Serena Ryder

Serena Ryder

Ryder in 2009
Background information
Birth name Serena Ryder
Born December 8, 1982 (1982-12-08) (age 29)
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Origin Peterborough, Ontario
Canada
Genres Folk rock, indie rock
Occupations Musician, songwriter
Instruments Vocals, guitar, harmonica
Years active 2000–present
Labels Mime Radio, Isadora, Atlantic, EMI
Website serenaryder.com

Serena Ryder (b. December 8, 1982 in Toronto, Canada[1]) is a Juno Award-winning Canadian singer-songwriter raised in Millbrook,[2] Ontario.

Ranging musically between folk, roots, country, and adult contemporary music, Ryder possesses a five-octave range. She attended the Integrated Arts Program at Peterborough Collegiate and Vocational School in Peterborough as well as Crestwood Secondary School. As a teenager, she performed solo as well as with many bands from the Peterborough area, including Christian band Thousand Foot Krutch and Jive recording artist Three Days Grace.

Contents

Life and career

Ryder was born in Toronto, Ontario.[3] Her first indie CD, called Falling Out, was released in December 1999 by the Peterborough, Ontario based independent record label Mime Radio. Ryder was 15 years old at the time. Her other independent releases include Serena EP (cassette only) 1999 (limited run of 100); Live at The Market Hall & A Day in the Studio 2002; and Serena Ryder Live 2003 (a CD recording of her performance on CBC Radio's program Bandwidth).

In 2005, she released her debut major label CD Unlikely Emergency, which included the song "Just Another Day" which gained significant airplay on many radio stations, including CHUM-FM. The album was released by Hawksley Workman on his Isadora Records. Also released on Isadora was Live in Oz, a recording from her tour of Australia, released in limited numbers only at shows.

Ryder's second album, released on the EMI label in November 2006, is called If Your Memory Serves You Well and is a collection of notable Canadian songs from the past 100 years or so. The tracks include Leonard Cohen's "Sisters of Mercy", Galt MacDermot's "Good Morning Starshine" and the Bob Dylan-Rick Danko written "This Wheel's on Fire", popularized by The Band, as well as Paul Anka's "It Doesn't Matter Any More."

Appearing as a guest on SBS Australia television's RocKwiz in 2007, she displayed an authoritative knowledge in rock music-related questions, singing many song segments in answer and performed in the closing guest spot with Lior.[4]

A new EP titled Told You in a Whispered Song was released 19 June 2007, and is an acoustic studio collection of several live tracks and new songs.

Along with other bands, including 54-40 and Cheap Trick, Ryder opened for Aerosmith on their world tour in July 2007 in Prince Edward Island.

Ryder was the 2008 recipient of the Juno Award for New Artist of the Year with label EMI.

On 9 October 2008 Ryder and Greg Keelor attended a performance of Tim Hus and his Rocky Mountain Two at the Dakota Tavern, in which an impromptu performance was given by all three, jamming to Blue Rodeo's "Hasn't Hit Me Yet".

On 11 November 2008, Ryder released her new EMI album Is It O.K. in Canada. It was released on Atlantic Records in America on 11 February 2009. The single to be taken from it is "Little Bit of Red". The song "All for Love", which appears on Ryder's EP Sweeping the Ashes and album Is It O.K., is featured in an episode of ABC television's Private Practice.

Is It O.K. won the Juno Award for Adult Alternative Album of the Year. Ryder was nominated for Artist of the Year on March 29, 2009 in Vancouver.[5]

In 2009, her song "Sing, Sing" was selected for Music Monday, a special event to highlight music education in Canada which saw nearly two million Canadian schoolchildren singing the song in class on May 5.[6]

In May 2009, she appeared on Bruce Springsteen's official website, covering his song "Racing in the Street". The video was part of the "Hangin' On E Street" feature of his website.

The following month, Ryder recorded the duet "You Can Always Come Home" with former American Idol contestant Jason Castro for his eponymous first solo album, Jason Castro.[7]

In 2009 Ryder took part in an interactive documentary series called City Sonic. The series, which featured 20 Toronto artists, had her reflecting on her move to Toronto and her discovery of the Dakota Tavern.

She has also performed and recorded with labelmate Needtobreathe for the band's single "Stones Under Rushing Water".

In 2010 won the Juno Award for Video of the Year for "Little Bit of Red" directed by Marc Ricciardelli, with label EMI.

Discography

Albums

EPs

Live Recordings

Singles

Guest Recordings

She contributes vocals on Bob Wiseman's record Giulietta Masina At The Oscars Crying (2012)

References

  1. ^ "The Hour" with George Stroumboulopoulos, Episode dated November 12, 2008
  2. ^ http://www.serenaryder.com/bio/#bioBandInfo
  3. ^ Stevenson, Jane (April 6, [2008). "Ryder remembers those who died". Toronto Sun.  Allmusic indicates birthplace at Millbrook, Ontario, however.
  4. ^ http://www.sbs.com.au 31 March 2007
  5. ^ http://www.serenaryder.com/
  6. ^ "Canadian kids sing out for music in education". CBC News, May 4, 2009.
  7. ^ http://music-mix.ew.com/2009/08/19/jason-castro-interview/

External links