pet lion * dec 2020

Canada is known for many things. Maple syrup, beer, comedians, and female songstresses. The latter is our National Treasure. Face it, we tricked you all into buying seats to Celine Dion’s show in Vegas. That’s how amazing our reputation is for female singers! All joking aside, the up-and-coming musician Ainsley McNeaney, has captivated Canadian crowds with her definitive jazzy funk-based sound. Ainsley graciously took some time from writing new songs in her Montreal studio to answer some questions for Orange Country Reverb.


OCR: Reading your biography, you are intricately involved in every aspect of your career including responding to emails, webpage updates, and scheduling meetings. I think most musicians appreciate handling their own vision without the intrusion of record labels and interfering perspectives. What are other advantages of maintaining and representing yourself? Does this ever get frustrating because it distracts you from making music?

AM: It’s definitely awesome to be self-contained, in a way. I love having no one telling me how my music should sound or what I should say to press. I think it’s important to maintain a conscious creative control over one’s own art, or else you might end up with too much package and not enough substance that is real and unique and representative of who you are as an artist. But oh man, does it ever get frustrating! I’m a real type-A personality – super organized and I love paperwork and checklists – so I can easily get caught up in that side of things and go for a few days without checking in with my artistic side.

Right now, I’m on a retreat at CAMMAC (a music centre) in the Laurentians in Quebec for a week concentrating on songwriting since it’s been a few months since I last wrote a decent song. It can also be difficult to be so self-contained as my career is completely dependent on how hard I work – I have no one telling me when to tour, which songs to make videos for, how to market myself…I had to learn all that on my own and it’s definitely been a gradual learning curve! A lot of time has been spent learning the business side of the industry that could have been used to be creative and make music. That being said, however, it’s the direction in which the music business has strayed – in exchange for creative control, musicians have to now learn all sorts of other skills. I think it’s worth it. I recently hired a publicist and have been increasingly relying more and more on a great team of friends, fans, and of course, my regular band mates, to help me out with things. There’s only so much time in a day and I already spend way too long on my computer!

OCR: You said your early attempts at song writing were secretly stashed away in a shoebox. When you look back at those songs what memories come to mind? Do you ever consider reworking those songs into new pieces? Did you store other artifacts from your early teens in that box?

AM: I started writing songs at around age 14, when Sarah McLachlan’s ‘Possession’ album came out – I was at that age when life was starting to seem way too unfair and I just loved her super-sad and depressed sound and lyrics. I tried to emulate that, I think, especially after I had my heart ‘broken’ at age 15!

A lot of those songs I wrote down in a sketch book that I was using at the time, which I kept (in my proverbial shoebox!). When I flip through those pages now, I am reminded by the songs and by the drawings of a dramatic teenager doing her best to try to deal with what I felt at the time to be a very trying life – certainly nothing out of the ordinary! In actuality, and in retrospect, I had a great life and was probably pretty spoiled – I was also singing in a funk band at the time, which was a lot of fun and certainly made me feel very cool, so it’s not all bad memories from that time, for sure. Right now, these songs are really only good for a laugh and a trip down memory lane, so to speak – a sad song has its place, but these are just….well, not good. Haha.

OCR: You honed the craft of classical piano and percussion. What are your favourite elements of each instrumental medium? How do you create different moods or emotions by isolating or combining both of these skills?

AM: I really love the diversity that being a percussionist has to offer. I was really, really lucky to get my BMus from the University of Toronto, as the percussion teachers there are amazing, and cover a real wide variety of genres and instruments. In any given day, I would play vibraphone, African drums, marimba, timpani, drum set – to name only a few – in musical genres ranging from jazz, to Japanese taiko drumming, to orchestral, to contemporary classical. I took advantage of it all, and I hope that as I grow as an arranger, my music will continue to reflect this diversity.

On True Story Orchestra, I used a lot of percussion, but my next album (in the works now) will include even more. As for piano, it’s also such a diverse instrum - Orange County Reverb

A beautiful summer night in Montreal with tons of festivals going on in the city, Divan Orange was no exception. Divan Orange was playing host to the Fringe Festival this weekend with Ainsley McNeaney opening up Friday (June 15th, 2012) night a little after 9pm.
?
Ainsley McNeaney is an Indie Orchestral Pop Folk Jazz Rock Singer Songwriter Pianist Percussionist Composer - from Toronto, now based in Montreal and knows how to interact with the crowd and bring them all to their feet, especially when a good old polka song is included in the set.
?
The house filled up quickly with those passing by the venue for the St.Laurent street festival. For those of who have never been to Divan it is a cute little venue/bar with tons of charm, fabulous live sets and that night it seemed about two sizes too small for those trying to get a glimpse of McNeaney on stage.

