Ann Vriend: "The Aretha Franklin of Americana"
“With her soaring vocals, impressive song-writing ability, and instrumental prowess, Vriend is truly an all-in-one package." – Obscure Sound, NYC
Ann Vriend (pronounced Vreend) was born in Vancouver, BC. When her parents discovered their 3-year-old could play nursery songs on a Fisher Price xylophone, they encouraged her musical development by enrolling her in violin lessons. At the age of nine, when Vriend sought to accompany herself as a songwriter, she took piano lessons from an elderly woman down the street who charged $5 per visit. In high school, Vriend reluctantly performed 3 of her compositions (meant to be sung by friend instead of her) at a talent show. Accolades from her fellow students evolved into various projects with older students in bands, and eventually into praise from critics, the media, and fans around the world.
Vriend's vulnerable yet exquisite voice is often the first thing that turns heads; it has been described as an enchanting cross between Dolly Parton and a young Aretha Franklin, while her story-like but often enigmatic lyrics reveal her lauded literary depth, influenced by writers such as Leonard Cohen, Paul Simon, and Thom Yorke.
Vriend's songs maintain a natural knack for melody, garnering her hits on both independent and commercial radio stations in her home town of Edmonton, Alberta. , Her music has been featured in a television show DVD release, and she was commissioned to write a song for the 2006 Commonwealth Games.
From composition to composition her music varies between folk, retro soul, Americana, college pop, and jazz influenced numbers, yet she maintains a consistency of sound in her immediately recognizable vocal and lyrical approach. Vriend’s quirkiness and self-taught piano stylings draw comparisons to Regina Spektor and Kate Bush, though she also has a country and soul vocabulary in the vein of Ray Charles and Lyle Lovett. In short, "When it comes to women with pianos, there are endless comparisons to make, but Vriend stands out from the crowd" (Drum Media, Australia).
Vriend is also known for her live performances, balanced perfectly between breathtaking, heartbreaking songs and charming, witty humor, and resulting in over 12,000 album sales to date as an independent artist, sold almost entirely from off the stage. It is common for people to cry during her performances. (And laugh!). Vriend has headlined at festivals as far away from home as Germany and Australia, and is as comfortable performing in the humble setting of a house concert as she is on stage at famous theatres. At the moment Vriend is recording her next studio album, which she will release and tour during the 2010/2011 season in Germany, Australia, and Canada.
Known increasingly as "an artist not content to follow" (CKUA Radio) Vriend continues to make loyal fans wherever she goes. David Ritz, author of many biographies (Aretha Franklin, Marvin Gaye) writes:
"Once every generation... a singer-songwriter emerges with the creative fire to set the music world ablaze. Ann Vriend has the fire."
