Rings of June

Written by Jesse Kohl

Rings of June carries a special meaning that Sarah Boucher and Jeff Stamp hesitate to share, but they do drop a few hints about why they took the name for their first album.
"Our close friends know what it means to us," Boucher says with a smile. Stamp says a bit more: "Rings of June holds personal symbolic meaning that I would say comes from Muskoka."
On that note, so does every musician who spent five months recording eight songs with Rings of June at a studio owned and operated by a former Huntsville High School (HHS) student in Toronto.
Boucher, an HHS graduate who went on to get a degree in Acting, and Stamp, who attended Almaguin Highlands Secondary School and later experimented with independent music while building log homes in Huntsville, have both lived in Toronto for about two years.
She is the passionate voice behind Rings of June. He is the guitarist who can soothe or stomp. She's been classically trained since age seven and performed for Huntsville audiences as early as her elementary years at St. Mary's Catholic School. He was experimenting with "surreal" music as a teen living near Kearney and later recorded an independent album with a friend under the moniker 'Chronic Regatta.' He describes that project as "hillbilly meets distortion." Stamp also became the first paid "singing cowboy" at Deerhurst, building fires and playing campfire songs for kids.
Together, they are Rings of June.
"It's two big and separate influences that come together," says Stamp.
Boucher and Stamp met at the Pub on the Docks in June 2001 and launched immediately into a long conversation about music. She was home from Windsor, where she earned her degree in theatre. He recalled a time of travelling to Western Canada "as a vagabond, basically," and of going to North Bay once a year to play at the Muse Cafe, an annual environmental fundraiser.
"That kind of works out a few bugs--when you first start playing live for people," he says.
Soon they were writing songs. Then they were performing them here, at entertainment nights at Seven main Cafe with other local musicians, and later as part of the Black Whole Cabaret Reunion concert organized with the HHS centennial celebrations last May.
Living in Toronto, Boucher and Stamp ran into Kevin Cooper, who had recently built a recording studio and called it Argentum Audio.
"We ran into him coming out of a movie theatre," says Boucher. "It just kind of came up in a conversation."
"It was just perfect timing that he was looking for a project to help work out his bugs," said Stamp. "It was a good atmosphere."
Cooper, who was a regular Black Whole performer at HHS, also plays bass and some piano on Rings of June. Dan Neill, one of the Black Whole's busiest drummers (who went on to study in the prestigious jazz program at Humber College), handles drums and percussion for Rings of June. Nisha Coleman, a violinist who brought years of experience to the studio for Rings of June, was also a regular performer at HHS.
"It was definitely the Black Whole and going to high school here that got me started,"says Boucher of her passion for music. "It gave me a nesting place to grow.... It really was a little treasure about that school."
One song on the album, 'Beautiful,' pays tribute to a man who was a long-time supporter of the Black Whole. The lyrics for that song are "dedicated to Greg Munce, who was a fan & a great teacher/mentor."
Boucher remembered returning to Huntsville, as many HHS musicians did, for the memorial gathering at the school following the death of the influential English teacher. They already had the music written for the song. The words came naturally.
Boucher and Stamp will always return to Huntsville, but they don't regret the move to Toronto.
"With what we both want to do, the opportunity is really in the city," said Boucher.
"It took me a good year to adjust, and that influences you as well," said Stamp.
In the city, Boucher has practiced theatre, performed for children's shows and done fundraisers for the Canadian Opera Company.
"I go from job to job," she said. "I get a gig for three months, and then I'm done, and I go to work somewhere else."
Stamp works in renovations around the Greater Toronto Area.
They plan to organize CD release parties in both Huntsville and Toronto.
"We'd like to do something up here because there's a lot of people who support us from this area," said Boucher.
Former Emsdale resident Wade Gilpin, who also lives in Toronto, contributed layout work to Rings of June. Tim Du Vernet, a photographer in Muskoka, helped with the album cover.
"It was kind of a fluke, but it worked out perfectly," said Boucher.
"Everyone who worked on this is from this area."
For their next album, Rings of June plan to expand their music to include influences spanning everything from electronic sound and jazz to classical and opera styles.
Copies of Rings of June are available locally at Queen S - Huntsville Forester

Written by Jesse Kohl

Several musicians and other talents from the Muskoka area are credited with helping to create an album of music with Rings of June at a Toronto recording studio, owned by a former student of Huntsville High School (HHS).
RINGS OF JUNE is the collaborative genius of Sarah Boucher, a former HHS student, and Jeff Stamp, who attended Almaguin Highlands Secondary School near Sundridge. The two musicians live in the Toronto area.
For five months of studio recording at Argentum Audio, Boucher and Stamp enlisted the help of several Huntsville musicians with whom they had shared the stage at the Black Whole Cabaret concerts staged at HHS in the 1990's, including Dan Neill on drums, Nisha Coleman on violin and Kevin Cooper on bass. Cooper owns and operates the Toronto recording studio.
"It was just perfect timing that he was looking for a project to help work out his bugs," said Stamp. "It was a good atmosphere."
"It was kind of a fluke, but it worked out perfectly," said Boucher. "Everyone who worked on this is from this area."
Former Emsdale resident Wade Gilpin, who also now lives in Toronto, contributed layout work to
RINGS OF JUNE. Tim Du Vernet, a photographer in Muskoka, helped with the album cover.
Boucher and Stamp plan to schedule CD release party events in Toronto and Muskoka to celebrate the December release of their first album together.
"We'd like to do something up here because there's a lot of people who support us from this area," said Boucher.
The classically-trined vocalist and pianist credits the Black Whole Cabaret and HHS for giving her an early start with live performance experience.
"It was definitely the Black Whole and going to high school here that got me started," said Boucher of her passion for music. "It gave me a nesting place to grow... It really was a little treasure about that school."
Stamp comes from a background that includes recording independent music with a friend in Kearney under the name Chronic Regatta. He has also performed live at the Muse Cafe, an annual environmental fundraiser in North Bay, and worked as Deerhurst Resort's first singing cowboy.
"That kind of works out a few bugs--when you first start playing live for people," he said.
RINGS OF JUNE carries a special meaning Boucher and Stamp hesitate to share, but they do drop a few hints about why they took the name for their first album.
"Our close friends know what it means to us," Boucher says with a smile. Stamp says a bit more: "Rings of June holds personal symbolic meaning that I would say comes from Muskoka."
Copies of RINGS OF JUNE are available in Huntsville at Queen Street North and Cripple Creek Music.

