Stef Lang

Stef Lang
Lang at Sun Peaks, BC on July 30, 2012
Background information
Birth name	Stephanie Jane Lang
Born	(1988-12-30) December 30, 1988
Origin	Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Genres	Pop, R&B
Occupations	Singer, songwriter, producer, performer
Labels	Universal, Nettwerk One/ H-Songs, Hipjoint Productions
Website	Official Website

Stef Lang (born Stephanie Jane Lang, December 30, 1988) is a Canadian singer, songwriter, producer and performer who resides in Vancouver, BC.^[1][2][3] Originally from the Vancouver Island town of Ladysmith, BC, Lang moved to Vancouver at 17 to pursue her musical career.^[1] Lang played every pub, bar, club and café she could, meanwhile honing her songwriting craft.^[1][4] Known for her engaging performances and edgy lyrics, Lang released her first commercially produced full-length album, The Underdog, in May 2010, distributed by Hipjoint Music/Universal Music Canada and available on iTunes worldwide.^[1][2] Her hit single, 'Mr. Immature', was released two months before the album and achieved mainstream success when it peaked at #5 on The Billboard Chart for Canadian Emerging Artists.^[2][5] Her highly anticipated single, ‘Paper Doll’, was released to radio stations nationwide in February 2012. Both the single and a new EP, 'Fighting Mirrors', which includes the pop anthem, have been made available for free digital download on her website.^[6] Lang’s album 'Self' was voted one of Canada’s Top 15 Albums of 2012.^[7]

Personal life

Childhood

Lang was born on December 30, 1988 in Nanaimo, BC to her father Conrad (German) and her mother Manuelita (Filipino), creating a mixed heritage. She is the youngest of three children. After her parent’s divorce when she was 5, she followed her sister (Carla) and brother (Mark) who chose to live with their father. Lang was constantly on the move as a result of her father’s career as a land developer and home builder. She spent time in several locations across Vancouver Island and eventually settled in Ladysmith in 1998.

Lang started singing, dancing and playing piano at the age of 5.^[8] Celine Dion and Mariah Carey were her early influences.

Teen years

As a teen, Lang began performing in music festivals and high-school plays. At the age of 13, Lang competed in the PNE's Shaw Star Discovery Talent Competition. In 2002, she landed her first role in a commercial for Radio Disney. That summer, she landed a second commercial singing and dancing alongside Jamie Lynn Spears (Britney Spears' younger sister) for Hasbro’s E-Kara karaoke system.^[8]

At 14, Lang took an interest in the guitar.^[8] She took lessons for one summer, but quit shortly after and became self-taught.^[4] Lang began developing her interest in songwriting and found inspiration from artists like Tegan and Sara, Ani DiFranco and Joni Mitchell.^[9] She recorded her first independent album at a small studio in Cobble Hill, BC, a self-titled CD which featured all original music.<ref name="bc-payc1"/ Lang consistently performed at local events, talent shows, malls, churches, and Filipino parties. Throughout high school, Lang was cast in Alice in Wonderland, Romeo and Juliet and The Little Shop of Horrors. She took interest in poetry, art, film and TV, photography and drama, and was a straight A student.

At 15, she landed her first role in an independent film called Cable Beach, shot in Victoria, BC.^[10] She was cast as the main character's younger self. The following year (2005) she recorded her second independent album in Victoria, entitled Music in Me, which featured a combination of originals and covers.^[8][9] For her CD release, she organized a benefit concert for her town’s Christmas Food Bank.

Music

Career beginnings

In the spring of 2006, Lang won The Beat Music Awards, a talent competition hosted by Vancouver’s #1 Hit Music Station The Beat 94.5. She won a four-song recording deal with Hipjoint Productions where she worked with producers Mike James (Kelly Rowland) and Troy Samson (Moka Only, Kreesha Turner, Snoop Dogg).^[8][8]

After graduation, Lang moved to Vancouver where Hipjoint Productions offered her an internship in the studio and office to learn more about the music industry.^[1][8] She spent this time honing her songwriting skills and learning how to run the studio.^[8]

Lang worked part-time at a local grocery store as a check out clerk while performing at clubs like The Roxy, The Railway Club, The Media Club, The Bourbon, The Main, and The Rusty Gull.^[8] She also worked odd jobs as a cashier, retail sales clerk, server, hostess and as an extra on film sets.

Within 4 years, Lang had written over 250 songs and had recorded them as ‘Volumes’ at Hipjoint Productions.^[1] 2 EP’s were released, titled ‘Birth’ and ‘Blood and Bravery’. To date there are sixteen volumes of original music acoustically recorded by Stef Lang and head engineer Phil Lehmann.

In the spring of 2009, Lang penned a publishing deal with Nettwerk One/H-Songs, who launched the careers of Sarah McLachlan and Coldplay.^[2] Nettwerk is home to world renowned artists Sarah McLachlan, Shania Twain, Avril Lavigne, Chantal Kreviazuk, k-os, Shawn Desman, Raine Maida, Barenaked Ladies, and Sum 41.

