When I first met Jodi King a few months ago she was just prepping to head into the studio to record an acoustic EP with singer/songwriter Kyle Riabko. The plan was a live, off the floor recording that would capture the spontaneity of King’s show. A Winnipeg girl who spends her time travelling back and forth to Toronto to perform with her band there (which includes Nelly Furtado’s guitarist), she has built a name for herself as a talented writer, pianist and singer.
When I recently sat down with her, she had the completed record in hand, an acoustic, six song EP produced by Colin Monroe (Divine Brown) that features brilliantly personal and sincere pop songs (a far cry from the R&B she tried her hand at a few years ago). To see her perform these songs is something different entirely. As demonstrated at her recent hometown CD release show at the Park Theatre, she masterfully fronts her band (which includes husband Chris Rademaker of The Attics) like a rock frontwoman, while equally feeling comfortable behind the keys.
“Ever since I was a little kid I’ve loved performing,” tells King. “This other part of me comes out when I’m on stage and although I really love sitting, playing piano and singing there’s a rock out side of me that I need to express!”
And the people are loving it. She had to add a second Winnipeg show, as her first sold out rather quickly (and the second show almost did as well). “It is a good feeling, I’m shocked. I think people are excited with me which is nice.”
The Acoustic EP
The new release is simply a taste of more to come, as King plans a full length record for later in the year (that Monroe is also working on). She is someone who loves to collaborate with many different performers and her energy is infectious. But a turning point collaboration with her producer came around somewhat by accident.
“I’d been wanting to work with him and randomly, I bumped into him at a coffee shop on Queen Street, which is the way it goes. You can try calling someone forever and it never happens,” says Jodi. “We actually hooked up that day and did ‘Maybe You’ll Smile Again’. It was really a turning point for me, I know that sounds cheeseball but it really kinda opened a door to really honest writing and it’s the most vulnerable song I’d written.”
But King doesn’t share exactly who (or what) it’s about, no matter how much I ask her. “It’s one of those songs you can insert yourself into, so I never like giving away too much about it.”
ROOTS Canada
As the old saying goes, timing is everything. While living the Ontario life and shopping at a Roots store last year, King happened to inquire about how to get her music played on Roots Radio (the music played in stores). As luck would have it, the president of the company was in the store that day. What happens next, King is genuinely stoked about. Jodi King will actually be playing in the Roots stores across Canada
“It’s actually happening, finally. We’re doing an acoustic Roots tour in Western Canada, only as far as Banff right now in August.
“It’s always fun getting people’s reaction. The best is that you get so many little girls, it’s the cutest. They’ll be getting their new backpacks with their moms and they’re the best audience. They wanna chat with you, so I really enjoy it, I really do. It’s a blast.”
Possibly one of the greatest things about King’s music is that she does offer a decent role model for the young girls, lyrically her songs go back to a time of innocence, discuss themes of love (but not lust) and are so catchy they’ll be stuck in your head for weeks.
The “Reborn” New Artist
As this is a section for up and comers, I asked King (who has been writing and playing piano since the age of four) how she feels about being tagged as a “new artist”?
“What categorizes a new artist? I don’t know. I’ve been singing for so long but even for me I feel new at it because it hasn’t been that long that I’ve been doing something that feels natural and right. You know it’s really only been probably two years, and only these last two years that I took it really seriously and decided to start really going for it. I feel new.”
Jodi King’s Acoustic EP is available for purchase through Maple Music’s website and for download on iTunes. Watch for a full length record later this year!
For more on Jodi check out these links:
www.jodiking.com
www.myspace.com/jodiking
www.maplemusic.com
www.apple.com/itunes
