Terri Lynn Eddy Band

It’s a brand new day for the Terri Lynn Eddy Band
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(7/11/2008)


“Well I packed my bags and left to do my thing
If I don't do that now I may never sing
Living a life that's good to me
I was blind but now I see”
~Terri Lynn Eddy, Brand New Day


Singer/songwriter Terri Lynn Eddy is no stranger to the music business – she has been honing her craft on the Canadian music scene for 10 years – but now, like a phoenix from the flames, she is burning brighter than ever with a hot new band.

This group of staggeringly talented people didn’t know each other before enrolling in the Music Industry & Performance (MIP) program at College of the North Atlantic (CNA) in Stephenville. It was while immersed in courses like Songwriting, Performance, Music & Culture, Broadcast Audio, Electro-acoustical Devices and Design, Public Relations, Special Events Management, Entrepreneurial Studies and more, that they found a voice together. That voice is known today as The Terri Lynn Eddy Band.

“Terri Lynn Eddy, Bryan Oram, Renée Batten, Chris Donnelly, and Michelle Robertson are among some of the most successful graduates in the 10-year history of the program,” says Wade Pinhorn, coordinating instructor for the MIP program at CNA.

“They forged personal and musical relationships while attending the college then took everything they learned and put it to use. These efforts elevated them in terms of a career strategy to a point where they became noticed by some key industry stakeholders in the eastern Canadian music scene.”

Indeed, the band wasted no time putting their studies to practice as soon as they graduated in 2006. They had been building a fan base in Stephenville while attending school but it was after moving to St. John’s that they made some real headway in the industry. They were rocking the city’s vibrant music circuit, promoting and booking the band, writing original music and making plans to record a CD, when their polished efforts made some waves and captured the attention of manager Bruce Morel (manager of East Coast acts like the Glamour Puss Blues Band, The Fables, Scott Parsons, and Brett Ryan; also 2008 ECMA Manager of The Year nominee and Industry Professional of The Year nominee). Under Morel’s management, this year has been a stellar one – the band showcased in February at the East Coast Music Association’s (ECMA) conference, festival and awards in Fredericton, in March released a powerful Rock/Blues CD entitled Tonight, and this spring began touring throughout the province of Newfoundland and Labrador and beyond to promote the album.

The band really is something to hear and see – they have a synergy that doesn’t automatically happen with a musical group, even with a combination of stellar musicians. And they have some serious fun on stage. Bryan Oram’s lead guitar styling has been described as slick and soulful – he makes that thing sing! Multi-instrumentalist Renée Batten fattens up the mix with morsels of rhythm guitar and backing vocals, while bassist Paddy Byrne’s bass lines guide the groove and Chris Donnelly’s drums fiercely frame the works. Along with Terri Lynn’s voice – which is “a mixture of velvet and steel,” says Mark Vaughan Jackson of The Telegram, this band whips up an electrifying alchemy that drives their audiences wild.

Terri Lynn, a native of Trinity Bay, was a mere 16 years old when she began performing in St. John’s. She garnered enough recognition to be included in a January 1998 episode of the nationally televised CPAC – the Cable Public Affairs Channel, which is a “window on Parliament, politics and public affairs in Canada.” Later that year, due to the positive response to the broadcast, she was the subject of a CBC Television documentary called How Do You Like Me So Far – Terry Lynn Eddy; she followed this up by placing second in Star Search ’98. Later that year, she was chosen to showcase at the annual provincial MusicNL conference and awards. In 1999, she performed at the East Coast Music Association awards, was invited to perform on the St. John’s Arts & Culture Stage for the MusicNL awards show and later that year released her first album entitled Dreams. It really was a dream-come-true for Terri Lynn, as the following year continued to yield high profile appearances, including opening for the internationally renowned Canadian band Chilliwack and featured artist billing at the 2000 George Street Festival.

Not content to rest on her laurels, Terri Lynn headed to Toronto in 2001 to try her talents in the big city. She studied voice, wrote music and did some demo work while shopping her CD. It was that year in her career that led her in the direction of school.

“I realized that back home I was a well-known but in Ontario, I was a small fish in a big pond and reall - Stephen Lee - The College of the North Atlantic

"Terri Lynn Eddy is a dynamic singer with a natural born gift... a voice that will linger after the last encore fades." - Liz Sullivan - The Newfoundland Herald

"Terri Lynn Eddy has a voice that is a mixture of velvet and steel."
- Mark Vaughan Jackson - The Telegram

WITH AN ECMA NOMINATION, MUSICNL NOMINATIONS, AND A CONSTANT TOURING HOME AND ABROAD, THE TERRI LYNN EDDY BAND IS HOPING TO BUILD A FUTURE IN 2009.