The set started off with, “Gremlin in the speakers and no sound check”, but that did not stop this power group from bringing everyone to their feet at the end of the set. In fact, listening to the crowd’s reaction most didn’t even notice, because of McNeaney’s capability of capturing the audience with her voice.

The band had very many surprises for the audience: a humoristic polka song about a break up, a song about an octopus superhero, and Amy Watson on the kazoo for two songs. McNeaney also announced that fans should be gearing themselves up for a triple video release online concert coming soon.

The night would not be complete without McNeaney walking around and giving out post cards to those in attendance who could then scan the QR Barcode and be brought to their newly released music video “Marianne”. The post card could then be reused to a close friend and doing them the favor of introducing them to McNeaney’s music. McNeaney being the amicable performer that she is announced that she had kept a drink ticket for the first person who approached her with the video on their smart phone, and made herself readily available to anyone wanting to say hi.
?
She was followed by two other acts that night and she did not stop short at getting the audience ready for the party that was clearly just beginning.
?
Visit http://www.ainsleymcneaney.com to listen to her music and then enter the website to discover more about Ainsley McNeaney. You can also follow her on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/#!/AinsleyMcNeaney. We also suggest you go “Like” this artist on her Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ainsleymcneaneymusic
?
Make sure to make it out to McNeaney’s next show, and don’t forget to say, “Hi!” to the wonderful singer. - E-Vent Thrill

Ainsley McNeaney is far from having a "dubious connection to the city" -- she's your neighbour! Based in Montreal for over a year now, McNeaney is an Ontario-born singer-songwriter; a classically trained but infinitely laid back and versatile musician, she writes songs that are at the same time whimsical and discerning. You can catch her at Le Dépanneur Café every Wednesday afternoon, where she plays songs from her first album, True Story Orchestra, as well as whatever she's been working on that week. Before her show next week at Casa del Popolo (with Glass Passenger and Eleanore Altman), we wanted to catch up with Ainsley to ask her about music, life, and - of course - poutine.
1. Who is your favorite Canadian artist?
Old school: Joni Mitchell and The Band. New school: Woodpigeon and Austin John.

2. Besides family, friends, other music, and long walks on the beach, what influences your music the most?
Working hard and working consistently! I've been on a song-a-day project for the past year and a half - with some exceptions, six days a week I've been sitting down to write a new song - and it's really helped me to hone my craft. Some of my best new songs have been the ones that I've initially dismissed as being too silly to be shared or too much of a departure from my first album - 'Octopus Man' has been a hit lately at my gigs! - and before this, those songs really may have been left in the proverbial shoebox. I'm challenging myself to create every day, try out new chord changes, song structures... it inspires me to write more and be a better musician and songwriter.

3. Where is the best place to listen to your music?
A lot of people have told me that they listen to 'True Story Orchestra' in their car. In my opinion, it's best for a long night of love-mak... good, clean conversation.

4. What do you love most about Montreal?
Aside from the music scene and all the good people involved in it, hiking on Mont Royal and through the cemeteries. Oh, and the poutine. I freaking love poutine.

5. What do you love most about poutine?
Everything.

6. What do you hate most about poutine?
The fact that I have to drive to get to Decarie Hot Dog.

7. What was the first live concert you attended? Was it everything you had ever imagined?
It was George Clinton and the P-Funk All-Stars at Canada's Wonderland in 1997. I had crap seats, so I persuaded a security guy to let me jump the barrier and managed to finagle a front row spot. For the show's finale, all the bands were onstage jamming out on some funky vamp and the dudes from Cypress Hill (the opening act) were pulling up people to the stage. I was one of the last to get up there before the guards closed their ring, and I spent the next half hour dancing onstage in between Bootsy Collins and Mr. Clinton himself.

So yeah, it went okay.

8. If your music was a famous historical figure, who would it be and why?
Probably Charles Darwin, because I'm a big fan of evolution, musical and otherwise.

9. What's the best way to spend one million dollars in 10 minutes?
I'd hire a hit man to kidnap Stephen Harper and hide him somewhere that no one, not even the hit man himself, would ever think to look. I don't want anyone to die, so I guess I'd also have to hire someone to take care of him; you know, like bring him some food and some clean t-shirts. Hmm, this is getting expensive and complicated... but seriously, think about it, Montreal millionaires.

