Toni Vere Bio:
An original, and like no other!
I used to tour from Winnipeg to Prince George BC but in 1997 I OD'ed on kraft dinner and pepto bismol so they had to send me home for rehabilitation. ( Otherwise known as a "sabbatical" ). I wasn't sure I ever wanted to step onto a stage again, all the reasons I ever wanted to play music in the first place got blurred by the wants and desires that everyone else wanted to achieve by having a career in music. I needed to stop, drop ... and roll so to speak! Now I'm ready to roll ... well ... rock and roll that is! So it's true ... you can take the girl off of the road but you apparently can't take the road out of the girl.
My new group, "Hashmagandy" officially hit the stage October 2009 performing original material from three singer songwriters - Carla Rawlyck, Kelly Timleck, and myself. The addition of percussionist Lauren Buckell completes this exciting musical adventure, worthy of a good listen!
The songs kept piling up you know? I'd come home after a day of delivering construction equipment and write songs. Then the next thing you know I'd be at the Lethbridge Folk Club singing them. Eventually the inevitable happened and music just got the best of me and I found myself at a gig again actually playing music, if you can believe that!
Things just took on a natural progression and January 2009 I found myself calling recording studio's and getting quotes for recording and the like. I was admittedly, out of control.
The addiction came to fruition when I walked through the doors into Alchemy Studio here in Calgary and met Jeff Muller and I've been going there to get a steady diet of "studio" ever since. I'm so scared that I'll have to go on the patch when I'm finished this project, it's a good thing Jeff has a stack of stickers for me to scoop up on my way out the door.
So I admit it. I'm addicted to music no matter what other path I choose to walk on in this life. And I began my 12 step process by admitting it and doing something about it.
My first real CD "Just To Be" came out first part of 2010 which marks an important anniversary for me in my life and my journey; it'll be 10 years since I came "OUT"~! Whoopie!
So please stay tuned and join me in this quest, the support will be much appreciated!
I've opened for numerous recording acts such as Michael Martin Murphy, Mad Pudding, Gary Fjellgaard, Dick Dameron, Great Western Orchestra and Pam Tillis at the Ivan Daines Country Music Picknic, The South Country Fair, and The Lethbridge Folk Club, which gave me opportunity to spin my heels in a concert setting … more fun that words can speak!!
Most recently, I've opened for Kate Reid, Leeroy Stagger, Sarah MacDougall, and Women in the Round ( Kate Reid, Joanna Chapman-Smith, and Sarah MacDougall )
Toni Vere PRESS
Toni Vere: My World (Folk Alternative) – Saddlestone International / Krazy Cat Records - In My World:
In this accoustic/electric release, My World, folk stumbles into country, country seems to ooze into folk lines and in the end, there is no genre really to speak of, only the music, reminiscing of tender women, the ache of the rural life and other distilled gems of beauty that infuse everyday life. Toni Vere weaves a subtle desperation with a sense of urgency and "what the hell" approach as if the manic rage of the heart could only be heard in a whisper. While there are echoes of mountains and prairies and deep questioning, one of the most powerful nuances in Toni's music is the delivery and momentum driving these pictures, these stories, these frozen frames of life in motion. With a voice that is both half falling apart and half picking itself up, this woman's songwriting is like a big-wheel pushing a semi; there's something simple and playful behind a thundering, ground-shaking experience.
Music – ROOTS – Jan 2010 Edition of Beatroute
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Toni Vere
tasty musical stew
By Lindsay Wilson
Hashmagandy (Australian definition): An outback stew made from a variety of ingredients.
Hashmagandy (Calgarian definition): “An artful infusion of genres, spiced with original music, flavored with timeless favorites and stewed with a healthy portion of fun.”
Enter Hashmagandy, the folk-rock all-star gurrll band with Toni Vere on rhythm guitar, harmonica and vocals; Carla Rawlyck on lead guitar and vocals; Kelly Timleck on bass and vocals; and Lauren Buckell on drums.
Toni Vere and Hashmagandy are in the works to release Vere’s debut album, Just To Be, by the end of January 2010. The CD was recorded and produced at Alchemy Studios in Calgary by Toni Vere and Jeff Muller, and Vere and her band are busting at the seams.
“My ultimate message is basically the same as the title to my CD: Just To Be... What I've struggled towards for most of my life has simply been to find out who I am and to honor that. I find that joyous place within my heart and soul just by being on stage playing music and connecting my thoughts and ideas through song with the people who I'm lucky enough to be performing to,” says an overwhelmed Vere, who has spent more than twenty years writing, performing and touring western Canada, but has never taken on such a major recording project before.