-THE WEEKENDER,
Friday, January14, 2005. - The Weekender

Written By Jesse Kohl

Two local musicians know as 'Rings of June' will be returning to Huntsville this month for a special live performance to celebrate the release of their first album of music together.
Sarah Boucher, a former Huntsville High School student, and Jeff Stamp, who attended Almaguin Highlands Secondary School, have been looking forward to an official CD release party for their hometown supporters since the start of this year. Their album has been on sale at several businesses in the Huntsville area since January.
"Coming from a smaller town, you get a lot more support," said Boucher, who returned to Huntsville from Toronto last weekend with Stamp to start putting up posters announcing the show.
"It'll just feel comfortable," said Stamp, "like playing in our own backyard for peope that know us on a different level."
They've already introduced the material to Toronto audiences, performing the material as a duet at small venues and open mic gatherings. An official CD release party in the city was held at the Reverb on July 20. For that performance, Boucher and Stamp enlisted help from a violinist and a drummer.
"That was our first show with a full band. We did our whole album and some new songs," said Boucher of their first release party, which saw Rings of June headlining on a list of live acts.
"We had a couple of friends join us to play as solo acts," added Stamp. "It was a good mix up. Everyone was very supportive."
The August 20 release party for Huntsville will be another chance to perform their songs with a full band, as they are performed on the album.
"It's great to be able to rock out when you want to," said Stamp. But performing a song as a duet is also an appropriate approach to the music because "some of our songs are very intimate."
"It really depends on the song," added Boucher.
The August 20 CD release party will also see well-known local singer/songwriter Christine Heron bring her soulful voice to the stage for occasion.
After moving to Toronto to pursue music, Boucher and Stamp spent five months recording the eight-song album last year at a studio owned and operated by another former HHS student, Kevin Cooper. Also joining them for the recording sessions at Argentum Audio in Toronto were several other fellow HHS graduates, including drummer Dan Neill and violinist Nisha Coleman. As well, former Emsdale resident Wade Gilpin, who also now lives in Toronto, contributed layout work to Rings of June. Tim Du Vernet, a photographer in Muskoka, helped with the album cover.
The August 20 release party at the Huntsville Legion will be open to all ages. There will be a $10 admission cost. Refreshments will be available. Doors will open at about 7:30 pm and the music will start at 8pm.


--THE FORESTER, Wednesday, August 10, 2005.
- Huntsville Forester

By Jesse Kohl (Staff Reporter)

A former student of Almaguin Highlands Secondary School (AHSS) will be celebrating the release of an album of music this month when he returns to the area as part of 'Rings of June.'
That's the name that Jeff Stamp and Sarah Boucher chose to take on when recording their first album together last summer. That album will be the focus of an official CD release party to be held at the Huntsville Legion on August 20.
"It'll just feel comfortable," said Stamp, "like playing in our own backyard for people that know us on a different level."
Stamp attended AHSS in the 1990's while living in the Kearney area. He experimented with "surreal" music as a teen living near Kearney, later recording an independent album with a friend under the moniker 'Chronic Regatta,' a project he descibes as "hillbilly meets distortion."
Stamp became the first paid "singing cowboy" at Deehurst Resort, building fires and playing campfire songs for kids. After graduating high school, he worked building log homes in Huntsville and experimented with music and independent recording efforts.
The guitarist met Boucher, a classically-trainded vocalist and former Huntsville High School student, in June of 2001. The two musicians immediately launched into a long conversation about music.
Together, they are Rings of June.
"It's two big and separate influences that come together," said Stamp.
They have been looking forward to the official CD release party for their hometown supporters since the start of this year. Their album has been on sale at several businesses in the Huntsville area since January.
"Coming from a smaller town, you get a lot more support," said Boucher, who returned to Huntsville from Toronto with Stamp this month to start putting up posters announcing the show.
They've already introduced their material to Toronto audiences, performing as a duet at small venues and open mic gatherings. An official CD release party was held at the Reverb, on July 20. For that performance, Boucher and Stamp enlisted help form a violinist and a drummer.
"That was our first show with a full band. We did our whole album and some new songs," said Boucher of their Toronto release party, which saw Rings of June headlining a list of live acts.
"We had a couple of friends join us to play as solo acts," added Stamp. "It was a good mix up. Everyone was very supportive."
The August 20 Huntsville release party will be another chance to perform their songs as they are performed on the album, with a full band.
"It's great to be able to rock out when you want to," said Stamp. But performing a song as a duet is also an appropriate approach to the music because "some of our songs are very intimate."
"It really depends on the song," added Boucher.
Former Emsdale resident Wade Gilpin, who also lives in Toronto, contributed layout work to Rings of June. Tim Du Vernet, a photographer in Muskoka, helped with the album cover.
The August 20 release party at the Huntsville Legion will be open to all ages. There will be a $10 admission cost and refrreshments will be available. Doors open at about 7:30pm and the music will start at 8pm.

--THE ALMAGUIN FORESTER
Thursday, August 11, 2005. - Almaguin Forester