Spygirl

This six member Vancouver band doesn’t introduce anything revolutionarily new or shocking into the mix on their second album. Songs like In A Garden and Feeling Fine are both fine examples of the kind of daydreamy, down tempo, mood-creating indie pop this band has a knack for. Singer Koralee Tonack’s sweet sounds are easy on the ears and help fuse all the other elements together. It’s a simple program, but ultimately an appealing one.

John Orr/Metro Toronto/Nov.16, 2007

- Metro Toronto

This Vancouver-based six-piece has developed quite a knack for tight, sophisticated pop-rock songwriting with their second full-length, Pieces of Evidence, a collection of urbane, accessible tunes which display flecks of soul, jazz and electronic influence. Most of the tracks center on piano or keyboard compositions, complimented nicely by light electric guitar and the occasional trumpet.

The record also contains some beautiful vocal harmonies, as heard in the memorable choruses of pieces such as "Awake Asleep" and "Feeling Fine". The first single, "Today", is an obvious standout - with its heart-tugging melody, chugging rhythm and catchy refrains, the song is sure to stick in your head after just one spin.

Pieces of Evidence moves at a leisurely pace, making for a relaxing listening experience. There are, however, some potential drawbacks with this pacing; while the consistency may be enjoyable for some, it may become monotonous for others who desire more variability and experimentation in their music. Nonetheless, for those looking for a pop fix that's got heart & soul, Spygirl provides a pleasing solution.

Shazia Khan/The Strand/Nov.15, 2007 - The Strand, Toronto

It all started with being locked in a room full of sheet music.

"Jane [Gowan] and I met at music school. We were working for the school in the summer and they had boxes and boxes of unsorted sheet music, [which] somebody had to put it in order. We were essentially trapped in this little room together going through all this old sheet music and it was just fun… we started talking a lot about what kind of music we liked and it was sort of a natural progression that we'd say 'hey, lets get together and play some of these songs,' and that's what we started doing.'" That was the first step in the evolution of Spygirl, said Koralee Tonack, the talented lead vocalist of the Vancouver-based band. Now comprised of six musicians, Spygirl has just released their second full-length album Pieces of Evidence, a lush and melodic set of tender yet upbeat songs. Starting with their previous album, the band has been striving for that "perfect pop-epic," and the songs on Pieces bear the results of that quest.

"A song that you hear and that you can relate to… that really pinpoints a moment in your life and makes you respond-makes you cry or makes you laugh or makes you feel something real. But at the same time is just a fun song, not too heavy, and not too weepy. A good flow-y pop," Tonack said.

This description rings true for many of the songs on Pieces, an album of warm, luxurious pop. Pianos, trumpets and drums effortlessly weave together in Spygirl's music, but Tonack's amazing, velvety voice is the true heart of the songs. The instruments intermingle beautifully, but it's Tonack's vocals that they build around.

"I'm one of the luckiest people in the world," Tonack admitted. "I really love the lyrics that the songwriters in our band write… I find them really evocative and really easy to get inside and interpret. But I love to sing, that's the thing, it transcends everything else."

When Tonack and Gowan first started working together twelve years ago, they formed Time Waits with guitarist Jon Roper. This acoustically based band evolved as Eduardo Ottoni and James Ong joined in, and soon a new sound emerged.

"Here we were, now a five-piece band at that point, and we were making music that was really leaps and bounds away from when we originally started out," Tonack said. "We wanted something that was more pop-y sounding… that had a feel of its own." Hence Spygirl was formed. In 2001 their self-titled debut album was nominated for a West Coast Music Award, and in 2005 bass player Al MacInnes joined the band to bring something new to Pieces.

"I'd say it's a more cohesive than our last album, it's a more mature album," Tonack said. "It's really the distilled products of all of our experiences and it's been a pretty full bunch of years for all of us, so there's some good life in there."

On top of this, legendary producer Tom Rothrock came on board, bringing the whole thing together.

"It was a pleasure working with him, he is a really wonderful person," Tonack said of the man who has worked with such artists as Beck, Elliot Smith, Sloan and James Blunt. "The way that we approach music, and the way that we looked at Spygirl really fit together perfectly."

With the new album recently released and an East coast tour coming up in the Spring, Spygirl are just happy to be doing what they're doing.

"We're excited to create the same kind of passion and the same kind of excitement that we feel when we're listening to music that we really love," Tonack said. "And we plan on getting over to Montreal in our spring tour; we love Montreal."

