Layah Jane
(vocals, acoustic guitar, keys)
Oliver Johnson
(acoustic, electric, baritone guitars, background vocals)
Who else has been known to play musical chairs with us on stage and record? Brian MacMillan, Davide Direnzo, Ben Riley, Lyle Molzan, Marc Rogers, Roger Williams, Bryden Baird, Burke Carroll, Sasha Rose, Lori Cullen, Diana Morgan, Dave Gouveia, David Leitman, Jill Vitols, Louis Simao, Arthur Kerekes, Mark Jarvis, and YOU (the hand-clappin', toe-tappin', crowd choir)
Influences
Joni Mitchell
Rickie Lee Jones
Bruce Cockburn
Sade
Phoebe Snow
Ani Difranco
Martin Sexton
Jorane
East Mountain South
Sting
Zap Mama
Annie Lennox
Bjork
Mark Knopfler
The Beach Boys
Sarah McLachlan
Ben Harper
Sinead O'Connor
Don Ross
Emmylou Harris
Oliver Johnson
love, family, the moon, knowlton lake, the move dance collective, homeopathy, waldorf, local organic food, the hive, the school of life...
Sounds Like
CLICK ON THE CD COVERS BELOW TO PREVIEW AND PURCHASE CDS!
“…Funky-Jazzy-Reggae conscious Folk-Pop that enters your ear like cotton candy melts on your tongue.”
- Northeast In Tune Magazine
“Stunning vocals…Emotionally compelling and multi-layered...” - Monkeybiz.ca
Soul-Folk songstress Layah Jane is a hearty young musician with a mission. With soulful vocals and a poetic, articulate tongue, Layah’s sound recalls Joni Mitchell, Rickie Lee Jones and Phoebe Snow, with a resonance all her own.
Both piano and guitar became tools for writing and accompaniment as Layah began to create and perform original material at the age of thirteen. Since the completion of her first demo in 2000, Layah has been invited to play countless shows and festival showcases including the Rochester International Jazz Festival, Winterfolk Festival, North by Northeast Music Festival, Toronto Indie Music Week, Toronto City Roots Festival, the Ottawa Folk Festival, and New Music West.
Following the release of her debut album "Grievance and Gratitude" (Grace Note Records, 2005), Layah won a 2005 CBC Galaxie Rising Star Award, and the award for Best Political Song in the Ontario Council of Folk Festival's 2005 songwriting competition. In 2006, she received a Toronto Independent Music Award for Best Jazz, and a nomination in the Best Live Acoustic Act category, as well as a nomination for an American Independent Music Award in the Folk/Singer-Songwriter category.
In 2007, Layah's second release, an EP entitled "Patience" (Grace Note Record, 2007), won an Ontario Independent Music Award (Best Folk), and received nominations for two Toronto Independent Music Awards (Best Folk and Best Female Fronted Band).
Layah's highly anticipated full-length sophomore release, "Brightness & Bravery" (Grace Note Records, 2008) is receiving critical acclaim, and has garnered a 2008 Ontario Independent Music Award (Best Female Artist), a nomination for a second 2008 Ontario Independent Music Award (Best Song), and a nomination for a Toronto Independent Music Award (Best Folk).
"Brightness & Bravery" was produced by Oliver Johnson (Esthero, Divine Brown), and is a rich and sonically intimate offering. A collection of Canada’s finest players offered their musical blessing: Ben Riley (Bruce Cockburn), Mark Mariash (Ron Sexsmith, Sarah Slean), Bryden Baird (Feist), Lyle Molzan (Jann Arden), Marc Rogers (K’naan, Philosopher Kings), Brian MacMillan (Kevin Hearn, Barenaked Ladies) and Burke Carroll (Kathleen Edwards) among others.
In the realm of TV, radio, and film, Layah’s songs have been licensed for Global TV’s “Blue Murder”, and ESPN’s primetime drama “Tilt”. Layah has appeared on late night entertainment TV shows across Canada, and her songs have been licensed for use in several internationally distributed documentary films. Through regular college and CBC radio play, as well as a fortunate invitation to be the voice of the Dove Self Esteem Fund’s 2006 “True Colors” TV Campaign, listeners all over the world are being introduced to Layah Jane through the airwaves.
Morphing from singer-songwriter to DJ, Layah co-founded the Move Collective, a Toronto dance jam that spread west to Calgary and east to Halifax. Voted Best Non-smoking Dance Event in Toronto by Now Magazine in 2003, rotating DJs pack dance floors each week.
Equally at home onstage as in the studio or the DJ booth, 2007 and 2008 have proven to be the busiest touring years to date for Layah, with shows all over QC, ON, MB, SK, AB, BC, NY, MA, VT, NC, and TX.
Thanks for the ad! Enjoyed listening to your music - great Tunes! If you have a chance give us a listen and a comment of what you think of our songs. Glad to make your cyber-acquaintance! Cheers! Eddie.
TOYKULT plays British Music Week 2009 & we invite you to download our latest EP featuring tracks from our new album FREE @ 192kbps: http://www.toykult.com
Woo! Looks like you have a busy few months ahead of you! Awesome. I'm living in Ottawa now, and I'm happy to see you have some gigs booked here! I will definitely come out and see you play, and maybe we can grab a coffee at some point too, if you can find time in your busy schedule ...
Get some dangerous funk in your ears and your soul ~~~
Download Barton Fink’s debut album “GEaR” for f+cking free !
CLICK HERE: http://bartonfinkband.com
So easy to listen to and enjoy, thank you for having such beautiful tunes for me to listen to on your myspace site. On vacation at Peggy's cove and digging you.
Wishing U a kind day…filled with love, joy, pleasant friendship, companionship and relationship. And above all, poetry and music..
Thank U 4 sharing your friendship, time, and creativity.
It is all beautiful and amazing. Hope U do find the time and get an opportunity to read and listen to my music and poetry… If U enjoyed it. Let me know. If U didn’t, also let me know…This is how I grow… By listening and being open to correction, positive criticism, direction and friendly feedback..
May we always stay friends and learn and appreciate each other…and grow and flourish.
Warm Regards. May WE always receive kind blessings from life. Biri
Ciao,Layah Thank you for the add and the friendship. you are very good, I like your stupendous music a lot,and stupendous voice. compliments ..really. you are one of my prefeitis, you are a great really... I feel great admiration for you, talk to you soon, and all of my best wishes to always listen to your good music. all the best.. from italy..and good week end neal
I was just passing through. Beautiful songs, as always! Can you give me more deets on your show on the 30th? I would love to come down and check it out!
If you like George Benson, Wes Montgomery, Norman Brown and Nick Colionne then you'll love PATRICK BUTLER! Join Patrick's Mailiing List and get a FREE DOWNLOAD from his new album RESPONDER! Visit Patrick on MySpace at http://www.myspace.com/butlerjazz
Ciao Layah , Thank you for the add and the friendship. you are very good, I like your music a lot, and the splendid voice. talk to you soon, and all of my best wishes to always listen to your good music. all the best.. from italy neal
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