Thursday, February 1, 2012

Jamie Kronick is now a working pro—but for his graduating exhibition at the School of Photographic Arts Ottawa last May, the local music lover created a portrait series capturing inspiring Ottawa songwriters where they work. The shots were accompanied by brief bios. Here we present a selection of the portraits with links to a track for each songwriter.

ADAM SAIKALEY

Adam writes and performs music for solo piano, no-input mixers and VCRs. His most memorable performance was at the Bulgasari Festival in Seoul two years ago, because neither Adam nor the audience knew what to expect. They were all equals. During the day, Adam puts his musical knowledge to use as a music producer for CBC Radio and hosts his own show, Bandwidth.

Listen to "Fire" by Adam Saikaley

ANA MIURA

Ana started writing poetry when she was thirteen and wrote her first song at the age of sixteen. She owns four guitars, one of which is a 1964 red sunburst Gibson B-25 she calls 'her baby'. Managing her time between Babes4Breasts, a cross-Canada concert tour benefitting breast cancer charities, and working for the Ottawa Folk Festival, Ana has recorded and released three full length albums.

Listen to "The Boat and the Shore " by Ana Miura

ANDRE M BLUTEAU

Andre isn't particular about where he is when he writes his songs. Whether this happens at his piano or sitting on a couch with one of his five guitars, he writes wherever he feels comfortable. With one full length record released and one unreleased demo in his discography, Andre occasionally feels the pressure of the business side of music. Despite these pressures, he doesn't see an end to his songwriting days anytime soon.

Listen to "Green Eyes" by Andre M Bluteau

JILL ZMUD

Jill writes her songs in her little home office. When stumped, she sits and looks out the window to find bits of inspiration. Jill is knee deep in the writing of her second studio album, splitting her time between her music and working half-time at the Ottawa Mission. At the Ottawa Folk Festival in 2010 Jill had a dream come true when she sang her song 'Wish' with Jim Cuddy of Blue Rodeo. There are times when the music life can leave Jill feeling overwhelmed, but she maintains that every job has its highs and lows, and with music the highs are pretty fantastic.

Listen to "Come Here Easy" by Jill Zmud

JIM BRYSON

Jim has recorded and released five full length solo albums including his most recent which is a collaboration with The Weakerthans. Jim is known not only for his songwriting, but for his contributions in other groups as a guitarist. Notably in 2009 he toured as a member of the internationally acclaimed group, The Tragically Hip and his guitar is a staple in Kathleen Edwards' band.

Listen to "The Falcon Lake Incident" by Jim Bryson

JONATHAN PEARCE

Jonathan spent his formative years in Ottawa, moved to Montreal for almost a decade, and has since returned to Ottawa, a place he once again calls home. After writing his first song with his sister when he was twelve, Jonathan knew that he would continue making music in some capacity for the rest of his living days. During the day, Jonathan works as a producer at CPAC, the Cable Public Affairs Channel, and by night he is the primary songwriter in both Poorfolk and Winchester Warm.

Listen to "Sky One Room" by Winchester Warm

MATT OUIMET

Matt Ouimet has a day job that many drummers fantasize about: he repairs and builds custom drums at Dave's Drum Shop. Matt has appeared or worked on eighteen released albums with a number of different projects, and has two solo records released under his own name. Along with a plethora of drums Matt owns twelve guitars he's accumulated over the past ten years. His songs are written absolutely anywhere and everywhere, admitting to calling his answering machine to record little bits so the creative moment doesn't pass.

Listen to "Is It Me?" by Matt Ouimet

SARAH HALLMAN

Sarah writes her songs where she feels most comfortable and calm, on her bed. She has recorded three albums and released two, and she splits her time between being a songwriter, visual artist and a graphic designer, while also as working as a early childhood educator. Sarah has been writing songs for almost two decades thinks that while occasional breaks from music are good and necessary quitting is too final and not an option.

Listen to "Electricity" by Sarah Hallman

STEVE ST. PIERRE

Steve was born and raised in the suburbs of Ottawa, has spent time living in both Toronto and Vancouver, and has since returned to life in Ottawa. Steve has been writing songs since he was eighteen, has released two solo records and one with his band Old Crowns. Working more than full-time as a graphic designer, Steve claims his life would be easier without the added stress of music, but admits he won't ever be able to put the guitar down.

Listen to "Old Crowns" by Old Crowns