Laura Tindal/The McGill Tribune/Nov.13, 2007 - The McGill Tribune, Montreal

When you hear a band name like “Spygirl” you may immediately think of five girls clad in spandex, singing Spice Girls-esque numbers while prancing around in high heels.

You could not be more wrong.

In Vancouver-based band Spygirl, the women are outnumbered by men. The band consists of Koralee Tonack (lead vocals, guitar), Jane Gowan (trumpet, piano), Jon Roper (guitar), James Ong (piano), Al MacInnes (bass) and Eduardo Ottoni (drums).

Tonack and Gowan met while they were both music students at Vancouver Community College and formed the duo, Time Waits.

The band added the other members during the past 12 years and the rest is history.

While Tonack and Gowan started out doing jazz music, the band’s sound has evolved into something fiercely their own. Tonack described the group’s music as “lush sounding, intense fun and light poppy.”

Tonack’s voice itself is like melting caramel — soft, sugary, flowing and intricately luscious. Luckily, her sweet voice contrasts nicely with lyrics that are relatable, bittersweet, and full of anguish.

The results are catchy tunes that do not sound contrite.

Spygirl’s second full-length album, Pieces of Evidence, the follow-up to their 2000 self-titled debut, is slated for national release in January 2008.

With their upcoming album, Spygirl could not be happier.

“[This album] truly sounds like Spygirl. It’s a perfect distillation of all the members of [the band],” said Tonack. “It’s a beautiful recording of the music that [we] make.”

The name Pieces of Evidence comes from a line in the song “Dust” on the album.

“We felt [this album] was a collection of a lot of our experiences from the past year,” said Tonack. “[It’s our] collective hearts on a silver platter.”

Spygirl recorded 10 tracks in 11 days in a Vancouver recording studio with producer Tom Rothrock, who has worked Beck and James Blunt. Tonack said that although the album was produced quickly, it did not feel rushed.

“You enter into this abstract time where you get lost in the timing,” said Tonack. “It did feel intense, but it didn’t feel overwhelming.”

Next up for the band is a tour of Canada, with stops in major cities.

“We’re really lucky in the way that we get to see the cities. You go into these places [...] you get to see the underbelly of the city. [It] doesn’t matter what city, you’ll find some interesting people,” said Tonack.

“Getting to stand on a stage and make that music for an audience. The energy that’s created in that process, it’s really a pure moment.”

Sydnee Bryant/The Charlatan/Nov.8 2007


- The Charlatan, Ottawa

"...you should be awed by the beauty of singer Koralee Tonack's, voice, the orchestral instrumental interplay between multi-instrumentalist whiz Jane Gowan, guitarist Jon Roper and keyboardist James Ong, and the driving rhythm section of bassist Al MacInnes and drummer Eduardo Ottoni. Highly recommended for fans of everything from Coldplay and Eisley to classic Canadiana like Sarah MacLachlan...this band has grown leaps and bounds since its accomplished debut. This group deserves to be playing bigger venues to larger, adoring audiences."
—Stuart Derdeyn, The Vancouver Province
- The Vancouver Province

"...beautiful, ambitious and accessible music"
—Mark Bignell, Radio Bandcouver
- Radio Bandcouver

"This Vancouver band kicks out the jams with more style than a drag queen in Prada"
— Raymond Bastedo, Offbeat Magazine

- Offbeat Magazine, Victoria

"...sometimes sexy, often peppy...the biggest delight here lies in the encyclopedic talents of this experienced crew"
— Mary Francis Hill, The Westender - The Westender, Vancouver

Spygirl's sound evokes glamour, mystery

Sometimes all you have to do is ask. That earnest little saying might as well be embroidered onto the jacket sleeves of Vancouver-based band Spygirl.

A simple e-mail asking Tom Rothrock to listen to some of their songs landed the band in a studio with the producer, who has worked with James Blunt, Beck and Elliott Smith.

"We just thought, 'Why not?'" Koralee Tonack said this week while sipping a beer at the Railway Club. "It's just so cool that those little dreams can come true and that when you e-mail, sometimes there is a real person on the other end."

The band first worked with Rothrock for a few songs several years ago, but their new album, pieces of evidence, has Rothrock's touch on all of the 10 lush pop songs. The band will be playing songs from the album this Saturday afternoon as part of the Neighbourhood Fire Hall Concert Series.