Whatever's left over, I would spend on my next album. Would that be okay?

10. What's the best place you've ever been to?
My bed after a long day/night - my bed is so comfy. Man, I love my bed!

11. What's the worst place you've ever been to?
In elementary school, we once took a trip to the sewage plant. The funny thing was, it was a 'gifted' class of about 6 of us, so it was really awkward standing around in such a small group, surrounded by shit, trying to think up questions to ask the guide. I mean, what kind of a sewage plant even has a guide, I ask you?! It was certainly a strange day that I will never forget.

12. How did you spend your 16th birthday?
For some reason, my parents allowed me to have pretty much everyone I knew over while they went out to my grandmother's house for the evening. I smoked my first joint that night and someone gave me a stuffed pig as a gift, which I still have somewhere. The next day, my mom said that she found roaches on the porch and I freaked out, thinking that we would now have to have the house fumigated for insects. Umm... yeah, my mom was way cooler than me back then!

Now that you know about Ainsley's George Clinton connection, her plans to kidnap the Prime Minister (note to CSIS scanners: she's kidding!), and her expansive knowledge of sewage treatment, you'll have the perfect conversation opener when you go see her at Casa next week!
- Midnight Poutine

The first Maritime tour for pop-jazz artist Ainsley McNeaney did not exactly get off to a smashing start.

Ainsley and her five-piece band left their Montreal home base this past Wednesday morning and expected a relatively smooth trip to their first tour stop in Halifax.

In Quebec City, the van they had rented broke down on the highway. Much to their dismay, the person from whom they had rented the van was less than enthusiastic about lending a hand to the group in order to get them back on the road. Thankfully, a kind tow truck driver took Ainsley and her bandmates into his care, helping the sextet find a new rental van and putting them back on their way to Halifax.

Such is life on the road. And some might argue experiences such as those, which Ainsley and crew have endured over the first 24 hours of their tour, build character.

Mind you, the pleasant and chatty Ainsley already has plenty of character. With one full-length album to her credit, 2008's True Story Orchestra, Ainsley is carving out a unique name for herself. While she would definitely be at home in the world of jazz, there are classical undertones to her music.

Ainsley graduated from the University of Toronto, specializing in classical percussion. With the encouragement of her professors at the school, she began to spread her wings and began writing music for percussion and voice. Before long, she took up writing original material and by the time she wrapped up her studies at UofT, there was little doubt as to what she would do with her life.

With a population of more than 2.5 million, Toronto is Canada’s biggest city and can be a tough nut to crack when you’re trying to get your music career off the ground.

After calling the city home for 11-plus years, Ainsley packed her bags and moved to Montreal, a move that, two and a half years later, she is still thrilled about.

‘I called Toronto home for a long time and spent six years figuring out the music business, releasing my record and feeling out what the music scene was like,’ Ainsley says from the comfort of her rental van in Halifax. ‘There was just something with the city that didn’t jive with me. It is such a huge city that, looking back upon the time I was living there, the support that I receive as an artist in Montreal is heads and shoulders above what I received in Toronto. There is not a definitive sense of community in Toronto where Montreal seems to be much like Atlantic Canada in that, as big as the city is, it has the small-town vibe and mentality when it comes to the music and arts scene.

‘In Montreal, there is a better appreciation for the arts in general, as well as different kinds of music. Both the anglophone and francophone communities are so welcoming and if you can manage to bridge the gap between those two communities, you are wel comed with open arms.’ Ainsley’s relocation from Toronto to Montreal was partially responsible for the delay in following up her 2008 debut. It is not however, due to a lack of ideas.

‘Almost three years ago, I undertook a song-a-day project,’ Ainsley says.

‘After my record was released in 2008, I was not doing a lot of songwriting right off the bat but when I stepped back and realized that songwriting is a craft much like athletes work to perfect what they do, I began devoting a portion of my day every day to songwriting. Sometimes I’d spend 15 minutes writing and other times it would be two hours a day.

‘The idea of the project was to play with words, just to see what I could come up with. Looking back upon these bits and pieces of songs that are in this notebook, I have realized that many of these bits and pieces, even though they might not have been written at the exact same moment as others, actually work rather well together. I’m rather excited to start working on my next record.’

Ainsley and her band already have five or six new songs re gular ly included in their set and will be featuring songs both new and old when they perform at the Bridge Street Café Wednesday evening.