Vere has a gift for songwriting and performance, and has combined her passion for writing words into music with the songwriting capabilities of her seasoned fellow band members.
Vere’s sound can best be described as folk-rock, with roots, blues and country elements that walk in between the riffs of her original music to create a gritty, hearty, honky-tonkin’ groove. Her songs tell honest life stories that most anyone can relate to, infused with an on-stage vivacity that makes audience members sing along and tap their feet.
Vere is filled with gratitude for her rapidly growing fan base and support network, who have helped her recently become ReverbNation’s number one Calgary folk artist. She also gives special thanks to the collaboration of all musicians on Just To Be, as well as Lin Elder, Kate Reid, Hashmagandy and her partner, Marilyn – who takes care of the business end of Vere’s musical career.
While looking forward to the CD release, she is ultimately excited about the journey on which she and her band are embarking.
“Hashmagandy is a new chapter in my life. Carla, Kelly and Lauren are more than band mates; they've become my friends, and sharing a stage with them is the ultimate musical high.”
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2007 Canadian Rockies International Rodeo:
Toni Vere – Original. Unique. Dynamic. Warm. This is Toni. Embracing the winds of change have given her the edge that she defines. She is a woman with deep inner strength and an incredible passion for her craft. She was born in New Brunswick and raised on the prairie provinces and feels that this has helped build the foundation of what she has strived for during her entire life: originality. Having played in numerous groups throughout her career: Fair Play, Toni Lynn and Posse, Midnight Rider, and cinnamon Twist, Toni was able to further pursue her dreams and the ideals which she holds dear to her heart.
Refreshing as spring rain … Toni Vere
CD Review - Rock and Reprise - By Frank O. Gutch Jr: Every once in awhile an album comes long that makes me want to get out of my chair and do a little jig and this week (month... year...) it is Toni Vere's Just To Be, a country roots phantasmagoria for everything that roots can be and seldom is. The Alternate Root Magazine pointed the way, stating something to the effect that... just what the hell did they say? I can't remember because when I followed the link and clicked, the music coming out of the speakers did a mindsweep. At first I thought I shouldn't be liking it but like a guy with a finger in a light socket, I couldn't pull away. I still can't...
The Cochrane Eagle May 2010 Press - Lindsay Wilson It’s not all the way folk, downright country or straight-up blues — it’s a tasty mix of all the above, and Vere pulls it off with a set list that’ll hold any room, making the audience smile all the while. Originally from Lethbridge, Vere considers herself a songwriter before a guitar player and a vocalist. Vere not only has a strong focus on songwriting, but also an enormous energy on stage ...
CD- Review - Dan MacIntosh Ariel Publicity . "Vere has gone through some major life changes over the past decade or so, and you cannot understand the present and future, without also analyzing the past. Just to Be is a fine ideal........we are made to embrace what we were, are, and hope to become, and this 11-song release finds Vere appreciating the here and now as best she can. There are moments when Vere comes off somewhat like a female version of John Denver. It’s not hard to imagine that Rocky Mountain man, for instance, singing the praises of nature, as happens during “My Backyard”, or considering a family heirloom, as Vere does with “Grandma’s Old Guitar”. Folk is probably the most encapsulating description of what Vere creates, although there’s a whole lot of country thrown into this mix. Vere is at her country best during “Which Train Did I Miss”, which rumbles down the tracks at a mighty powerful clip. It’s a road song, and every songwriter’s got one in him/her"
Toni Vere MEDIA:
CISA Lethbridge - “Inside Trax”
CFCN Lethbridge - “Catch A Rising Star”
CABLE 12 Lethbridge - “Care From The Heart Telethon”
SHAW CABLE Edmonton - “Project Discovery”
JANGO - Currently receiving airplay, you can build your own radio station!
IMRADIO - Currently receiving airplay and am a featured artist
CONCERT VENUES:
South Country Fair - Fort MacLeod, Ab
Ivan Daines Picknic - Innisfail, Ab
Chitaqua - Lethbridge, Ab
LA107 Party In The Park - Lethbridge, Ab
Taber Corn Fest - Taber, Ab
RECORDING PROJECTS:
Studio 56 - Langley, BC
Crossroads Studio - Lethbridge, Ab
XL Studio - Lethbridge, Ab
Aardvark Studio - Lethbridge, Ab
EK Sound Studio - Calgary, Ab
Alchemy Recording - Studio Calgary, Ab
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