In 2008, Alan Neal of CBC’s ‘Bandwidth’ exclaimed “I think I’ve officially found my new favourite Canadian voice!” He was talking about full-time musician Emily Fennell. After five years of being a full-time musician and nearly fifteen years in the music business, people are finally starting to notice the enthusiastic singer/songwriter. Over the past ten years, Fennell has shared the stage with a number of major national and international acts, including Sarah Harmer, Buffy Saint-Marie, Matt Mays & El Torpedo, Steppenwolf, Tom Wilson, Chantal Kreviazuk, Jann Arden, Sass Jordan and Pat Benetar. She’s played for club, concert and festival audiences well into the thousands. She’s gone from living out of her car to playing 250 shows a year in the Kingston, Ontario region alone. Heading out on a new venture, this Prince Edward County native finally released two follow-up discs to her 2004 original recording Green. The Luther Wright-produced alt-country/roots album Miss Twisted was released in March 2009 under the pseudonym ‘Sugarplum’ and in June 2009, Fennell released Red, the debut album of her original rock/pop band ‘Emily Fennell Band’. Now with two new discs and two original acts, Fennell has decided to branch out from the confines of her region and embark on a fresh journey, bringing her music to other parts of the continent. In a business with so much competition, Fennell has learned to hold her own, be it demonstrated in her recordings or live shows. Emily Fennell Band has performed over 250 shows since their formation in 2004. The band will embark on a tour of Western Canada this fall, followed by an Eastern Canada tour early 2010. With no label or grant funding, Fennell has been successful in using her talents to earn the necessary finances to support her growing career. “I’m not sure that the average person realizes the huge costs associated with being an independent musician. Paying band members and footing the bill for recordings, graphics and instruments... It’s no wonder most independent and even major label musicians have to work day jobs!” All this said, Emily Fennell has proven that it is still possible to earn a living as a musician in this country. No doubt will her hard work and unbreakable spirit prove her strength, longevity and eventual recognition on a larger scale in the Canadian music industry.
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