JOELLE

Born and raised in St.Albert, Alberta Joelle is no stranger when it comes to performing. Singing since a young in her church choir and traveling the world with the You Singers Of Calgary, Joelle has learned the discipline she requires to be a success in this industry.
Her knack for wowing crowds came from performing in church choirs, as a soloist and in Christmas dramas (she was raised North American Baptist), “It was one of the best things I ever did for building my confidence as a person and a singer. I had the opportunity not only to perform before thousands of people, and was also able to learn so much about different cultures.” Says this self-proclaimed shy musician.
Joelle goes on to say, “Growing up inspired by singers like Mariah Carey and George Michael, I started writing songs and poems when I was very young,” By my early 20s, I had a great collection of material, and I knew I really wanted to be an artist, so I took a chance, hired an arranger and put together the four song EP “Sugar”. I started getting good feedback, and was hired for a lot of club gigs and corporate events, pageants and even the Bridal Fair. Then, we just promoted “Look At Me Now” on a local level, but it got airplay in Calgary and British Columbia, and it was fun to be interviewed on a local radio station.”
While every aspect of creating her first two projects were all done in Canada, JOELLE rises to the next creative level on “Pillar Of Stone” thanks to her exciting new partnership with Nashville based producer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Chris Omartian. Omartian (son of legendary pop producer Michael Omartian), has produced tracks with pop stars Pink and Hilary Duff, in addition to teen pop band “Jump 5” and popular gospel group 4Him. Omartian, (who co-wrote many of the songs on “Pillar of Stone” with JOELLE), producing the majority of the tracks at his VZN Productions Studio in Nashville, where “Tongue Tied” was recorded MCC Music Studios near Joelle’s home in Calgary.
“We were looking for a leading edge sound for the album and Chris has certainly captured it,” says JOELLE. “As soon as industry pros had a chance to hear the first tracks from the album, we had ardent fans and cheerleaders. While I wrote and produced all of my initial recordings and liked having total control over things, I learned with this latest project that sometimes you have to consider other ideas and opinions, particularly when other extremely talented people are involved. We had so many great songs to choose from, but Chris knew the songs that had the right fit for this album. Being part of the production process on “Pillar Of Stone” was for me both humbling and exhilarating,” she adds. “Chris has such a good ear for tones, sounds, pitch and paunchiness. He’s all about getting the best out of whomever he works with, and I could totally be myself around him. No matter the song, he makes sure it sounds believable. I couldn’t be happier with the result.”
Omartian may have played a key role in translating JOELLE’s vision to disc, but the life experiences and attitude driving the songs are all hers. “The title track is about accepting one’s own vulnerability in a relationship, the idea that she can’t always be the strong one; (i.e. one person can only do so much.) “All 4 Me” takes a tougher stance, and is a potential self-empowerment anthem. And “Tongue Tied” is the quintessential sassy, flirty song that reminds us that no matter how strong we think we are, we can still be taken in by an irresistible person whose looks and charm leaves us speechless.
Unique Promotional Campaign Pushed “Pillar Of Stone” To Hot AC/Top 40 While “All 4 Me” Burned On The Active Rock Charts; Each was Averaging Over 200 Spins Per Week Across The U.S. ‘Pillar Of Stone’ was released from Gotcha Records In Early 2007.
Thanks to a remarkable, two pronged radio campaign, thousands of listeners across North America are already getting hip to Joelle’s incisive lyrics and powerful musical vibe in two unique formats. The hook drenched rocker title track was on Hot AC/Top 40 stations all across the U.S., while the self-assured, blistering “All 4 Me” was quickly rising on the Active Rock charts; both were averaging over 200 spins a week in their respective formats.
“It’s always a challenge trying to launch a new artist like myself, and we wanted to give me a bigger bang in advance of the album’s release,” says JOELLE, who released her first album “Sugar” in 2001 and a follow-up full length recording, “Look At Me Now" in 2003. “Compared to my previous songs, the material here is raw, edgy and confident, yet there’s also a certain amount of vulnerability there. Even though I’m finally achieving my dreams musically, I see myself as a girl still trying to figure out my life and getting in touch with my inner self. The concept of “Pillar Of Stone” is about self-empowerment, learning to stand up for who you are and what you want in life. It’s about me going through all sorts of trials, and through that, trying to get others out there to recognize their own inner strength, individuality and self-confidence.”
“With my songs being played everywhere on the radio for the first time and the album coming out soon, I’m really looking forward to getting out there and doing a lot more performing,” she adds. “I’m excited about sharing my music with more people than I ever had a chance to before. My one dream and goal has always been to have a successful music career, and as I reach each milestone, I’m really loving the process more and more. I’ve met incredible people along the way, and I enjoy everything from the studio environment to singing every day. I have no illusions that this is an easy business, and there are many long days and nights when I’m recording. But everything pays off when I hear a song come together and imagine the way it’s going to touch the listeners out there.”
JOELLE can boast of her successes with pride and accomplishment. In 2008 JOELLE graced everyone at the JUNO’s in Calgary, Alberta and landing the headline appearance at the 1060 stage during Lilac Festival. With many more opportunities to achieve and those successfully attained, JOELLE knows there is no other way to go than up.PILLAR OF STONE
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