Album Notes

The six-song album (Legend be Told), and really The Heartfelt Apologies themselves, are an apex to over seven years of writing and recording. The album and the band are a long overdue collaboration between brother and sister team Andrew and Melissa Barton.

Melissa Barton is a classically trained songstress who originally hails from the small town of Campbell River on Vancouver Island.

The 23 year-old is no stranger to the stage in all its forms as she has performed countless times as an actor, dancer and singer. Melissa has studied classical voice with acclaimed Opera singer Barbara Livingston, has won many awards for her classical singing, and has had her choral pieces performed by choirs including The Campbell River Children's Choir of which she was a member for nine years. From a tender age Melissa had been interested in writing her own music. Her real time to shine and show off her song writing talent came when in 1998, at the tender age of fifteen, she produced her first album "TIME" featuring seven original tunes.

Since this initial recording, Melissa has produced 2 other albums and a techno single. One of these albums "Does your mother know where you are?" produced with her band Virgil Kain, was made up of completely original work. Andrew Barton joined up with Melissa and her band for these recordings, his abilities as a musician, singer and mood-booster, were just what the band needed as they embarked on a new musical chapter.

Melissa, Andrew and Virgil Kain performed at countless venues on Vancouver Island and beyond.

Andrew Barton is a hard-working, multi-talented individual with unmistakable promise as a young actor, musician and songwriter.

The 27 year-old has always loved performing, although he waited a little longer than Melissa to let the world see his talents. Andrew enrolled in piano lessons as a child, and although he didn't stay long, it fueled his love of music and later, led to his self-taught skills of guitar, bass and drum playing.

Highschool saw Andrew perform on stage for the first time, it also saw the forming of his short-lived garage band. Although the band was never a success outside the confines of the highway house, Andrew's acting was dubbed by many as "eerily believable".

Andrew graduated and spent a year in cooks training at Malaspina University-College. Upon his return home to Campbell River he was greeted with the proposition "Will you join my band?". It wasn't long before Andrew was playing and performing with Melissa and friends in Virgil Kain.
Oddly enough, Andrew and Melissa ended up taking the same theatre courses at Malaspina. Andrew took up where Melissa left off , enrolling the year Melissa was leaving. Both of them did well respectively at the school. Melissa directed and produced in the Satyr Players One Act Festival, and had a large singing role in the theatres largest production ever, Titanic. Andrew flourished at Malaspina, performing in all four plays presented during his terms, and starring as Shylock in the schools production of "The Merchant of Venice". Andrew's performance as Shylock garnered him many wonderful reviews and complements.

Now, both Andrew and Melissa, or should we say The Heartfelt Apologies are excited to embark on what will hopefully be a fulfilling and fun chapter in their long history on creating and performing. Only time will tell what these two will have in store for us.

The Heartfelt Apologies ~ "No pretense, just good music"