Boasting a line-up of upright bass, piano, percussion, flute, and guitar, Ainsley and her group might not have what is considered to be traditional jazz instrumentation in their group, however much like the very definition of jazz is open to interpretation, so are Ainsley and her remarkable group of backing musicians.

‘I am extremely lucky to have the band that I have,’ she says.

‘That has been another benefit about having relocated to Montreal. I have a regular band, something that probably wouldn’t have ever happened had I stayed in Toronto because there, musicians are after the high-paying gigs, not necessarily following their hearts.

‘With my band, we rehearse regularly and play shows together and perhaps most importantly, we all get along and like being together.
It’s a pretty great situation for sure.’ - MusicNerd Chronicles/Moncton Times & Chronicle

It’s really nice to have a variety of music to listen to now. Since this blog started I have reviewed folk, alt-country, classic rock, pop and even hip-hop (and metal, but I personally didn’t review those albums).

What I found interesting about True Story Orchestra is that it is indie pop that uses orchestral music, just like Ohbijou, but the major difference seems to be intensity. Not to say that McNeaney’s album isn’t intense at spots, but Orchestra has a bit of a light-hearted feel to it while Beacons (Ohbijou’s album) seems to keep the intensity at a high point all-around. Again, the intensity difference is not a criticism.

Funny enough, the first track on the album, “The Little Things” is quite intense. It starts with a frantic piano riff and is quickly joined by McNeaney’s vocals. It soon adds horns, adding more to the frantic nature of the song.

The next song is ironically titled “Rush About.” The song is much more relaxed, with a gentle horn, piano and light drumbeat providing the background. I can almost imagine the song playing in a movie with a couple meeting in a trendy café. I hope that analogy wasn’t too weird.

The album progresses through ten more songs, utilizing a wide range of instruments along the way to provide a variety of atmospheres. The name True Story Orchestra is not just for show- McNeaney is supported by over 30 musicians playing tuba, viola, cello, clarinet, french horn and bassoon, to name a few. McNeaney herself plays a slew of instruments, so she certainly doesn’t fit the stereotypical image of the female pop singer whose only instrument is the microphone she sings into.

My favourite opening is probably to “Closer”, the third track , which uses a mandolin. Another great track is “Marianne” which is the only song featuring a male back-up vocalist.

The only problem with this album is its length. Some of the songs go on between five and six minutes when they could just as easily be three or four. I forgive the last song “Paper Doll” for being almost 12 minutes long because in reality it is two songs- but you can find that out for yourself.

To sum this album up, it uses a great variety of instruments to make every song quite different from the next, and McNeaney’s vocals are pleasant enough to note bore or cause headaches (see my review of Language-Arts to get an idea of headache-inducing vocals). If some of the songs were a little shorter, I would probably like this album more. However the album’s blend of intelligent lyrics and use of a full orchestra makes it definitely worth listening to. - Grayowl Point

It’s really nice to have a variety of music to listen to now. Since this blog started I have reviewed folk, alt-country, classic rock, pop and even hip-hop (and metal, but I personally didn’t review those albums).

What I found interesting about True Story Orchestra is that it is indie pop that uses orchestral music, just like Ohbijou, but the major difference seems to be intensity. Not to say that McNeaney’s album isn’t intense at spots, but Orchestra has a bit of a light-hearted feel to it while Beacons (Ohbijou’s album) seems to keep the intensity at a high point all-around. Again, the intensity difference is not a criticism.

Funny enough, the first track on the album, “The Little Things” is quite intense. It starts with a frantic piano riff and is quickly joined by McNeaney’s vocals. It soon adds horns, adding more to the frantic nature of the song.

The next song is ironically titled “Rush About.” The song is much more relaxed, with a gentle horn, piano and light drumbeat providing the background. I can almost imagine the song playing in a movie with a couple meeting in a trendy café. I hope that analogy wasn’t too weird.

The album progresses through ten more songs, utilizing a wide range of instruments along the way to provide a variety of atmospheres. The name True Story Orchestra is not just for show- McNeaney is supported by over 30 musicians playing tuba, viola, cello, clarinet, french horn and bassoon, to name a few. McNeaney herself plays a slew of instruments, so she certainly doesn’t fit the stereotypical image of the female pop singer whose only instrument is the microphone she sings into.

My favourite opening is probably to “Closer”, the third track , which uses a mandolin. Another great track is “Marianne” which is the only song featuring a male back-up vocalist.

