High Love

See Link - Red Deer Advocate

5 Stars

One of the benefits in working in this wacky music industry is how many wonderful and talented people I get to meet. One of the most recent examples of this came in a tiny blonde package full of energy and excitement. That blonde was Carol-Lynne Quinn, frontwoman of Rend, a band that you need to learn all about.

I got the chance to see Rend perform live last month during Indie Week right here in Toronto, and I was blown away. Hailing from Edmonton, Alberta, Rend is the new hope for Canadian rock. Carol-Lynne, the frontwoman and also main songwriter, is ably backed by Jordan Dempster (Drums), Jeff Quinn (bass), and Steve Roe (guitar). Together, Rend makes powerful, passionate and pure rock music. While the band is incredible, it’s Carol-Lynne that you can’t take your eyes off of while she’s on stage. From her enviable rockstar hair to her graceful yet commanding movements, she’s got this lead singer thing down to an artform. Carol-Lynne can belt the tunes out with the best of them, but can also turn that powerhouse voice into a seductive drawl that forces an audience to lean in and be totally captivated by her electric stage presence.

Combining blues, a little country and a whole lot of real rock and roll that’s getting harder and harder to find these days, Rend is making the kind of music that I can’t get enough of. And I’m not the only one paying attention. The band won the 2014 Edmonton Music Award (EMA) for Rock Recording of the Year (after four previous nominations for various EMAs), and have also won the 2014 Rawlco Radio Breakout Artist of the Year Grant, receiving a cash prize to put towards their musical endeavours). Their list of tour mates reads like a who’s who of the Canadian Music Scene, with Rend sharing the stage with Mother Mother, City and Colour, and Dear Rouge. They’ve also played in support of rock royalty Weezer. The band just came off a Western Canada tour supporting their latest EP Winter to Summer, a beautiful album about change, growth and new beginnings, something any of us an relate to. Here’s hoping we can see them again on the East side soon, because I need to watch them rock another epic Led Zeppelin cover before I leave this earth. - Nadia Elkharadly

“Monumental pipes. A relentless drive. An ability to write songs anywhere,Quinn wanted more synths and more bombast — Muse is one of her muses — so Roe’s guitars are more searing than ever on the first single, Is It Just Me , while Plastic Flowers features strings and a choir of voices cascading over Jordan Dempster’s military drum beat. This six-song EP (Winter to Summer) is a major evolution from Rend’s 2012 debut, No Lines.” ... - Sandra Sperounes

Edmonton rockers include City on current tour
By Mark Weber - Red Deer Express
Published: September 24, 2014 8:06 AM
Described as an electrifying musical powerhouse, Edmonton-based Rend plays the Vat on Sept. 30th.

Founded in 2010 by lead singer/songwriter/keyboardist Carol-Lynne Quinn, these past few years have been a whirlwind journey and have allowed Rend to see tremendous success in the Canadian music scene.

Rounding out the group are Jeff Quinn (bass), Steve Roe (electric guitar) and Jordan Dempster (drums).

The current tour, which includes shows in 13 cities, joins the group with B.C. band Isobel Trigger. At the end of their tour, to treat east coasters, Rend will be performing a special showcase at Indie Week Canada in Toronto in mid-October.

“To tour in Western Canada is extremely rewarding,” said Carol. “Canada is our home and connecting with people all over this country is such an amazing feeling.”

Rend opened Sonic Boom in 2013, and have performed alongside Mother Mother, City and Colour, Dear Rouge, Electric Six, Victoria Duffield and Zerbin.

The band aims to create music which inspires, excites, and sets them apart. Front woman Carol’s soulful vocals are coupled with the band’s rhythmic loops, gritty bass and electric guitar in their new EP Winter to Summer album – a compilation of six songs.

Carol said the band made the decision to release six tunes instead of a full-length disc as they felt an urgency to share more with listeners as soon as they could.

These days, the industry is becoming more singles-driven in a sense as well, so it made sense to get new music out sooner than later. She also recalls the recording of the songs as a rich, creative stint. “We really knew the material so well from touring it a lot.” Tracks were wrapped up within a month.

“We also didn’t want to keep putting it off to do a full length CD,” she said. “It just seems that it’s kind of the age of the single, too.”

