Azalea

Despite the dreary backdrop of a rainy Saturday evening on Sept. 29, the harmonious warm tones of Azalea’s Benjamin Hackett and Mia Cioffi transported the patrons of Molly Bloom’s to the likes of a green open field of flowers on a summer’s day.

Consisting of only two members who just so happen to be husband and wife, Azalea’s sound was surprisingly full. It is difficult to call either of the two the lead singer, as they shared vocals evenly throughout the set. Hackett’s voice provided a more raw tonality reminiscent of rock, while Cioffi’s soft clear soprano complimented it profoundly in the numbers where they sang together. It was apparent from the way that the two looked at each other during and in between each song that they understood each other on not just a musical level, but an emotional one as well. This only added to the quality of their sound.

Cioffi sat behind two keyboards, stacked one on top of the other, and at points played a hand on each simultaneously. This was not only entertaining to watch, but beneficial to the duo’s sound, as it allowed for more instruments to be incorporated into their songs. Hackett utilized a loop pedal for many of their songs, and recorded a bass line that he then accompanied with an electric or acoustic guitar. He also kept the beat on an electronic kick pedal that mimicked the sound of a bass drum. This small but noticeable touch added once again to the remarkable fullness of their sound.

Covering such bands as Great Big Sea and Mumford and Sons may seem difficult to do effectively with only two people, but Azalea managed to do it, and do it well. Their stage presence was relaxed and pleasant, and they often smiled for pictures and, upon finding out that they were going to be in The Ontarion, they were cordial and appreciative. It was apparent that not only are Azalea creators of beautiful music, but lovely people in character as well. - The Ontarion

Despite the dreary backdrop of a rainy Saturday evening on Sept. 29, the harmonious warm tones of Azalea’s Benjamin Hackett and Mia Cioffi transported the patrons of Molly Bloom’s to the likes of a green open field of flowers on a summer’s day.

Consisting of only two members who just so happen to be husband and wife, Azalea’s sound was surprisingly full. It is difficult to call either of the two the lead singer, as they shared vocals evenly throughout the set. Hackett’s voice provided a more raw tonality reminiscent of rock, while Cioffi’s soft clear soprano complimented it profoundly in the numbers where they sang together. It was apparent from the way that the two looked at each other during and in between each song that they understood each other on not just a musical level, but an emotional one as well. This only added to the quality of their sound.

Cioffi sat behind two keyboards, stacked one on top of the other, and at points played a hand on each simultaneously. This was not only entertaining to watch, but beneficial to the duo’s sound, as it allowed for more instruments to be incorporated into their songs. Hackett utilized a loop pedal for many of their songs, and recorded a bass line that he then accompanied with an electric or acoustic guitar. He also kept the beat on an electronic kick pedal that mimicked the sound of a bass drum. This small but noticeable touch added once again to the remarkable fullness of their sound.

Covering such bands as Great Big Sea and Mumford and Sons may seem difficult to do effectively with only two people, but Azalea managed to do it, and do it well. Their stage presence was relaxed and pleasant, and they often smiled for pictures and, upon finding out that they were going to be in The Ontarion, they were cordial and appreciative. It was apparent that not only are Azalea creators of beautiful music, but lovely people in character as well. - The Ontarion

November 15, 2010 | by Skope Staff

Now that was a great weekend. You can really feel it in the air that the holidays are on the way. My guests this week are having some exciting times both musically & personally. If you think that you cannot work with your significant other, Azalea, are here to tell you that it can be done. What started out as Benjamin & Mia has merged into Azalea. Not only are these two still newlyweds they are also gearing up for their release party of ‘Coffee & Kisses’ in Ontario, Canada this Thursday night. Join me as Azalea offers a FREE MP3 from the new EP, relationship advice, Myspace vs Facebook, and much more!

Stoli: Where are we talking from today and are you excited about the holidays?

Azalea: We are talking from our home in Hamilton Ontario and yes… We are very excited about the holidays. At this time last year we were hard at work recording Coffee & Kisses EP and planning our wedding, which didn’t leave us much time to relax. So, this year we will be taking a few weeks off to spend some time with family and friends.

Stoli: Why did you decide to change your band name from Benjamin & Mia to Azalea and how does Azalea define your music?