The only problem with this album is its length. Some of the songs go on between five and six minutes when they could just as easily be three or four. I forgive the last song “Paper Doll” for being almost 12 minutes long because in reality it is two songs- but you can find that out for yourself.

To sum this album up, it uses a great variety of instruments to make every song quite different from the next, and McNeaney’s vocals are pleasant enough to note bore or cause headaches (see my review of Language-Arts to get an idea of headache-inducing vocals). If some of the songs were a little shorter, I would probably like this album more. However the album’s blend of intelligent lyrics and use of a full orchestra makes it definitely worth listening to. - Grayowl Point

The last time I bought an album that worked for most any occasion (singalong, work, play, cleaning) was Sarah McLaughlan's Surfacing. In 1997. So, I'm a little picky. The next time was when I bought Ainsley McNeaney's True Story Orchestra (2008). McNeaney is a singing, songwriting, arranging, producing, phenomenon. True Story Orchestra is her first album as artist and first release as producer. However, the sophisticated orchestration (think butterscotch light mixed with just a little bit of peeling white paint from a seaside house and brassy silver buttons) belies her classical background. A classical percussionist - she graduated from the University of Toronto's Music program in sticks and mallets - the twelve songs on this album feature banjos, marimba, tambourine, trombones and a string section. This strong instrumental variety successfully teases strands of jazz, cabaret, swing and circus through the pop pieces.

For anyone who has always played nice, done their best, and found they can't recognize themselves for the role they've played, McNeaney asks, "Who did you kill to secure all that moon in your eyes?" in her song, "This Girl". It is a liberating call for the removal of restrictive masks and authentic soul-searching. The anthemic "Closer" opens with solo banjo and develops into a full-fledged, open-throated, windows-down car belting song about the fears behind, and acceptance of, taking risks in life. When you're done, you've already whirled yourself around the dancefloor and you can wait until tomorrow: you've "got the next day to find [your] way home." Finally, another highlight, reminiscent of Sarah McLaughlan's "Adia" and Rufus Wainwright's "Natasha", the glowing "Marianne" falls solidly in the songwriting tradition of song as witness. All three posit the song as the songwriter's best way to support a friend on a self-destructive track.

McNeaney is clearly a musician and not your everyday singer-songwriter. I hope for more refinement in her lyrics in the future, but ultimately McNeaney's voice, its roars, cries and calls in the dark elevate the album to a must-have.

Listen here and if you like it, it is $9.99 on iTunes, or available on ainsleymcneaney.com .

Bee - Zonino Blog

Fun fact: Ainsley McNeaney was studying percussion at the University of Toronto at the same time that Owen Pallett was studying percussion!

Ainsley McNeaney is a Toronto singer-songwriter who put out True Story Orchestra in 2008. I reviewed the album last year and did not realize how much work she put into the record, nor did I know how much work her career as a musician has been.

McNeaney has been into music since she was really young, playing organ while she sat on her dad’s lap. She soon began taking piano lessons, vocal lessons and musical theatre.

“In middle school I had to choose an instrument, and I chose percussion. Even though I was a keyboard player and a singer I really liked playing percussion,” McNeaney explained.

She continued to play music when she got into high school, and high school was also where she began to write songs, influenced by other singer-songwriters such as Sarah McLachlan and Tori Amos. Although you won’t see any of her first songs on any albums.

“The songs I wrote back then are terrible,” McNeaney laughed. “They’re actually embarrassing when I go back and read them now.”

When it came time to pick a university, McNeaney chose to go to the University of Toronto’s percussion program because of how flexible the program was, and also because of the expertise of the university’s in-residence band called Nexus.

While studying, she put songwriting on hold for a few years. However, she got back to it in third year when it came time for her recital. She wrote a song for vibraphone, marimba, viola and voice. When she performed it, her teachers all told her to sing more. Then she also wrote a song in her fourth-year recital, getting great reviews again.

After graduation, she worked for two years in customer service for the Toronto Symphony Orchestra.

“It was pretty good, but it was like working in an office. As good as I felt about what I was doing, it wasn’t like I was working for a bank or some evil corporation. I was actually helping people find music and discover music. And I liked that, but it was still an office job, and by the end I was ready to kill myself,” McNeaney said.

It was after the two-year stint that she was able to rekindle her passion for music. She went for a three-and-a-half-month stay at the Banff Centre, a retreat for artists of all kinds.