Going into recording Winter to Summer, she said the band wanted to expand on their already established foundation. Early sounds included touches of rock, funk, R&B.

“After touring, and honing our sound, we realized where we are fitting more and more. Getting into the EP we wanted to represent what we are increasingly sounding like, which is more cohesive. We have this alternative feel, where we sort of get to play around with what we do.”

The band is charting in the top 100 of Canadian Rock Radio, and has Canadian wide radio play. Other standouts include the title track which glides along with a polished, sophisticated vibe, melding easily into the haunting sensibilities of Is It Just Me which showcases Carol’s crystal-clear, expressive voice to new heights.

Lamp Post has an lighter, luminous feel to it – whereas their latest single, the comparatively intense Scars, has just been released to radio. Plastic Flowers again shows just how connected and tight this band really is – again, Carol’s vocal performance is tremendous.

The past four years for the band has been a whirlwind - in 2013, the band showcased at Indie Week Canada, Canadian Music Week and were named Edmonton’s SONiC 102.9 Fan Choice and Band of the Month.

Members joined forces during their studies at Edmonton’s Grant MacEwan University. After they graduated, they found they had tapped into something unique. Gigs were requested around town and it was clear that Rend was carving out a niche for themselves.

They recorded their first disc No Lines only a few months after their first gig and immediately started receiving radio play.

They had recorded a project earlier, which Carol said really opened their eyes to what they could do and the range of possibilities that were there for the exploring.

The band has been described as having a ‘dash of Metric, a scoop of Coldplay and a layer of Paramore’ all topped off with The Cranberries.

Carol’s own passion for music surfaced early on. She didn’t take music lessons during her growing up years, but she had a desire to write her own songs while experimenting with melodies on the piano. It was also during time at church and taking part in school musicals that she found her voice.

Meanwhile, she can’t wait to hit the road. “Performing live, and seeing people’s reactions to the music is the best. You get to see unbiased opinions and what really connects with people.”

Joining Rend for the Red Deer show is alt-pop/rock band Isobel Trigger, which recently released their EP Nocturnal. Their music video for their third single Champion has also been posted on YouTube.

Darryl LeCraw, video director for the band’s first two music videos Dust and Bones and Tiger Shark, took many creative liberties with the band’s latest video and utilized CGI as seen in the first video Dust and Bones.

LeCraw and the band worked together from the very beginning to settle on the video frame by frame, resulting in a product that showcases the band’s alt-rock side, pulling between whimsical and powerful.

editor@reddeerexpress.com - Red Deer Express

Rend “Winter To Summer” EP
www. rend-music.com

Just a couple months ago we reviewed the album “Battlecry” by Rend that blended rock, a touch of pop and a vocal variety that would make other female artists think twice about performing. Now, slamming me in my face is an EP and I’m not even over that album yet. I still have warm puppy feelings over the interview and Carol’s excellent sense of humor. So how does this new EP rock?

Well, for starters, front woman Carol-Lynne Quinn is hotter both visually and vocally. I can’t date the woman, sadly, but I sure can get down with the 6 tracks they offer. This time, she and her crew Jeff Quinn, Glubish, Steve Roe and Jordan Dempster don’t really slow it up like last time. I found each song to be rock worthy and deep down delicious.

I can’t pick a favorite so just listen to them all if you get a chance. And when you do, crank the volume up to a 9 like I did. Straight up “hot damn!”

Daniel C. Morrison – Hip Rock Magazine
Youtube video - http://youtu.be/we9y1bQfNWU - Daniel Morrison

Yesterday, Edmonton-based rock/pop band Rend revealed their new music video for "Battlecry," a stalwart song with an explosive chorus from the band's debut album No Lines. The five-piece group is seen making their way onto a paintball battlefield while donning face masks, camo gear and unloading some serious artillery. Even on a paintball field, frontwoman Carol-Lynne Quinn stands out as the superlative source of vibrance in this video. Her electric attitude (and equally chromatic signature hairstyle) beams in "Battlecry."