Band member Jane Gowan e-mailed Rothrock without any expectations -- reaching out because the band admired the producer's work. She asked him to listen to some of Spygirl's songs and -- surprise, surprise -- he did.

"It was actually the promise of hanging out with really nice people who make a killer martini. That's what got him," said drummer Eduardo Ottoni.

Rothrock is a heavy-hitter in the world of producing. He is best known for "discovering" Beck and for his work on Beck's hugely successful debut album, Mellow Gold. But he's also had tremendous success with James Blunt.

"He had a plaque on the wall, saying '17 million albums sold' or whatever the number was ... For the first Blunt album. That one went supernova," Tonack said.

It goes without saying that the six members of Spygirl -- Tonack, Gowan, Ottoni, keyboardist James Ong, guitarist Jon Roper and bassist Al MacInnes -- were delighted to be working with him.

They recorded the songs here in Vancouver and then went to Los Angeles to mix the album, days before Blunt was scheduled to arrive to record his second album, All the Lost Souls. The band showed Rothrock around Vancouver and, in return, he took them out to the California desert to let loose on dirt bikes.

The members of Spygirl are no longer kids, but they certainly know how to have a good time together. The bones of the band -- Tonack and Gowan -- have been playing together for 12 years, and the most recent addition, MacInnes, brought with him brilliant culinary skills to accompany the band's love of martinis.

The band's dinner parties involve good food, requisite booze and lots of vinyl, including Marvin Gaye, Aretha Franklin, Miles Davis, Billy Joel, Michael Jackson and maybe a bit of Abba.

"I think we all like really vulnerable, beautiful, raw music and we all really like big powerful blow-your-hair back kind of music as well," Tonack says.

"We like something that just reaches out and grabs you and stops you cold and brings tears to your eyes."

Spygirl's sound, like their name, evokes scenes of espionage, glamour and mystery. But it's not music made for high-speed chases or fancy helicopter maneuvering. Instead, it might be a fitting soundtrack for a dangerous scene of seduction between James Bond and one of his beautiful babes.

All the members of the band have taught music at some point and their day jobs include arts administration, graphic design, and some teaching.

They've played at venues all over Vancouver, including Richard's on Richards, the Anza Club, the Wise Hall, and the sadly closed Starfish Room and South Hill Candy Shop. (Saturday's show will mark the first time the band's played in a fire hall.)

They've also toured the U.K. and recently played shows in New York City and at the famous Black Sheep Inn in Wakefield, Quebec. They plan to keep touring in support of pieces of evidence, with the simple, romantic hope of sharing their music with their world.

"We're really proud of [the album] and so I guess our hope is that as many people as possible get a chance to hear it," said Tonack.

"I think it's a beautiful record that deserves to be heard....It's the kind of album that has legs and it could potentially take off anywhere."

Amy O'Brian , Vancouver Sun
Feature Article Published: Thursday, April 10, 2008




- The Vancouver Sun

Lightning strike love

Love at first sight is something I believe in. If you were to ask me if it can happen, I would answer “yes, yes indeed.” After all, that’s what happened to me almost thirteen years ago when I laid eyes on my girlfriend for the first time. It can happen just about any time, too, as I was dating someone else when we met. That’s a whole other story in and about itself.

My point is that instant flashes which generate long-lasting affection are possible. And I have the feeling that is what happened by being introduced to Spygirl. How lucky I am to be the kind of music geek who spends his time looking for music on the Internet and writing a music blog, because I would have probably never been acquainted with Today, a magnificent song from their second LP Pieces Of Evidence.

Today is a beautiful arrangement of instrumentation, as the six-piece from Vancouver succeeded in putting together a track of luscious, sighing drama of captivating poignancy, effortlessly sidestepping any tacky pratfalls which many similar artists unwittingly tumble into. The song needs little more than a homesick set of piano chords to set the tone, only to carefully unfold its inculpable arrangements with sure-handed patience. Everything from the glossy guitars to the earthy drumwork and the yielding keys inflect a wistful urge which the band unfurls gently and passionately. But it is lead vocalist Koralee Tonack’s voice which is the featured attraction on Today; it’s rich and it’s confident, yet marked with currents of frailty which shiver through her performance, taking it out of the realm of diva bombast and keeping it in a relatable, human range.

And had I been not acquainted with it, how sad my life would have been without me ever knowing it.

www.alimerickox.com
May 22, 2008 - A Limerick Ox