“You live on campus, you get a practice studio for yourself to do whatever you want. So I had this little hut, in this little, kind of pine grove, and it was all me. I had a grand piano in there, took a vibraphone from the main place and put it in there; all kinds of percussion instruments and stuff,” McNeaney explained, her voice full of nostalgia.

At the end of her stay, she played a show and got great reviews from everyone there. When she returned to Toronto she knew she wanted to put an album together.

She started applying for grants but kept getting rejections. She took the first few rejection letters pretty hard, but eventually learned an important rule.

“It was kind of disheartening. I mean, that’s the thing you learn pretty quickly in any artistic business, it’s just to let those things sort of slide,” McNeaney said.

She eventually decided on a line of credit from the bank. Not too much later, she needed to re-record two songs for a grant application and ended up meeting Steve Major who worked at the XM Satellite Studio at the time. They had a great time recording her two songs and Major ended up being the master recorder for True Story Orchestra.

“Of course I didn’t end up getting the grant,” McNeaney laughed again.

McNeaney then began to get some musicians together to help her record True Story Orchestra. She ended up working with around 30 musicians, which gave her a bit of difficulty organizing.

“It was a lot of work, of course. I remember it took so long to get everyone available within an eight hour block. But I was always really nice to people,” she said.

McNeaney finally was ab - Grayowl Point

Wednesday night I finally got up and out to a local show. I hope to do so more often, and profile great local music, as the world knows, Montreal is producing some great music!

Plus, this show was at the very well known local venue Casa del Popolo.

Eleanore Altman opened. She played the piano, and was accompanied by an acoustic guitar player. She has a nice voice, not too high, but it can get up there on occasion. I liken her voice to be somewhat Tori Amos like. Her fairly short set was all original material, save for a Radiohead cover of “A Punchup at a Wedding”, or the full title/subtitle, “A Punchup at a Wedding. (No No No No No No No.)”. With just acoustic guitar it definitely sounded different, sans the bass, electronic, and other elements. Had she not said, I cannot say as I would have recognised it for sure. She said the Radiohead song is about having received a bad review, something she knows all too well she said. Well, being that it was the first time I saw her, not being too familiar, I would not give it a raving review, but definitely promising!

Glass Passenger played next, they played an interesting mix, they started with a couple of up-tempo rock leaning songs that were pretty good, and then mellowed out for the rest of their set (which was good, as I was too close to the lead vocalist’s amp!). The lead singer stated they are still a new band, finding their sound. Despite that, they sounded fairly good, playing folky rock if I remember correctly.

Ainsley McNeaney took the stage with seven people performing, her usual band, including guest violin and trumpet players. Her set also was not too long, but it made up for it in quality. With all of the musicians behind her, playing her original material. All of which was also arranged by her. It made for a very nice and entertaining show. She plays mostly pop, more traditional pop (as in not your typical mainstream pop!), albeit with a nice mix of various genres as well. Those genres include some jazz (via drum and bass rhythms), and even a polka number! If I had to say what her voice sounded like, I think I would go with my original though when I first heard her online, that being a mix of great Canadian female vocalists, that being a good thing! but Very much recommend checking her out.

To steal a little from her bio, and give a better idea:

Montreal indie musician AINSLEY McNEANEY began developing her own musical style while still a classical percussion undergrad at the University of Toronto, fusing traditional piano, voice and orchestral techniques into a pop music setting.

She has quite a few Montreal shows coming, including a weekly set at Le Dépanneur Café every Wednesday from 1 – 2PM. Check her MySpace out for some music, and a few other ways as well:

Twitter, Facebook, or YouTube.

Also, the openers can be found on MySpace as well:

Eleanore Altman

Glass Passenger
- Too Much Music Blog

Friday, May 4:
Ainsley McNeaney, Grumpy's Bar
Local singer-songwriter-musician Ainsley McNeaney is an absolute pleasure to see live. This gig, in an intimate setting that suits her music so well, will be a perfect occasion for anyone who doesn't know her well to get acquainted with her stories, her melodies, and her warmth. - Midnight Poutine

In a noisy bar tucked away in the Annex, Ainsley McNeaney eagerly awaits her beer.

The blue-eyed songbird certainly deserves a cold one after seven hours behind the computer writing e-mails, updating her website and setting up meetings. It’s just the tip of the iceberg compared to the amount of work she’s done over the past year. It’s non-stop stress as there is still much to do for her debut album True Story Orchestra set for its June 24th release.

Reflecting on her experience, McNeaney wouldn’t have it any other way.