Since releasing No Lines early in 2012, Rend has swiftly made their way across Canadian airwaves, gaining traction as an up-and-coming band to watch. Guitarist Steve Roe's ensnaring hooks fortify Quinn's dynamic powerhouse vocals and soul-nourishing lyrics. Drive, dedication and genuine talent are the driving factors behind Rend's success. Give "Battlecry" a try and you just might find yourself on the frontlines of this magnetic quintet's fan base. - Indecent Xposure - Battlecry Music Video Review

Rend is one of the Top 25 live bands out of 1000 to perform at Canadian Music Week 2013. - The Scene Magazine

Among the fresh faces at Indie Week was Rend, a Rock-Pop band from Edmonton. While the launch party was Rend’s first performance in Toronto, hopefully it won’t be their last. Despite her petite appearance, vocalist Carol-Lynne Quinn is a fiery powerhouse with sweeping range and vocal versatility. The band’s energy reverberated throughout the room as they unleashed high-energy songs from their album, “No Lines,” and unique renditions of Gotye’s “Somebody I used to Know” and Foster the People’s “Pumped Up Kicks.” - Indecent Xposure - Chantal Alexa

REND – “NO LINES”
Posted by jenny on July 17th, 2012
Have you ever heard a singer whose voice completely blows you away? It might stop you in your tracks, render you speechless, or even make you cry. This sort of voice is definitely not common, so when we come across a band with a mix of insanely powerful vocals and original songwriting, we know they’re something special. Rend, an incredible new pop-rock band out of Edmonton, brings us everything we’ve been waiting for, and their debut album No Lines is one of the most mind-blowing displays of talent we’ve seen in a while.

Rend’s rise has been nothing short of meteoric. After the release of No Lines in early 2012, the band quickly became known across the country for their multifaceted sound and enormous talent. The album achieved cross-Canada radio play in no time with their first single, “Hide”, and their growth since then has been even more impressive. No Lines marks the beginning of what will be an incredible journey, and every element of the album is a sign of what’s to come.

No Lines is a vocal-driven adventure through music. It has almost everything: technical skill, strong instrumentals, and meaningful lyrics, not to mention truly awesome vocals that show off ridiculous range, power, and emotion. Lead singer Carol-Lynne Quinn is nothing short of remarkable, and her voice is easily one of the most powerful and impressive sounds to come out of Canada in the last decade. She can be compared to superstars likes Kelly Clarkson or Alicia Keys, but with actual songwriting talent and a Canadian flag draped across her shoulders, we’d argue she’s far superior.

There are different sounds throughout the album that will appeal to fans of different genres: “Hold On” takes on more bluesy, Alicia Keys-like composition while “Pearl” and “Torn” sound very much like Lily Allen tracks. We also see rock anthems in songs like “Monster”, showing off Quinn’s vocals and the overall rock quality of the band’s sound. At times they sound like Evanescence with vocals like Amy Lee, and with comparisons to rock outfits like Led Zeppelin or Radiohead, they fit into a variety of musical tastes. “Hold On” would fit in perfectly with Zeppelin or Pink Floyd, and adding in a cover of Third Eye Blind’s “Jumper”, even those of us with a preference for ‘90s music are satisfied.

This entire album is fantastic. It’s partially Quinn’s vocal acrobatics that make the album stand out, but the guitar hooks, percussion, piano, and soul lead to an overall electric experience that can’t be missed. To sample the album, check out Rend’s website, YouTube, or Facebook, and definitely buy the album on iTunes. This is an album (and a band) unlike any other, and with your support and love, they’ll get to the top. Rend will blow you away: just give them a try. - Indie403

EDMONTON - Charis Logan is a globetrotter, who once spent a year in Egypt, teaching drum and piano lessons to children. Nate Glubish is an investment adviser who rediscovered his joy for playing keyboards. Steve Roe is a guitar teacher with a knack for telling jokes — about himself. Carol-Lynne Quinn is one of those bubbly go-go-go-getters with a pliable set of pipes, a wonderful smile and a fierce determination to succeed. Her husband, Jeff, tends to let Quinn or his bass do most of the talking.

Together, the five make up (or perhaps unrend) Rend, one of Edmonton’s newest — and fiercest — pop-rock bands. Their debut, No Lines, is about as multi-faceted as their personalities — running the gamut from Alicia Keys-flavoured pop-jazz (Hold On) to tempestuous piano-rock (Hide, Battlecry) to goth-industrial balladry (Shadow) to Rihanna-meets-The-Cranberries (Monster).

