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January 2009
The whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Nothing could be truer of Brooke Wylie’s debut CD, Heart on the Line.
Recorded in the childhood home of the Calgary singer-songwriter, Heart on the Line reveals the inspiring collaboration between Brooke Wylie and Saskatoon’s Five Star Homeless on ten of Brooke’s original compositions. Having met only in December 2007, the three piece roots-rockabilly band joined Brooke for an intense six days of recording in November 2008. The close friendship and strong musical partnership that formed between Brooke, Matt (“Matty”) Griffith, Harley Hoeft, and Guy Perrin is evident throughout the album.
Breaking from mainstream recording methods, the reel-to-reel, one-take style of recording to ¼ inch tape captured moments which, at times, consisted of more than six musicians playing live in the basement family room. This recording approach served to showcase the off-the-floor energy that only a musically sound band of Five Star Homeless’ caliber could provide.
Heart on the Line is a fitting first step in the recording career of a young woman who spent her youth on family road trips to Winnipeg, listening to everything from The Beatles, Elvis Presley, CCR and The Guess Who to Gordon Lightfoot, Ian Tyson, and Marty Robbins. Quality, longevity and timeless classics were the name of the game in the Wylie household.
Years of piano, violin and classical voice training mix with Brooke’s early introduction to the musical influences of her parents to expose a unique voice. She combines melodic country, roots, and folk with insight, humour and her own experiences to create something relatable, thought-provoking and memorable.
After high school, university and a mental health nursing career ensued, but Brooke remained committed to her musical endeavors in her spare time. Brooke developed a vested interest in the local, independent music scene in Calgary, as well as a genuine admiration for the vast catalogue of current singer/songwriters across Canada.
After time spent living and traveling abroad in her early 20s, Brooke returned to Calgary permanently and began writing more prolifically than ever before. Artists such as Jeff Tweedy, Sarah Harmer, Ryan Adams, Gillian Welch, Luke Doucet and Melissa McClelland lent much influence and inspiration to the melodies she was creating in her own work. Meeting, playing and recording with Five Star Homeless solidified the direction her songwriting was taking.
Recent years have found Brooke performing more frequently, sharing stage time with local artists such as Ryan Sande, Scott MacLeod, Shelly and Tynan Groves, Greg Cockerill and Deon Blyan, as well as Calgary cover band FortyFive. Brooke has also performed at events such as Shagfest and the Spaghetti Western Festival. Brooke continues to work and perform in Calgary.
Heart on the Line will be released in June 2009.
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