“It’s been a year of hard work and getting the album together,” McNeaney says, “but it’s been many years before that writing songs and cutting my teeth as a performer.”

In an industry where manufactured talent takes the lead, the Toronto-based singer/songwriter has an extraordinary approach to her art; she has traveled a path mostly unrecognized by today’s music listener. This talented beauty is a one-woman marketing team, manager and producer, making her work that much more rewarding.

“Everything is coming into fruition and I feel like this is what I’m supposed to be doing. I’m so sure of that…I’ve always been sure of that,” McNeaney says.

In fact, she’s known since she was just a teen. Teased by her friends as a kid for having a natural vibrato in her voice, McNeaney knew from an early age that she would be an artist. She started playing the organ as a baby on her dad’s lap, but began piano lessons at age nine after begging her parents. Not owning a piano for the first year, she practiced at her neighbour’s house a few times a week. She ended up playing percussion when it came time to choose an instrument in school.

Listening to Sarah McLachlan and Tori Amos as a young teenager, she picked up on song structure and began writing her own stuff that she describes as “pathetic and very depressing, sad girlie music.”

The drafts to these songs are stashed away in a shoebox!

McNeaney stuck with her sticks and mallets upon graduating high school, studying classical percussion performance at the University of Toronto. While many of her peers aimed to play in major city orchestras, she followed what meant the most to her: creating and playing her own music.

“I wanted more personal input, musical direction and more creativity,” she says. “It’s great to play in an orchestra, but if you have that drive to create inside you, that’s not going to satisfy.”

After graduating with honours in 2003, a short stint as a “working girl” and a semester spent honing her craft at The Banff Centre, McNeaney assembled a small orchestra of her own to play shows for receiving audiences at reputable venues such as The Drake Hotel, The Cameron House and The Free Times Cafe.

Last summer, she took a break from playing shows to focus on her album. Determined to hold the reins to her music, the first time producer sat down at her computer to arrange the twelve songs that were to make up True Story Orchestra. There were many challenging moments, but she would hate to sacrifice any bit of what she experienced this past year.

“It’s been amazing having 100% control over what’s happening,” she says. “It’s been so hard at the same time because it’s my first time. Some of the best moments were when I sat back in the studio – in the control room – put my feet up and listened to what people were recording in there.”

For McNeaney, writing music is beyond knowing song structure and musical theory. “Music has to come from a very honest place inside of you,” she says. “It can’t be faked, contrived or forced. For me, songwriting comes from a place that’s very different and very mysterious. A lot of the time the lyrics that come out just happen. I won’t even be thinking about it.”

With her music, McNeaney has honed an original style all her own. Her list of influences range from Led Zeppelin to James Brown to J.S. Bach, while on her album alone she plays piano, organ and most of the percussion. Meanwhile, she’s written and arranged the entire musical accompaniment.

Then of course there’s her voice.

With a voice that sings the sweetest of lullabies to the freshest of funk, she could easily win any Idol competition. Calling her album True Story Orchestra, she gives kudos to the nearly 30 musicians that have helped, while her whimsical songs weave a complex tale of real-life experiences.

“All of these songs are true stories,” McNeaney says. “I went through all my song titles and none of them single handedly suggests what the album’s all about. There’s an orchestral aspect to it and for me that was really important to evoke that in the title.”

But inspiration can’t be conjured up on command. Though McNeaney is constantly inspired, she doesn’t push that creative muse to come. Songwriting is an almost mystical experience for her, sometimes writing lyrics not consciously knowing why until much later.

“Several months down the road,” McNeaney says, “you’ll be looking at a song and saying, ‘Ah - Ryan Sang, Freelance Journalist

This 8 piece band from Toronto...centres around the big voice and talented piano playing of its namesake, Ainsley McNeaney. McNeaney’s voice was really the main attraction, perfectly complemented by smart lyrics...McNeaney’s ballads were beautiful, soft and slightly unearthly. However, the real highlight of this set was when she stepped up the pace a bit for faster, more upbeat tracks that really showcased the clarity and range of her voice. She closed the set with a great rendition of Jeff Buckley’s “Hallelujah.” - www.toonage.ca

John Cage is represented by two quite different early percussion works: the setting of the e.e. cummings poem forever and sunsmell and First Construction in Metal. The first features the voice of another bright-futured young-ster, Ainsley McNeaney. The latter features the sound of 5 whopping big thunder sheets which, using scholars’ notes and the manu-facturing complicity of the cymbal manufacturer Zildjian, were reconstructed specially for the project. Now that’s something wonderful for a university to undertake. - Wholenote Magazine

True Story Orchestra has been a year in the making. And although a lot of time and hard work went into composing her album, Ainsley McNeaney never gave up on her dream of releasing her very own dazzling mix of orchestral and pop music

Released on Tuesday, the album features 12 songs and a vast array of distinctive sounds, including woodwinds, strings and percussions, which the 27-year-old hopes will captivate listeners.

