind of drunk that when she stumbles, she dances. The kind of fool that when she rambles, its poetry. The sort of writer who, reaching into words, can pull out new meanings as if they were awaiting re-invention." For Marilee it is a paradox which ignites her songs to their final satisfying completion. She will tell you that people ultimately want to be seen as a unique blend of their characters and talents. This is how she sees the music she writes, asserting: "we are a mixture of everything we have done and every place we dream we will go". Each song she writes is the unvarnished and lyrical representation of this vision of life as it passes through her. "I believe writing is your chance to share your shoes with the world, just like listening is your chance to try on someone else's."

Marilee began songwriting in 1994 at age 16. Influenced by great song-smiths such as Waits, Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan and Jolie Holland, walking in Marilee's musical shoes is anything but pedestrian. Her ability to draw you, rather conversationally, into prose metaphor and figurative lyric is effortless and naive. The arrangements strive to be poignant and timeless, preserving the simplicity of the songs without cluttering them with gratuitous instrumentation.

The now 28 year old Marilee has a musical career spanning across 2 decades. Having begun guitar at age 15 and learning to sing at 16, she has performed for hundreds of audience members in Canada and the US. After living in Vancouver for a few years, she spent a few weeks doing a hobo tour down the West coast of North America which landed her in San Francisco after playing many venues, sidewalks and cafe houses along the way. In 2001 she took a two year hiatus from music performance to pursue an education in Audio Engineering and Production, which has given Marilee the sharpened tools of a dedicated professional, combined with an artistic patriotism to always write from the heart. She currently resides in Toronto where she can be found playing monthly regulars and spontaneous stages.

Her pending debut release titled "Stovetop Jesus" is a collection of original works. Some have been dug out from dusty basements and re-recorded from demo, and others are new fresh compositions hand plucked for this occasion. It promises to hold more than one soon-to-be old favorite and is a recording one should dare not miss.