Album Notes

Picture this: Four lovely gals. Four-part harmony. Expertly crafted tunes in a variety of genres. Pop, blues, funk, folk, soul - they are all in the mix. Add a dash of biting humour and witty stage antics. This is a talent stew. This is the Ladybird Sideshow.

The Ladybird Sideshow is a collaborative side project composed of four of Canada's finest singer/songwriters: Melissa McClelland, Janine Stoll, Erin Smith & Lisa Winn. In the summer of 2001 four Toronto-based singer/songwriter friends met to pool their contacts, ideas and talents with the intent of playing a few shows of in-the-round entertainment with one another. From this meeting grew an unexpected musical bond and amazing collaboration of four stunning natural forces. Each member respectively fronts her own solo or band endeavor, but decided to begin working with each other on a side project; The Ladybird Sideshow. The intent was not just to support and help further one another's independent music careers, but it was also to learn from one another and bond through the music that they created together with natural ease.

Over the past two years, the Ladybird Sideshow has performed throughout Ontario and across Canada from Vancouver to Halifax and in the US, released a limited edition compilation CD, and recorded together at Hamilton's world-renowned Grant Avenue Studio. The Ladybird Sideshow now have a full-length CD available for public consumption. "Live at the Orange Lounge" was recorded at Toronto's swankiest studio ― The Orange Lounge ― under the guidance and expertise of producer/engineer Daryn Barry. This record truly captures a sense of what you'd expect to hear at a live perfromance from the 'birds. Each of these achievements has brought these four talented women closer as friends and musical peers. These exploits have not gone unnoticed by the public, as word is quickly spreading about their dynamic and charismatic live show.

The live show is a fully acoustic collaboration of earth-shaking voices and vast variety of original songwriting and musical styles. Expect to hear beautiful harmonies, heart-wrenching lullabies, driving rock tunes, cabaret oddities, country-tinged warbles, rippin' funk, and everything in between.