Album Notes

Karyn's new album, "Even Though The Sky Was Falling", is now available! Purchase it here: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/karynellis3

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The majority of HEARTS FALL was recorded live-off-the-floor as a trio in one snowy afternoon session at the Staircase Theatre in Hamilton, Ontario, early 2005.

James Thomson (double bass), Tom Howell (piano/violin ) and I (vocals/guitars) played through each song one or two times on stage sans audience (on a Monday when the theatre was dark) while Ian Gibbons (of CampfireDitties.com) captured everything on remote recorder.

Then later that summer, Gary Craig added drums and percussion to the best of the tracks at the Rogue Studio while James Paul sat at the board.

We recorded three more songs (now as a quartet on two of them.) To finish off, we tweaked a bit...redid one guitar solo, jangled some bells and threw in a small choir of humming men.

And that's how this record happened.

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ABOUT KARYN ELLIS

Karyn Ellis sings acoustic folk-pop ballads about bittersweet stuff. Her songs are personal, raw and poetic - with a little lighthearted quirky thrown in, and she delivers a vocal performance that is unmistakable and sweet. Karyn "can envelop you in the warmth of that voice and break your heart at the same time." (Indie-Music.com)

This artist is charming audiences across Canada, appearing at NextFest Emerging Artists Festival (Edmonton AB), Peterborough Folk Festival - main stage, North by Northeast Music Festival (Toronto ON) and places like The Empress Theatre (Fort McLeod AB), Khyber Club (Halifax NS), Reader's Cafe (Dunnville ON) and the Main (Vancouver BC). She's shared stages with Jill Barber, the Silverhearts, Mia Sheard, Ann Vriend and Ember Swift.

Fall 2005 Karyn released the full length CD, HEARTS FALL, the follow up to her 2003 EP, BIRD - a cbc & campus favourite. Following suit, HEARTS FALL appears on CBC playlists such as Here and Now, Bandwidth, The Vinyl Cafe and Radio International and on top-30 campus charts across Canada (charting number 49 on national campus Top-50 in January 2006 and number 19 on the national monthly folk/roots/blues charts in April 2006.) About the record, CBC's Amanda Putz from BANDWIDTH comments: "[Karyn's] voice is lovely, the arrangements are simple & clever, and there's an almost rustic quality to the record-likely from being recorded live off the floor-that makes it extra sweet."

Recordings on HEARTS FALL feature Tom Howell on piano and violin (Justin Rutledge, Kate Rogers Band), James Thomson on double bass (The Hogtown Syncopators, Corin Raymond) and Gary Craig on drums & percussion (Blackie & the Rodeo Kings, Bruce Cockburn). Karyn received a grant from the Canada Council for Specialized Music Recordings for this new album.


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WHAT FOLKS ARE SAYING ABOUT KARYN ELLIS

“Ellis can envelop you in the warmth of that voice and break your heart at the same time.... I've never heard someone sound so childlike and so sensual at the same time..” -- Jennifer Layton, Indie-Music.com

“What a refreshing new voice!” -- NewMusicCanada.com, CBC online affliliate

Karyn "has a very distinct and haunting voice, at times raspy...at others portraying an innocence that cannot be adequately described."
-- Tough Drum Magazine, Peterborough Ontario


... ABOUT HER CD HEARTS FALL

"[Karyn's] tunes are unbelievably charming because they are organic and simple but layered with elements of the sweetest pop conventions ever - conjuring up immediate reminders of what we love about musicians like Tanya Donelly, Hope Sandoval, CocoRosie and Martha Wainwright. Except Karyn Ellis does it her own, clever, beautiful, introspective and quirky way. The songs are both hilarious and lonely. Carefree and nostalgic." -- Dan MacDonald, Upfront Magazine (Canada)

"You simply have to delight in Karyn Ellis' fragile and sometimes oddly girlish voice. Her high tones and jazz-like melodies are reminiscent of Joni Mitchell, but minimal instrumentation and unexpected musical turns in otherwise straightforward songs are just as connected to the contemporary sound of free-style folk." -- Maurice Dielmans, Kindamusik.net (Netherlands)

[Hearts Fall] "is sheer indie delight... there’s intelligence and poetry in the lyrics, not to mention gentle humour. This is not a happy record. But it is one where misery is beautiful, raw and crisp. 8 out of 10" -- Lynne Pettinger, Americana-uk.com (UK)

“Hearts Fall is a first rate record that grows more splendid with every listen ...without a doubt one of the finest in its genre.” --Freddy Celis, Rootstime.be, Belgium

"...such bittersweet pleasures. You can hear Welch, Waits, Amos, Brickell, Peyroux, the Cowboy Junkies and the Be Good Tanyas all rolled up in that one tiny body, that one mournful voice. Superior late night stuff! 4 out of 5"
--Benny Metten, CtrlAltCountry.be, Belgium

Karyn Ellis' "voice is lovely, the arrangements are simple & clever, and there's an almost rustic quality to the record-likely from being recorded live off the floor-that makes it extra sweet." --Amanda Putz, Bandwidth, CBC


... ABOUT HER PREVIOUS CD BIRD

"A beautifully organic piece of work...delivers dig-your-heels-in rootsy pop peppered with delightfully quirky lyrics." -- Shael Risman --RisMixLive.com

“The songwriting carries through to a strong finish. No throwaways, no fillers, no sign of running on creative empty.... I strongly recommend checking it out. She could seal the disc in Saran Wrap and still make something magical out of it.”
-- Jennifer Layton, Indie-Music.com

“I'm sad [Bird] is only 6 songs. I would love to hear more from Karyn Ellis. She's a unique, interesting artist. [The CD] is so artistic and unique that I might just keep it on permanent display in my office.“ -- Amy Lotsberg --CollectedSounds.com



For more information, please see Karyn's website:
http//www.karynellis.com.