Music
Press
Writing songs for only vocals and bass guitar has been one of the most exciting challenges of Jocelyn Alice’s career.
“There’s so much more freedom,” says Alice, one-half of soulful Calgary duo, Jocelyn & Lisa.
“And there are so many more restrictions. Every note has to hit perfectly and every single part of the song has to hit, or it’s painfully obvious.”
Alice approached bassist Lisa Jacobs almost two years ago — after watching her perform with several local funk and soul groups, including Kyemara and the Kirby Sewell Band — and suggested they write a song together.
Jacobs admits she was initially unsure about collaborating on the project, as she’s always worked in larger bands as a freelancer.
But she says she’s thrilled with how well it’s worked out.
“We really challenge and stretch each other as musicians,” says Jacobs.
“Normally, we get together and one of us will have an idea, like a melodic idea and then we’ll feed off each other and build the song together.
“It’s really unique to our experiences.”
Both Alice and Jacobs have made a name for themselves in soul, blues and funk music circles in town — Alice with her strong, sultry and sweet vocals and Jacobs as an in-demand session bassist.
But fans of the two had mixed reactions when it came to them performing as a duo.
“It’s something totally not typical,” says Jacobs.
“So some people got it and for other people it took a couple of listens. Most people really understood the vibe of us and the presence or chemistry. But there were a couple of people who wrote on Jocelyn’s Facebook wall, ‘You’re really great, but you should probably fire your bassist.’”
“Or hire a drummer,” adds Alice with a laugh.
The pair recently released its debut EP, Weary Warrior, and has been gigging regularly, including a show tonight at Wine-Ohs (located in the old BeatNiq space.)
“There’s a discomfort about the amount of silences as a listener,” says Alice of the duo’s music.
“It’s kind of what we’re all about. We want to make people feel comfortable in how open we are, but we also want to question so much musically.”
Details
• Jocelyn Alice was runner-up in the nationally televised singing talent show, Popstars, in 2002.
• Lisa Jacobs still performs with the same bass guitar her father taught her to play when she was a kid.
• Alice & Jacob’s debut three-song EP, Weary Warrior, will be available at the duo’s shows at Wine-Ohs tonight at the Ship & Anchor Pub on Jan. 2. - Metro News - Calgary
Writing songs for only vocals and bass guitar has been one of the most exciting challenges of Jocelyn Alice’s career.
“There’s so much more freedom,” says Alice, one-half of soulful Calgary duo, Jocelyn & Lisa.
“And there are so many more restrictions. Every note has to hit perfectly and every single part of the song has to hit, or it’s painfully obvious.”
Alice approached bassist Lisa Jacobs almost two years ago — after watching her perform with several local funk and soul groups, including Kyemara and the Kirby Sewell Band — and suggested they write a song together.
Jacobs admits she was initially unsure about collaborating on the project, as she’s always worked in larger bands as a freelancer.
But she says she’s thrilled with how well it’s worked out.
“We really challenge and stretch each other as musicians,” says Jacobs.
“Normally, we get together and one of us will have an idea, like a melodic idea and then we’ll feed off each other and build the song together.
“It’s really unique to our experiences.”
Both Alice and Jacobs have made a name for themselves in soul, blues and funk music circles in town — Alice with her strong, sultry and sweet vocals and Jacobs as an in-demand session bassist.
But fans of the two had mixed reactions when it came to them performing as a duo.
“It’s something totally not typical,” says Jacobs.
“So some people got it and for other people it took a couple of listens. Most people really understood the vibe of us and the presence or chemistry. But there were a couple of people who wrote on Jocelyn’s Facebook wall, ‘You’re really great, but you should probably fire your bassist.’”
“Or hire a drummer,” adds Alice with a laugh.
The pair recently released its debut EP, Weary Warrior, and has been gigging regularly, including a show tonight at Wine-Ohs (located in the old BeatNiq space.)
“There’s a discomfort about the amount of silences as a listener,” says Alice of the duo’s music.
“It’s kind of what we’re all about. We want to make people feel comfortable in how open we are, but we also want to question so much musically.”
Details
• Jocelyn Alice was runner-up in the nationally televised singing talent show, Popstars, in 2002.
• Lisa Jacobs still performs with the same bass guitar her father taught her to play when she was a kid.
• Alice & Jacob’s debut three-song EP, Weary Warrior, will be available at the duo’s shows at Wine-Ohs tonight at the Ship & Anchor Pub on Jan. 2. - Metro News - Calgary
Discography
"Weary Warrior" - Released December 2012
Photos
Bio
Two girls. Two opposite worlds. Two musical storytellers colliding.
Jocelyn Alice grew up in the world of music competitions—from small town fairs all the way to becoming runner up on Canada’s Pop Stars when she was sixteen. Lisa Jacobs grew up playing bass in her family band, at church, festivals and in smoke-filled bars. Although they developed as musicians in different worlds, their love, need and desire to tell a story through music was the same.
Jocelyn is a heartbreak hero. Her unique voice, fierce with passion, yet fragile with emotion, frees a story where all who listen are changed. After landing a publishing deal, her songs played on the hit shows One Tree Hill and Pretty Little Liars. Studio producers, Russell Broom and Mitch Lee, hired Jocelyn as a session vocalist to record songs for the hit movie Dear Santa, as well as for nation-wide commercials. She also recently shared the stage with Mos Def.
Lisa shares her story through song. The bass, guitar and piano serve as mediums for conveying love, brokenness, strength and joy. As a bassist, she has toured across North America and internationally. Her groove-ability in all styles solidified her reputation as a sought-after musician. She has shared the stage with Bedouin Soundclash, Theory of a Deadman, Los Lobos, Emerson Drive and many others.
Individually, jocelyn & lisa developed solid careers in the music industry but in 2011, they decided to collaborate. Within months, a growing fan base requested more. December 2012 marked the release of “Weary Warrior“?, which charted #2 and #5 on CJSW Radio and they were featured artists on CBC Radio, CTV, Shaw TV, Global TV and City TV. Debut single “Preach“? was selected for The Beatdrop Remix Competition (SoundCloud, Ableton and Red Bull). The Calgary Herald, The Calgary Metro, Avenue Magazine, SoundCloud and various blogs and websites have written numerous articles on this uniquely talented duo.
In addition to playing live shows, they were featured in the “Crave“? documentary by LA filmmaker and best-selling novelist, Erwin McManus. “Open Wide” from this album is featured in the documentary, “1000 Days” by award-winning director, Jeth Weinrich (Jann Arden, Chantal Kreviazuk, 54-40), who has also produced a music video for the song. In April 2013, jocelyn & lisa were featured in the “Right Here“? Destination Calgary video (a commercial promoting Calgary around the world).
Recent performance highlights include the TransCanada Alberta Music Series and live concert rotation on Shaw TV for the Stampede Sessions.
The music they create embodies the ongoing parallels in their lives – much light/much darkness, much love/much hurt, abundant mistakes/extravagant grace, desperate brokenness/undeniable strength. Songwriting, storytelling and passionate performance are packaged into a unique sound-blend of pop, soul, reggae and funk. jocelyn & lisa have an undeniable chemistry that permeates the music and penetrates the listener.
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