Azalea: When we started writing and performing music together, it was always just the two of us, and not having anything better in mind we thought the name “Benjamin & Mia” would do the trick. However, we found ourselves being grouped together with many folk/roots artists. This happened partly because our first album was a much more broken down acoustic album and partly just because our name resembled some of the great folk artists of the past – Ian & Sylvia, Simon & Garfunkel etc. After graduating from university and maturing as musicians, we found ourselves leaning more towards Pop than Folk and we felt that we needed a name that truly captured the essence of our music, who we are as individuals, and where we were going with our music. An azalea is a flower known for its bright colors and if you get to know us and our music you’ll be sure to see and hear a bright positive vibe throughout. We also now often perform as a three, four, or five piece band for our larger shows and we have found the band name “Azalea” very fitting.

Stoli: You started out as music friends but developed into much more. How did you both know that there was love brewing and how do you balance music & marriage?

Azalea: Good question… We tend to think of love as something you can’t completely explain, but this is how we try: Love connects two souls on a level so deep that you can communicate and move together as one. Therefore, the more we got to know each other we found that our passions, ambitions, values, and purpose, were one and the same. This inevitably led to love. We didn’t know it was going to happen… It just did! We feel very blessed that we get to make music together. Our love for each other and our music is rooted in the same place so they often flow, one into the other. We may be sitting down to write a lyric for a song and we find ourselves discovering more about life in this process. Whether it’s through our artistic pursuits, or every day circumstance, we deal with life together.  So, music and marriage often have blurred boundaries, we have never had to try to balance music and marriage. They just seem to balance themselves out.

Azalea – CD Release Show?November 20, 2010 at 7:00 PM?Tyndale University College – Van Norman Worship & Study Centre?25 Ballyconnor Court?Toronto, Ontario M2M 4B3 CANADA

Stoli: Was it each other’s musical ability that made you fall in love?

Azalea: It was definitely a factor in the equation, but not the only one! When two people share an interest, it usually brings them closer, and it did for us. However, there were so many other things that we fell in love with. We are both big dreamers and romanticize the same things. We learned that we truly see life from the same artistic, romantic, and childlike perspective.

Stoli: You have a big CD release on November 20th in Toronto at Tyndale University College. How are you preparing for that show and what can fans expect that night?

Azalea: We have been rehearsing a lot. This show is quite a big deal for us, not only because it is a CD release, but because we are working with a full band. Most often, we play as a duo and we always strive to make our performances sound full and interesting by using looping, effects, and switching instruments. Now that we are working with a full band, we have had to arrange some of our songs differently. Fans can expect to see a performance that holds true to a live Azalea show with the added soundscape provided by the additional instruments.

Stoli: Where will people be able to grab a copy of the new CD and are you leaning more on physical or digital sales?

Azalea: You can get a copy of Coffee & Kisses EP from any one of our shows, or online at cdbaby.com, and iTunes. Als - Skope Magazine

Benjamin and Mia, otherwise known as the Hamilton, Ontario, Canada duo Azalea, came together in fairytale fashion – the sort of romantic tale you only hear about in song. Songs like the ones you can hear on their latest collection, the “Coffee & Kisses EP”. The two came together (and married) over a song, a song they wrote. While I can’t say for sure, a tune resembling this one may reside on “Coffee & Kisses” – a record the twosome call “home grown”.

The couple continued, describing the making of the album: “Most of it was written, recorded and mixed in our home studio. We feel very close to this album as we played every instrument on it except for the drums. This allowed us to have complete creative control over each song and really capture the vision we had for the album.” As stated before, Azalea has knack for capturing romanticism in their music. They say “We like to think of our sound as romantic, young and fresh with whimsical elements throughout... Part of what we believe makes our sound unique is our love for constant harmony. Vocal harmonies are prevalent in all our songs; it's a feature we won’t go without.”

If you’re up north in Canada, keep an eye out for a live Azalea show, and sample “Coffee & Kisses” for yourself, no matter where you’re sitting right now. There’s a whole bunch more to get into, so keep reading for all the answers to the XXQ’s.

XXQs: Azalea - Benjamin and Mia

PensEyeView.com (PEV): How would you describe your sound and what do you feel makes you stand out over the others in your genre?

