Amelia Curran (musician)

Amelia Curran
Born St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada
Genres Indie rock
Folk rock
Alternative country
Occupation(s) Singer-songwriter
Instruments Vocals, guitar
Years active 2000–present
Labels Six Shooter
Website www.ameliacurran.com

Amelia Curran is a Canadian singer-songwriter from St. John's. The National Post describes her music as “a bit like Leonard Cohen being channeled in a dusty saloon by Patsy Cline.”[1]

Early life

Curran was born in St. John's. She started playing guitar and writing songs as a teenager and eventually dropped out of university in order to busk on the streets of St. John’s.[1]

Career

Curran released her first album in 2000, and since then she has released seven more.

Her 2006 release, War Brides, was initially released independently and was later given a European and national Canadian release by Six Shooter Records.[2]

War Brides was nominated for two East Coast Music Awards: Folk Recording of the Year and Female Solo Recording of the Year.[3]

In 2009, Curran released Hunter, Hunter. She describes this album as “a little tougher than War Brides but it’s still minimal”. She explains that the title is “Hunter Hunter as opposed to hunter-gatherer.”[4] This is the first album that she recorded in her home-town of St. John’s.[5]

Curran’s lyrics have been described as "evocative" by Spinner Canada who, referring to Curran’s song “The Mistress”, wrote that “Like the best poets, Curran packs so much meaning into each line that the listener barely has time to register each clever lyric before the next zinger comes along.”[6]

Hunter Hunter earned Curran four nominations at the 2010 East Coast Music Awards; Female Solo Recording of the Year, FACTOR Recording of the Year, SOCAN Songwriter of the Year and Folk Recording of the Year.[7][8]

In addition to being a musician, Curran is also a playwright and actor, and has had her plays performed in fringe festivals.[4]

On April 17, 2010, Curran won a Juno Award in the category of Roots and Traditional Album of the Year: Solo for Hunter Hunter.[9] Curran also won first prize (Folk category) of the 15th Annual USA Songwriting Competition, and was named solo artist of the year at the Canadian Folk Music Awards.[10]

Curran's newest album, They Promised You Mercy, was released on November 8, 2014.[11] Shortly before the album's release, Curran also performed music for a public service video advocating awareness and service improvements on mental health issues, which also featured the participation of figures including actors Allan Hawco and Krystin Pellerin, author Michael Crummey and Newfoundland and Labrador MLA Gerry Rogers.[12]

Discography

Notes

  1. 1 2 Ben, Kaplan (Sep 1, 2009). "Cohen + Cline : Amelia Curran". National Post. Retrieved Dec 7, 2009.
  2. ↑ "Amelia Curran – When the Sun Goes Away". Canadian Interviews. Oct–Nov 2009. Retrieved Dec 7, 2009.
  3. ↑ http://www.releases.gov.nl.ca/releases/2007/tcr/0216n15.htm
  4. 1 2 Light, Whitney (Oct–Nov 2009). "Amelia Curran – There and Back Again". Stylus Magazine. Retrieved Dec 7, 2009.
  5. ↑ Rachel, Sanders (August 10, 2009). "Exclusive: Amelia Curran Talks New Album, Six Shooter and Her Newfoundland Homecoming". Exclaim!. Retrieved Dec 7, 2009.
  6. ↑ Siddiqui, Tabassum (Oct 30, 2009). "Northern Exposure: Amelia Curran, ‘The Mistress’". Spinner Canada. Retrieved Dec 7, 2009.
  7. ↑ http://www.ecma.ca/news.asp?section=19&id=92
  8. ↑ "Musicians honoured all across the country. Toronto guitarist and klezmer band among those given prizes". Toronto Star- Toronto, Ont. Quill, Greg Nov 22, 2010 Page: E.6
  9. ↑ "Nominees/Winners: Juno Awards". Juno Awards. 2010. Retrieved April 18, 2010.
  10. ↑ "The Once, Beyond the Pale, both win two at Canadian Folk Music Awards". Waterloo Region Record, Nov 21, 2010
  11. ↑ "Amelia Curran, 'They Promised You Mercy' (album stream)". Exclaim!, October 28, 2014.
  12. ↑ "Mental health forum tackles stigma, calls for systemic change". CBC News, October 16, 2014.
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