McNeaney's started her musical career at a young age, when she first performed with Village Theatre. In high school, she joined a funk band through the Parkside High School musical program. It wasn't long before the band, Parkside Funk Ensemble, turned into the Cro-Nasal Sapiens, which performed gigs at various venues across Hamilton.

While singing with the Cro-Nasal Sapiens, McNeaney gained some valuable performing experience. "There's where I really started getting that drive of performance; sing and play for a live audience," she said.

She went on to study classical percussion at the University of Toronto, where she met a group of talented musicians who can be heard on her first album.

"Because I've been in the community for a long time and I know a lot of people through U of T, I have a lot of musicians that contributed to this album. I was very, very grateful for them to play on this album," said McNeaney, adding that roughly 32 musicians are featured on True Story Orchestra.

Two part-time jobs and a freelance gig as a percussionist keep McNeaney busy, but amidst it all, she found time to master an album and start her own record label, Pet Lions Records.

The recording process, which was done in segments, started last July and the album was only finalized in early June. This allowed her to take some time off in between recordings to let her songs breathe.

"I think it's really important when you are recording to sort of give it enough time, to take a step back from it," said McNeaney. "It's really great to take a little bit of time and let it breathe and see if it's moving in the direction you want it to be moving in."

When she entered XM Satellite Radio recording studio in Toronto, McNeaney had a clear idea of what she wanted her first album to sound like. She had already sifted through her repertoire of songs and mapped out which sounds would best be suited for her debut.

But achieving those sounds meant long nights in the studio. McNeaney worked alongside Steve Major, a friend and engineer who helped her through the process and taught her a few tricks of the trade along the way.

"I did learn a lot about...what you can do for certain tracks and certain instruments to sound a certain way and all the little tweaking that can be done," she said.

However, the digital adjustments made to the songs were only minute. "It is still a very organic album; it's still very acoustic."

McNeaney's musical influences, which include Sufjan Stevens and Joanna Newsome, helped her achieve her goal of giving each track its own flavour.

And with the ever-changing Canadian Indie music industry, McNeaney believed that the best way to put herself out there, as an up-and-coming artist, was to invest in her album. She put all of her resources and finances into True Story Orchestra, and is proud of the result.

"People are hungry for good music...for music that is not over-produced and made just so that people will listen to it," she said.

"I know it sounds really basic and fundamental, but I put so much of my heart into it that it would be really, really great if people would just listen to it and enjoy it."

The CD release party for True Story Orchestra, held on Tuesday in Toronto, saw McNeaney recreate the album live, with 33 musicians on stage accompanying her.

She expects to perform her songs live at various venues within the GTA. If the album catches the ears of many music enthusiasts, as she hopes it does, McNeaney would love to go on tour.

She admitted that although her music is better suited for small, intimate venues, she wouldn't turn down an opening act gig at the Air Canada Centre if offered.

Writing

With plans of putting out another album in the future, McNeaney has been busy writing lyrics for her tunes to replenish her repertoire.

"I am already writing songs, but that's not the kind of thing that you want to rush," she said.

For now, McNeaney hopes the community will embrace her album. She plans to make her songs available on iTunes in upcoming months. Her CD is currently available for purchase on her website, www.ainsleymcneaney.com, where audio samples of her work are also available. - Flamborough Review

AINSLEY McNEANEY is a Dundas native who writes lyrical, intelligent pop music for a full orchestra. McNeaney has spent the last year producing her 12-track debut album, The True Story Orchestra. She's bringing a nine-piece ensemble, including brass, strings and percussion to the Pepper Jack Cafe, 38 King William St., tonight at 8 p.m.

- by Graham Rockingham - Hamilton Spectator

AINSLEY McNEANEY is a Dundas native who writes lyrical, intelligent pop music for a full orchestra. McNeaney has spent the last year producing her 12-track debut album, The True Story Orchestra. She's bringing a nine-piece ensemble, including brass, strings and percussion to the Pepper Jack Cafe, 38 King William St., tonight at 8 p.m.

- by Graham Rockingham - Hamilton Spectator