Azalea: We like to think of our sound as romantic, young and fresh with whimsical elements throughout. While we may get grouped into the genre of folk/pop and feel we fit there quite nicely, we also feel that we don't sound exactly like any other band. Part of what we believe makes our sound unique is our love for constant harmony. Vocal harmonies are prevalent in all our songs, it's a feature we wont go without.

PEV: What kind of music where the members of the band into growing up? Do you remember your first concert?

Azalea: Although we didn't grow up together we listened to a lot of the same music. It was the Pop hits of 90's, especially the late 90's that really made an impact on us. Bands and artists such as Goo Goo Dolls, Sarah McLachlan, Bare Naked Ladies, Alanis Morissette, Counting Crows, Sister Hazel, Sheryl Crow, Jann Arden, Amanda Marshall Gin Blossomswere the bands we listened to growing up. As we entered our college years it was bands like Coldplay, Caedmon's Call, The Weepies Mandy Moore's two releases that continued to inspire us and push us to do what we do today.

Mia: My first concert was a Backstreet Boys concert at the Toronto SkyDome (Rogers Centre). “Oh come on stop laughing, Everyone is allowed to be thirteen once”.

Benjamin: Mine was at Paramount Canada's Wonderland to see Third Day. “I had no one to go with so I went alone. Sad but true, I know.”

PEV: Tell us your take on the music scene in your hometown and what was it like trying to break into it?

Azalea: That's kind of a hard question to answer seeing as we don't originally come from the same home town. Growing up Benjamin moved around a lot and I lived in a suburb west of Toronto. When we started making music together we lived quite far away from each other, so our efforts were focused on getting a gig anywhere we could within the Golden Horseshoe in Southern Ontario. The Golden Horseshoe includes a few major cities, at least a dozen other small, but growing cities and dozens of small towns, so we really had a lot of ground to cover. With so many locations to cover, breaking into one particular music scene was kind of impossible. We learned that every city, suburb, and even community deals with musicians in a really different way. This has totally broadened our knowledge in booking gigs and has been a huge learning experience. Now that we are married and are firmly rooted in Hamilton Ontario, we are now going to focus on creating some local buzz. We are currently getting some air play on CFMU 93.3 FM, a local Hamilton radio station which we feel is definitely a step in the right direction. Hamilton is a city with a diverse and multicultural population. We are still getting to know the music scene, but based on some of the local artists we follow, we are thinking that breaking into this new scene shouldn't be too hard.

PEV: What can fans expect from a live Azalea show?

Azalea: We understand that it is a great privilege to have someone take the time to come out to a show, so we always try to provide the most entertaining and interesting show we can. Whether we are working with a full band configuration or we are performing as a duo, we always strive to maintain the integrity of our recorded art. That is why at a live show you can expect to hear a lot of vocal harmonies, live looping, and extended versions of o - PensEyeView.com

Nestled in the heart of Hamilton, Ontario, Canada you might find Benjamin & Mia Hackett writing a lyric, rehearsing a set, or recording a song in the studio of their Colonial home. You may also recognize Benjamin & Mia as “Azalea” performing in a venue near you. Since establishing in 2007 “Azalea” has been touring coffee shops, clubs, restaurants, and festivals in Southern Ontario, Central New York and Michigan. Their current release Coffee & Kisses EP has been featured in many prominent online music magazines, and has received positive response from college radio in Southern Ontario. Coffee & Kisses EP was also nominated and placed in the top three finalists in four categories at the 2010 Durham Region Music Awards.

The six song Coffee & Kisses EP will take you on journey, starting with it’s opening track Dreams; an epic indie-pop song, both current and compelling. Next, you are taken down a nostalgic and hopeful country road with the track Abilene, and then thrust into a blend of tasteful folk-rock ballads and upbeat tunes, with a sound unique only to “Azalea”. The finale track, a whimsically romantic love song the duo wrote for each other, closes the album by pulling on your heart strings and leaving you wanting more.