“We kind of want to be different,” says Quinn, who might just be the next great voice to come out of Canada.

“I don’t want to just sing normal rock phrases, I want to add that jazz and R&B to the rock. Honestly, I think we’re a little bit of a mash-up, but I like it. I think I’d get bored if it was just the same sound.”

The sound isn’t the same, but Rend’s message is consistent. Quinn wants No Lines, funded by a $10,000 grant from Rawlco Radio’s 10K20 program, to be a source of strength — trying to offer “hope in hopelessness” as she seethes on Shadow. Monster, the album’s first single, is a defiant, I-refuse-to-stoop-as-low-as-you anthem while Pearl is a sassier, poppier number about girl power.

“I just want to write stuff that is real and connects to people – and is fun at the same time,” she says. “We want to say stuff with our music – I always write thinking about the people who might listen. A lot of these songs are not just about me.”

Quinn and her bandmates also want to make a tangible difference in the lives of those who might never listen to Rend.

Some of the proceeds from the band’s CD release party — this Saturday at Avenue Theatre — will be donated to the Edmonton Dream Centre, a long-term residence for women and children in crisis.

“There’s a theme with the band’s lyrics — hope in tough times and what we wanted to do was raise awareness for a local charity of a similar theme,” says Glubish.

“‘Restoring dignity, discovering destiny, realizing dreams’ is their tag line.”

Tickets are $10 via the group’s website or at the venue, 9030 118th Avenue. Doors are at 7:30 p.m.

Two local acts, Junkyard Poets and Epsilon, an a cappella group, will open. (The latter will also perform with wry piano-rocker Ben Folds on Thursday, March 29 at the Winspear Centre.) - Sandra Sperounes, The Edmonton Journal

Rend is not wasting any time.

The local pop-rock band formed just over a year ago and has already toured Alberta, recorded a full-length album and caught the attention of record labels.

The five-piece band will release its debut No Lines with an all-ages show at Avenue Theatre, 9030 118 Ave., Saturday. Opening the show will be Junkyard Poets and local a-cappella sextet Epsilon.

“In the whole scope of things, we’re a super new band as far as local bands go that have any kind of name recognition,” says bassist Jeff Quinn.

The band recorded No Lines in six months with the help of a $10,000 “10K20” grant from Rawlco Radio. The album was primarily written on piano by singer Carol-Lynne Quinn, who is married to Jeff.

It’s cool seeing how it’s picking up fast.
NOT A HOBBY

“It’s cool seeing how it’s picking up fast,” Carol-Lynne says.

“I think because we had that grant, and we gave ourselves a six-month time limit to record it, I think it made us just do it. Which is good, because we didn’t procrastinate. We’re all very passionate about this not just being a hobby.”

Carol-Lynne, Jeff and drummer Charis Logan met in the Grant MacEwan music program several years ago and started jamming on weekends. Logan left to teach drums in Egypt, and upon her return, the trio reunited and filled out its lineup with guitarist Steve Roe and classically-trained pianist Nate Glubish.

The band released its first Itunes single Hide last November and is shopping the next one, Monster, to local radio.

No Lines is drenched in powerful melodies anchored by Carol-Lynne’s vocal acrobatics, with hints of soul weaving into potent radio-rock hooks.

SOUL TO ZEPPELIN

Carol-Lynne says her influences vary from soul divas like Joss Stone to rockers like Metric and Alanis Morissette, while the rest of the band draws from Coldplay, Led Zeppelin and everything in between.

Rend is making a hard push with online promotion as it gears up to tour Western Canada this spring and the U.S. in the summertime.

“We’re getting to the point where we’re releasing a new video every week or two, just to keep people interested,” Jeff says.

It’s all about spreading the Rend brand as much as possible, says Carol-Lynne .

“Our goal is just to go do what we love, so now it’s our job to work our butts off and saturate the market,” she says.

Rend will donate coat check and raffle ticket money from Saturday’s show to Edmonton Dream Centre, a long-term in-residence facility for women in crisis and their children, which was co-founded by Glubish’s grandfather.

Tickets are $10 at the door.

Visit rend-music.com or facebook.com/rendmusic.

kevin.maimann@sunmedia.ca - Edmonton Examiner