Biography – Sheena Grobb
www.sheenagrobb.com
Raised by her mother, a school music teacher, and her father, a Manitoba grain farmer, Sheena’s musical background was nurtured from the tender age of two years old with a passion ingrained in her small town roots. Sheena wrote her first song at ten years old and recorded a nine-song demo at the age of sixteen after winning a talent competition in her community. But Sheena wasn't always convinced she would get a chance to make music her life. It was only after she completed her second university degree in the Faculty of Education that Sheena knew she could no longer put her music on hold. Sheena was looking to teach and inspire the world in a different way - not through textbooks, but with songs. She was searching through lessons of life and love, stories of hardships and emotional growth - not math or chemistry. So now, this Education graduate from the University of Manitoba, awarded with the Truesdale Medal and Prize for most promising student teacher, is leaving her life in the classroom before it has even begun, to travel an inspired path all her own.
And then there is the music...
Sheena has honed her emotionally stirring performance style with an impressive repertoire of original songs. By testing the limits of her musicality as a singer/songwriter/pianist/guitarist, Sheena released the album "Safe Guarded Space" in August, 2006. Her fan base has now exploded locally and forged throughout Canada and internationally into the USA, UK, and Australia. “Musically, Safe Guarded Space, is stunningly diverse, with flowing quartet accompaniment, classical guitar sequences, funky drumming, and Grobb's unique and soothing vocals and harmonies… You will be lucky to hear Grobb trespassing old familiar territory in a new, courageous way with Safe Guarded Space.” Fiona Muldrew (Herizons Magazine, 2007)
Inspired by the likes of Sarah Slean, Damien Rice, David Gray, and other literary performers, Sheena's songs are underscored by vocals that rip and soothe simultaneously. From the soul-stirring melodies of Character to the catchy jazz beat of Back Row, Sheena weaves seamlessly through themes of sacrifice without reward, success despite failure, and opinion without judgment. Combined with intricate piano compositions and edgy guitar solos, Sheena defines thoughtful reflections on life that lead her audiences to find themselves in the roots of her music. Sheena's following is a reflection of her universal appeal as a quiet recorder of the human condition.
Given the chance to reunite with a previous mentor, Sheena opened for Andy Stochansky's cross-Canada CD release in Winnipeg in April 2005. In September of the same year, Sheena was invited to open for the legendary Loudon Wainwright III where her exposure was significantly increased. Sheena developed her talent through the Winnipeg Folk Festival's Young Performers Program and went on to be a Main Stage performer in 2006 taking the stage between The Wailin' Jennys and Bedouin Soundclash.
Sheena received the honour of being nominated for the 2007 Western Canadian Music Awards (WCMA's), in the category of Outstanding Pop Recording of the Year. The awards show was held in Moose Jaw, SK, along with the weekend showcase where Sheena was also an honoured performer. The nomination followed her first Cross Canada Tour in the summer of 2007. Upon returning, legendary 92.1 Citi FM radio host and renowned talent scout, Howard Manshein, exclaimed "Over this summer you have improved exponentially", and went on to call Sheena one of the best songwriters he has ever heard.
A frequent face on Breakfast Television and ShawTV, familiar to CBC, UMFM, CKUW, and Kick FM, and a regular on the pages of Stylus Magazine, the Manitoban, the Winnipeg Sun, and Herizons Magazine, Sheena was given the honour in December 2007 of being the cover story for Winnipeg’s prestigious Uptown Magazine, accompanied with the title: “On the Verge…” But Sheena’s success is not stopping there. Most recently, one of Sheena’s original songs from her EP Safe Guarded Space was selected by Crocs Shoes for a promotional CD compiled entirely of up and coming female musicians. The CD titled The Postcard Collection will be distributed to 50 000 women in the States. The Los Angeles Music Awards recognized her efforts by nominating her as Female Vocalist of the Year in 2007.
With a team in place that has a strong conviction that Sheena's music and spirit needs to be heard, these are exciting times for the Canadian indie music powerhouse. For the last year, Sheena has been touring as much as possible, playing over 80 shows across Canada. She has just completed recording her first full length album release with 8-time Juno Award winnipeg producer, Dan Donahue. The album is set to release in fall 2009.
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