And more is exactly what you’ll get at a live “Azalea” show. With live looping, instrument changes, and powerhouse vocals in perfect harmony, “Azalea” delivers more than you would expect from a duo! Whether reinterpreting their own material or putting an “Azalea” spin on a classic song, an evening with them is always entertaining. So, be sure to catch them on their first multi-state tour in mid-November 2011. Tour details below:

AZALEA Coffee & Kisses U.S. Tour

Friday, November 18, 2011 @ 5:00pm
Cross Street Coffee
51 Cross Street The Taylor Building, Urbanna, VA
(804) 758-1002
Tickets – FREE

Saturday, November 19, 2011 @ 10:00pm
Creekside Cafe
3380, Teays Valley Rd. Hurricane, WV
(304) 562-2494
Tickets – FREE

Sunday, November 20, 2011 @ 8:00pm
The Acoustic Coffeehouse
415 W Walnut St., Johnson City, TN
(423) 434-9872
Tickets – FREE

Links
www.AzaleaMusic.NET
www.facebook.com/AzaleaMusic.NET
www.twitter.com.AzaleaMusic
www.youtube.com/AzaleaTV - Pop Culture Madness

Canadian couple Benjamin Hackett and Mia Cioffi -- aka Azalea -- make catchy pop music this Saturday at the Creekside Cafe in Teays Valley.
By Bill Lynch
Advertiser

WANT TO GO?

Azalea

WHERE: Creekside Café, 3380 Teays Valley Road, Hurricane

WHEN: 10 p.m. Saturday

TICKETS: Free

INFO: 304-562-2594



CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Benjamin Hackett and Mia Cioffi of Azalea started out as a couple of songwriters in Canada with a fairly big problem: neither one of them could write a song on their own.
"I'd always just sort of dabbled with songwriting," Cioffi said. "So had Benjamin. But neither of us had been able to complete a song."

"It just seemed a little impossible," Hackett added.

The two, who appear Saturday at the Creekside Café in Teays Valley, said it was only after they were put together that they were able to make their own music work.

Hackett and Cioffi met at church in Ontario, where they played music as part of worship services. Eventually, someone in the congregation suggested they might write something for an upcoming special program. Something between the two of them clicked.

"It was just so cool," Hackett said, "and it started a passion for us to write together."

The two began spending more time together, started playing music together and became friends.

"Then, as history goes, we fell in love," Cioffi said. "Then we released an album."

That was 2007, when they were still performing under their own names. The fledgling folk-pop duo wasn't happy with the approach, though.

"A band name seemed to have more commercial appeal," Cioffi said.

So they started looking around for something that described who they were, at least symbolically. They settled on a flower, the azalea.

"We looked it up," Cioffi said. "It's a really colorful flower that does well in different climates and is considered kind of showy in the garden."

"We're not show-offs," Hackett said, "but I think we step up and do more than people expect on stage."

"We're young. We're happy. We're colorful and positive," Cioffi added. "The name really seemed to express that."

It's also been a name they could grow into. Both say their musical style has blossomed since they took on the name.

"Our songwriting process is about the same," Hackett said. "It's probably more fine-tuned, but how we sound, I think, is more coherent. We sound like us."

Writing songs, becoming friends, falling in love and then starting a band led finally to a wedding. The two were married in June 2010.

"The same month our second CD, 'Coffee and Kisses was released," Cioffi said.

They say they're very happy together and are ready to take their music as far as they can. Since they started playing together, they have largely just performed along the southern part of the Canadian province they hail from, with a few shows here and there in the United States.

"This is really our first extended trip south," Cioffi said. "We've got shows in Johnston City, [Tenn.], and Urbana, Virginia. We're really hoping it goes well. We want to come back."

Reach Bill Lynch at ly...@wvgazette.com or 304-348-5195. - The Charleston Gazette

Apr 10, 2012

Azalea set to perform at Cameron Street Co-op Cafe on April 28

(CANNINGTON) Call it a case of life imitating art.

Benjamin Hackett and Mia Cioffi first met as bandmates but their relationship soon blossomed into something more. Over time, those romantic ballads they penned and performed together became a reality and Azalea was born.

Local residents can hear the results for themselves when the duo appears at the Cameron Street Co-op Cafe in Cannington later this month.

After releasing a full-length album in 2007 under the name of Benjamin and Mia, Mr Hackett and Ms Cioffi released their debut EP as Azalea, titled, 'Coffee and Kisses,' in June of 2010. They wrote, produced, arranged and recorded every song on the disc and played every instrument, besides the drums.