The first thing you notice when you watch Terri Lynn Eddy and her band perform is her powerful voice.
Eddy, from trinity Bay, has vocals that can be many things, sometimes sultry, other times bluesy. But there is no doubt that Eddy is a powerhouse vocalist.
There are echoes of Janis Joplin in her performance, and no shortage of soul. That vocal ability can make this band sound good in any venue. Her group likes to rock out with the best of them when you listen to songs from their latest album, "Tonight", but can adapt to any environment.
For example, the group performed at the Wreckhouse Jazz and Blues Festival last summer and adjusted their set accordingly, performing a number of blues standards that brought the house down. Then, the group showcased the George Street Festival, and put off a different show altogether . "Blues has always been there my whole life," says Eddy. "It was something that came naturally to me. It's a big influence for us all."

THE BUSINESS SIDE OF MUSIC
However, it hasn't been an easy journey for Eddy. Releasing her debut album, "Dreams", in 1999, Eddy saw her then-band break up soon after its release, which put the kibosh on any further development. "That was pretty crappy," she admits.
So Eddy went back to school, doing the Music Industry and Performance program at the College of the North Atlantic in Stephenville, and that's where she met most of her current band. She credits the program for creating ties with the west coast of the island, and she also learned the business side of the Music Industry.
That year became a pay off.
The year 2008 was an exceptionally good one for group, which besides Eddy, features Bryan Oram, Renee Batten, Paddy Byrne, and Chis Donnelly.
This was an "instant connection" and it's built from there. "It's been really gelling," Oram says.
The year saw the release of the debut album Tonight, signing with former Oz program director Bruce Morel's management company, garnering four Music NL awards nominations and airplay for such songs as Brand New Day, Now You're Gone, even hitting the Top 10 on the syndicated East Coast Countdown (heard weekends on OZ FM).
Besides constant touring around the island, the end of the year saw an East Coast Music Award nomination for Rock Recording.

BUSY LIFE ON THE ROAD
The new album, released last year, according to Eddy is based on life experiences.
"When I recorded my first album, I didn't really have any," she admits to The Herald. "I was only 16, so I never had any life experiences at all. I took things from my career in the past, and relationships, as many songs are about."
The album, which features a mix of all out rock and acoustic tunes (and even a cover or two) was produced by Dave Fitzpatrick (of Fitz fame), and his work on Brand New Day saw a whole new song with the same lyrics.
"He turned the song upside down," Eddy says. "It was slower and more bluesy, and he shortened it up and rocked it up. Music wise, he's amazing.
That live show also played a role in the growth and development of the band.
"The fact that we played together for three of four years before the record came out really helped," says Oram. "We were constantly banging away at the road, then when the record came out, we were ready. We knew exactly what we needed to do."
The group continues to tour heavily around the island, but are now hoping to play to other locales, according to Morel, President of Halifax based MMII, providing domestic and international artist management, marketing and booking services.
His Canadian clients include multiple ECMA award winning Brett Ryan, Glamour Puss, Maple Blues winner and multiple Juno nominated Michael Jerome Browne, Maritime fiddle champion Samantha Robichaud, the Toronto based eclectic roots group Taxi chain as well as the Terri Lynn Eddy Band.
"What really sparked me about the band was Terri Lynn's incredible voice, and Bryan has become an exceptional guitar player," he told The Herald from Halifax. "Plus, seeing a band fronted by two women, Terri Lynn and Renee those we the kind of elements that impressed me."
"He brought his connections," Eddy says of Morel. "It's really hard for me to pick up the phone and try to promote ourselves as the "best band in the word," she says with a laugh. "It's great to have someone like Bruce doing it for you and who believes in your talent."
"When it comes to the process of songwriting, its a collaborative effort for the band. "Each of us bring our own elements to writing," says Eddy. "Then when its comes together, it just works,"
"We get tremendous feedback from people," adds Oram.
"Touring is so important," adds Eddy. "We are actually lucky enough that we are able to tour. St. John's is the musical core, but it's only one little part."
The touring will continue for much of the next year, and wi - Kevin Kelly - The Newfoundland Herald