Whose Song Is It Anyway? features Maritime performers Tim Chaisson, Kim Wempe, Chris Kirby and Andy Brown. Each of these rising singer/songwriters will perform tunes written by the other artists on stage. The composer of the tune will then relate the story behind the song, and then the other artists will discuss how that song affects them, giving the audience a unique perspective on the music.
Timothy Chaisson is a singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist and member of the musical Chaisson family of Prince Edward Island. Chaisson started his professional music career at 14, joining his older brothers and cousins in the celtic rock band Kindle, playing bass. He released his debut CD when he was 15, a recording which featured the young musician’s fiddling ability.
His second independent release, Something Acoustic, won Pop Album of the Year at the Music Prince Edward Island Awards and a showcase spot at the 2005 East Coast Music Awards. In 2007, Chaisson won five Music PEI awards for his third release, Even, including Entertainer of the Year and Songwriter of the Year. The album was also nominated for Pop Recording of the Year at the 2008 East Coast Music Awards. Tim Chaisson and Morning Fold’s independent recording Broken Hearted Beat, was released in 2009.
The title track of Kim Wempe‘s new full-length album Painting With Tides features an evocative three-part harmony between her, Phil Sedore and Cape Breton’s own Carmel Mikol. The album, a collection of contemporary Canadian roots music, comes on the heels of her 2010 East Coast Music Award for Rising Star of the Year.
After moving from Alberta to Nova Scotia, Wempe released the EP Where I Need To Be in May 2009 and won the Folk Recording of the Year at the Nova Scotia Music Awards for that year.
Since then, Wempe has performed at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, Junofest in St. John’s, NL, and has shared stages with artists including Jill Barber, Jenn Grant, Amelia Curran, Justin Rutledge, Charlie A’Court and Coco Love Alcorn.
Chris Kirby, a 26-year-old son of Norris Arm, Newfoundland, moved to the city of St. John’s in 2001 where he began playing in a string of bands on the local club scene. With the release of Chris Kirby on Rum & Religion in 2006, Chris finally emerged as a solo artist and a captivating songwriter and performer.
Kirby’s second release, Vampire Hotel, features funky piano, saucy guitar, and shows Kirby’s influences from New Orleans Rhythm and Blues, Motown Soul, and Newfoundland’s rich tradition of storytelling. Kirbyhas earned MUSICNL and ECMA nominations in blues categories, and has performed alongside greats such as Ron Hynes, Maureen Ennis, Steve Marriner, Treasa Levasseur, Kyle Riabko and Harry Manx.
New Brunswick’s Andy Brown’s song “Ashes” was featured in season 2 of Rookie Blue (ABC/Global), and hours after the episode, Brown’s song and album landed at #1 on iTunes Canada singer-songwriter chart and “Ashes” reached #2 on the iTunes singer-songwriter chart in the United States.
In the fall of 2010, Brown won the North-American wide “Test Drive 2010” competition sponsored by Taylor Guitars and Elixir Strings and nabbed three 2010 Music New Brunswick Awards (Male Recording Artist, Emerging Artist, and Pop Recording of the Year). With his band, Brown has played some of the country’s top music festivals (Harvest Jazz and Blues Festival, NXNE, Indie Week, Canadian Music Week). He is currently writing for his next album, which he will start recording early 2012.
Whose Song Is It Anyway? is on a six-date tour of the Maritime Provinces that finishes up on Thursday, December 8, at the Harmony House Theatre in Hunter River, Prince Edward Island.
Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased at the PHCC Box Office or online.