After receiving a solid response from campus radio, the album was nominated for a handful of Durham Region Music Awards, including Recording of the Year, Rock Recording of the Year, Instrumental of the Year and Producer of the Year.

The local show is slated for Saturday, April 28 and gets underway at 8:30 p.m. Tickets cost $10.

For more information, call 705-432-8407 or visit cameronstreet.org - Brock Citizen

What project are you currently promoting?
We are currently promoting our debut release under our new band name Azalea. The album is called Coffee & Kisses EP.

What is your thought process when working on new music?
First, we generally try and come up with a good musical idea. One that first captures us and inspires us to pursue it further. We also try to - without putting ourselves in a box - make sure that what we're creating is relevant for today's music industry. Once we have a good musical idea we try and narrow down what the feel of the music conveys. And this lead us us to lyrics. We love writing lyrics, because it gives us a chance to to recant our stories or live in a world of make believe. We can be ourselves and express our ideals as vague or succinctly as we'd like. When it comes to lyrics, we like to first come up with a plot. This gives us a scaffolding with which to build the song. We can see the beginning, the middle, and the end, and work towards artistically telling our story without veering too far from the point.

What inspires your music?
Almost anything can inspire a song. Even the knowledge that you can conjure up a world with colourful characters and situations is inspiring. Sometimes a situation we've been through seems fitting for a song, other times we may be watching a movie or TV show, and be so moved by what what we've witnessed that we want to express what we're feeling through song. It's a pretty cool thing when you realize that art actually inspires other art.

How would you classify your music?
That's a good question. We feel like we are continually growing and evolving as musicians and songwriters. Every song we write we feel we come a little closer to a sound that represents us - Azalea. As we said before, we try not to put ourselves into a box when it comes to our sound. We do, however, find ourselves veering toward a pop sound that has folk and country undertones and therefore Alt Country would describe our sound best. An interesting thing that we have noticed is that ones surroundings and up brining can find their way into ones art. As Canadians we feel our music has that distinctive Canadian sound you may hear in much of our nations music.

How would you describe yourself as an artist?
As an artist working in the music industry today, there is a lot more to do than just sitting around writing songs. There are so many aspects of our job and the image one portrays to the world is inevitably reflected in how they apply their artistic personality to the task at hand. We often find ourselves labeled as the cute couple, so we'll play this aspect up at live shows. If we're singing a really romantic or cute duet, we'll sing it to each other, or we'll give sweet little glances and winks. The great part about this that it comes naturally and is not an act; we are true sweethearts and it's an aspect we like to let shine through us as artists. We also have a distinct bohemian quality - We appreciate the little things in life and we'll write about that in song. We have a free spirited attitude when creating art. As we keep stating, we try to never put ourselves in a box. Also, we have an appreciation for the music of the 60's and 70's and we find ourselves using characteristics of that music in our own. Even our next photo shoot is planned to have a retro feel. In a nutshell we are a cute bohemian duo.

What sets your music apart from others in your genre?
What makes us different is that we don't always fit right into our particular genre. We often sit on the outskirts of that genre and manoeuvre our way to sound that feels right to us for each given song. That leads to another point. Each new song we write seems to have a pretty different feel than the last but all the while they still sound like us. This creates an interesting atmosphere when playing our album or attending a live show. We may move from an upbeat, poppy tune to a more solemn country influenced ballad, whi - Music Now Magazine

"Nominated and Top Three Finalists for Recording of the Year, Rock Recording of the Year, Instrumentalist of the Year, and Producer of the Year at the 2010 Durham Region Music Awards." - Durham Region Music Society

Benjamin Hackett and Mia Cioffi are a pop duo that offer up honey sweet pop tunes on their seven track EP. Coffee & Kisses EP is all about relationships [with] lyrics that pull on your heartstrings. This duo has talent... [Azalea's Coffee & Kisses EP] would work well on any easy listening station. If you’re in the mood to kick back and relax, this would be a good CD to put on. - MuzikReviews.com

“Like hearing a rainbow! The colors of their voices blend seamlessly. An awe inspiring live performance.” - Fort Erie Friendship Festival