Song placements

Two of Lang's songs from her commercial debut album The Underdog appeared in Degrassi: The Next Generation, a popular Canadian television series.

• Straitjacket - Season 9, Episode 18 - In Your Eyes^[3]
• Diamonds - Season 10, Episode 28 - Love Lockdown^[3]

One song off the new Fighting Mirrors EP was also featured on a recent episode of Degrassi.

• Bullet Train - Season 12, Episode 17 - Sabotage^[11]

Other placements include:

• Give A Little Bit - Used by CTV BC as a promo song for their "Making a Difference" campaign about giving back to the community.^[12]
• The Beat Of My Radio - Placed in The CW's High Society, Privileged, and Make It Or Break It.
• Vulnerable - Placed in ABC's Rookie Blue, a Canadian police TV series starring Missy Peregrym and Gregory Smith.^[3]
• All This Time - Placed in The Best Years, a teen drama that chronicles college life in Boston, MA.^[13]
• The Girl From Nowhere - Placed in Blonde Ambition.^[14]
• Paper Doll - Placed in The L.A. Complex, a Canadian drama series airing on MuchMusic and The CW.^[15]

Showcases

• 2009 - Canadian Music Cafe during TIFF (Toronto International Film Festival), sharing the same stage as Hawksley Workman, USS, Arkells, Terri Clark, K'naan, and City and Colour (Toronto). During the Festival, Lang also took part in four writing sessions with top industry writers Ron Lopata, Karen Kosowski, Greg Johnston, Rob Wells, and Hawksley Workman.^[3][16]
• 2010 - NXNE (North by Northeast) (Toronto).^[5]
• 2010 - L.A. Reid (three-time Grammy Award-winning American record executive, songwriter, and record producer) at Island Def Jam Records (New York).^[2]
• 2010 - CMJ (College Music Journal) (New York).^[17]
• 2011 - Canadian Radio Music Awards (Toronto).^[18]
• 2011 - S.L. Feldman & Associates Showcase at Canadian Music Week (Toronto).
• 2013 - S.L. Feldman & Associates Showcase & CMF Acoustic Session at Canadian Music Week (Toronto).^[19]

Tour

• Winter 2007 - LA Tour
• Spring 2010 - Western Canada Tour^[20]
• Fall 2010 - Cross Canada Tour (including US dates)^[2]
• Spring 2012 - National 'Fighting Mirrors' Tour.
• Spring 2013 - Conscious Self Tour.^[21]

Discography

Self-released

• Stephanie Lang: Independent Debut Full-Length CD (2004)
• Music In Me: Full-Length CD (2005)

Commercially released

• Birth: Commercial Debut EP (2008)^[1]
• Blood & Bravery: EP (2009)
• The Underdog: Commercial Debut Full-Length CD (2010)^[1]
• Fighting Mirrors: EP (Feb 2012)
• Self: Full-Length CD (Solo Project - Written, Recorded & Produced by Lang) (Nov 2012 Release)^[15]

Singles

• Straitjacket (The Underdog)
• Mr. Immature (The Underdog)^[2]
• Slave2Love (The Underdog)
• Paper Doll (Fighting Mirrors)

Co-writes

• Dust in Gravity - Co-writing credit for Delerium's 'Dust In Gravity', featuring Kreesha Turner. The single hit #1 on the Billboard Dance/Club Chart.^[3][16][22]
• The Underdog - Co-written with Rob Wells (Backstreet Boys, Nick Lachey, Cyndi Lauper).^[2]
• Closet Freak - Co-written with Hawksley Workman and Greg Johnston.^[2]
• Lupe Fiasco - Lang invited by major label Atlantic Records to write a chorus for American rapper Lupe Fiasco's upcoming single.^[2][23]
• Turning Point - 104.9 Virgin Radio Star winner Lexi Strate's new single, co-written with Mike James & Phil Lehmann^[24][25]
• Consciousness of Love & Chrysalis Heart (Vocals) - Off Delerium's new album Music Box Opera (Oct 2012 Release).^[26]
• Rollin' (Vocals) - iSH's track used for the 2012 London Olympic Games.^[27][28][29]

Radio success

• Mr. Immature - Hit #5 on The Billboard Chart for Canadian Emerging Artist.^[30]
• Slave2Love - American Music Chart - CANADA: HOT AC as well as hit #12 on Mainstream Radio.^[31][32]
• Castle in the Cloud - Canadian Music Blog's Top 20 Songs of 2012.^[7]
• Self - Canadian Music Blog's Top 15 Albums of 2012.^[7]

Nominations

• Lang's hit single Mr. Immature was nominated for two Canadian Radio Music Awards - Contemporary Hit Radio & Hot Adult Contemporary.^[33]
• The Underdog was nominated for Pop Album of the Year at the 2011 Western Canadian Music Awards.^[34]
• Lang is nominated for Best Out-of-Province at the 2012 Toronto Independent Music Awards.^[35]

References

External links

• Official website
• Official YouTube
• Official video - Paper Doll
• Official video - Mr. Immature
• Official video - Slave2Love
• e-kara commercial