damhnait doyle’s latest CD, Lights Down Low, is a spectacular showcase for this vocal powerhouse. Lights Down Low, is a collection of beautifully random cover tunes. doyle’s gorgeous vocal intensity, paired with the musical ingenuity of her partner in the project, Danny Michel, create a disc that evokes feelings of tenderness and passion.
doyle and Michel play with rhythms and arrangements that honour well-known hits with fresh perspectives and a true love for the music. From the music box intro to Cheap Trick's "I Want You to Want Me," to the wanton vocals on Joy Division's "Love Will Tear Us Apart," the interpretations are intelligent and irreverent. There are flirtatious forays into 80's pop with chart topping singles from ABBA and Roxy Music, interspersed with the 'film noire' sound of the Foo Fighter's "Everlong" and Lucinda William’s “Essence”. doyle refers to the CD as “the perfect dinner party record” in its eclectic representation of musical genres and eras.
damhnait’s career is charging ahead on every level as she continues to explore a variety of creative outlets. In addition to this latest solo project, doyle and Kim Stockwood continue to perform and promote Shaye’s last CD, Lake of Fire. The title track soared to 13 on the A/C charts and the next single You’re Not Alone enjoyed similar success. The girls then filmed a four-part reality/documentary television series with Global Television that featured an authentic, unscripted and sometimes hysterical glimpse behind the entertainment curtain. Shaye’s self-titled show aired initially on the E! Network and was picked up later that same year on Country Music Television (CMT). The show followed the girls as they promoted Lake Of Fire, which built on the momentum established by two huge radio hits from the first CD The Bridge. Singles Happy Baby and Beauty both shot instantly into the Top 20 on the A/C charts. Happy Baby also earned a SOCAN Award, a Canadian Radio Music Award and a Juno nomination.
Performing with Shaye and as a solo artist, dav has toured Canada extensively, opening for legends like Willie Nelson and sharing the stage as a special guest with such artists as Nelly Furtado, Dido and Jann Arden. With Shaye, doyle represented Canada at Japan’s 2005 Expo and performed as part of Parliament Hill’s Canada Day celebrations. She has travelled to both Kabul and Kandahar to perform for Canadian Forces personnel – initially as part of a CBC Television Christmas special and subsequently as a guest of General Rick Hillier. She also journeyed to Africa to contribute her talents to the documentary The Song for Africa, a project aimed at raising awareness among Canada’s youth about the AIDS pandemic in Africa. Her insightful and humorous account of her experiences is what prompted the publication of her first book, Miscellaneous Female.
damhnait also dedicates a significant amount of time and energy to collaborations. Co-writing efforts have paid off with her original songs being recorded by Canadian Idol winners Brian Melo and Eva Avila, as well as Rex Goudie and Alexz Johnson. Her songs have also been placed on TV shows such as Degrassi and Instant Star on numerous occasions. Never one to stray far from a microphone, she has been a guest vocalist for Bruce Cockburn, Kevin Parent and Justin Nozuka – to name just a few.
doyle’s last solo recording, dav-net, was a sophisticated, acoustic, roots/rock recording. Her powerful original material garnered two 2004 East Coast Music Awards for Female and Pop/Rock Recording of the Year and Afterglow positioned her as a finalist in the International Songwriting Competition.
From writing and performing, to directing a video or writing a weekly newspaper column, doyle seems to be tapped into an endless font of creative energy. Who knows where that massive talent and insatiable curiousity will lead her next, but just for tonight, pour yourself a glass of wine, turn the Lights Down Low and enjoy.
Thanks for stopping by my little home on Myspace. To begin, I am a proud Newfoundlander living in Toronto, with four solo records, the latest being " Lights Down Low" produced by the wonderful Danny Michel ( It is the perfect dinner party record) and two records with Shaye. I write a weekly column for The Evening Telegram in Newfoundland which I post in my blog section and I do a bunch of songwriting with and for other artists and TV shows. Most exciting to me is my new band called " The Heartbroken" with Blake Manning, Pete Fusco and Stuart Cameron, we are currently in the studio and should have some great music for you to hear soon.
Peace and Joy,
Damhnaitxo
Purchase Damhnait Doyle's book "Miscellaneous Female" here.
Online Now!
