JOELLE

The calendar is empty.

Hold on to your Rock
Of Ages. Here comes popular music’s greatest siren.

Folklore tells the
tale of the siren: oceanic females with voices so soft and beguiling, sailors
would become enthralled with their sweet sounds. These unfortunate souls would often
lose course and life, dashed upon the rocks while disregarding everything in an
effort to find the source of such beauty.

Luckily, we need look
no further than Calgary’s own Joelle and latest effort Pillar of Stone to
realize such musical eloquence and captivation…without threatening our
existence. This particular siren may be less ominous than her operatic
ancestors yet she is just as enchanting and decidedly more encompassing.

Creating a unique Top
40/pop-rock style through the union of such diverse elements as current stars Pink
and Kelly Clarkson with established icons including George Michael, Karen Carpenter,
Mariah Carey and Celine Dion and amalgamating it with her own edge and inherent
ability to forge an unforgettable melody, Joelle’s powerful vivacity and sultry
style is stunning.

Enrapturing audiences
with her velvety voice since the tender age of eight, this Calgary-via-St.
Albert, Alberta singer/songwriter maintains the family tradition of sharing her
gift with the masses. Introduced to the world of vocal performance by her
father, an established member of his church quartet, Joelle quickly gleaned the
finer elements of music through his experience. Yet she needed more.

Touting her move to
join the Youth Singers Of Calgary as “one of the best things I ever did,”
Joelle traipsed the globe, honing her singing and writing abilities; preparing
for an eventual solo endeavour that would bring her a career bolstered with innumerable
highlights: charting on major North American radio stations, features in
national media, Juno showcases and awards for Best Song on province-wide radio
contests.

Since that kick-start
to her calling, Joelle has released a number of acclaimed efforts such as the
Sugar EP and full-length Look At Me Now through her own Gotcha Records/Gotcha
Music Publishing.

All of this though,
was merely a foundation for Joelle’s latest and greatest Gotcha effort to date:
Pillar of Stone. Continuing to flourish/burgeon with this most accomplished and
eclectic mix of pop mastery, Pillar of Stone finds Joelle at her most cohesive
and creative. Discussing Pillar of Stone, Joelle admits that her style, while
rooted in the fundamentals of hook-laden rock, is quite chameleon-like adding
further intrigue and mystery to her quintessence.

“Even though all of my
music fits with the pop category, the songs are quite different from each other,”
she smirks. “I love and am inspired by all types of music but I have always
been a Top 40 girl. On Pillar of Stone, there were things that I wanted to say
with this album. But I also just needed to make some catchy, rockin’ music. I
definitely had a plan and direction in mind for this project but along the way,
sometimes songs or pieces come into the picture that weren’t planned. Those were
sweet surprises that just fell into place.”

Mission accomplished. Produced
by Chris Omartian (Pink, Hilary Duff, Jump 5) and mixed by Tony Palacios, Pillar
of Stone is a bold, ambitious affair that successfully unites and refines a
vast array of influences into a compelling and inimitable experience bonded by
a common premise.

“I strive to infuse
the theme of having strength in one’s self through my music,” Joelle relates. “I
like to sing about finding confidence in yourself; the strength to pick yourself
up when you have been knocked down. Don’t be walked on by anyone. Mainly
though, I love just making catchy music that people can relate to; that
triggers strong emotion.”

To that extent, Joelle
pontificates Pillar of Stone’s emotional impact, sustained by its musical
multiplicity. She humbly goes on to note that while as infectiously alluring as
the sirens of legend, her musings and melodies are vastly different in that
they offer hope, conviction and outright pleasure. Moreover, Joelle feels that
Pillar of Stone is another broad step forward in her aspirations to grow; to
continue tempting audiences with her magnetic charms. 

“It’s about self
empowerment, confidence and not taking crap,” she continues candidly. “There is
a sense of vulnerability as well, exemplified through the two ballads. They
reflect natural beauty and humbleness between people. I believe that I am an
ever-changing, versatile artist. I hope to attract people to myself as an
artist and performer. I just want to be able to keep putting out great songs,
be a great entertainer and touch people’s lives with music.”