The Short Story... Over the last 15 years, Keith has recorded around 60 songs, released two CD's available through CDbaby and other online stores worldwide and has played well over 1000 shows in Canada. He is currently recording his third album and performs regularly in the Toronto, Canada area. The Longer Story... Keith Jolie is a Canadian singer-songwriter, a performer and a music professional. He was born in Brantford, Ontario and raised in St. George, Ontario. Broadcasting for CJAM While studying in Windsor, Jolie would take in the music that spilled across the border from Detroit, and Windsor’s indie music scene that spawned bands like The Tea Party and Big Sugar. Coming from an area where he could (if he had the antenna just so...) listen to CFNY“the spirit of radio” , Keith got interested in hosting a radio show. Somehow, he hooked up with CJAM's music director of the time (Slim) and they started the “Keifer and Slim show” (a morning radio show). By 1993, Keith was hosting a weekly 3 hour Canadian Music Show called “Moose Radio – South of the Border” which showcased the Canadian independent music scene of the time. Eventually these musical influences as well as other musical interests began to form the basis for the lyrical nature of Keith’s songwriting. Early Performances (1994-2000) After living in Windsor for 5 years, Jolie moved back to St. George where he began performing at numerous venues in the Brantford area, including a weekly Wednesday night residency at The Turnaround, a venue that mostly featured punk bands. His solo acoustic performances in this venue seem to have added an edginess and confidence to his songwriting and performance that allowed him, playing as a solo acoustic act, to fit in on bills with full rock bands. During this time he shared bills with bands like Transistor Sound and Light Company, Made, Captain Tractor, Divine Right and many others. By 1997 Keith was a regular performer at Poor Folks Deli (Brantford), a unique venue that featured live music 7 days a week and was home to some of the top touring blues performers as well as local singer songwriters and other touring acts. He also held a weekly residency at Morgans on the Grand (Paris). Toronto In 2000, Jolie moved to Toronto to further his musical aspirations. He began performing at coffee houses and open stages at The Free Times Cafe, Graffiti’s in Kensington Market, and various other venues around the city. Working in collaboration with another singer / songwriter, Kelly Warren, for a time. Irish Folk Bands (2001-2004) From 2001 to 2004, Jolie played with Irish Folk Groups Fresh Eire and Celtic Cross. Calgary In 2003, Jolie moved to Calgary for about 9 months, where he spent some time writing, and performing occasionally at open mic nights at Jackdaws a folk music venue in Calgary’s South West end. Endsville (2005-2009) In 2005, after returning to Toronto, Jolie formed a new band called Endsville. Endsville played in Toronto for about 5 years and played their last show in the summer of 2009. Keith Jolie and the.... Keith continues to be an active songwriter and performer. He currently plays with a band that consists of Morgan Jones Phillips on Bass, Billy Young on Guitar, Sean Murphy on Drums and that includes a variety of guest performers. The impromptu lineup of musicians takes on a different name at every show, so the bill usually reads "Keith Jolie and the (insert band name here)" but for his weekly residency at the Seanachai Irish pub, posters were printed with "Keith Jolie and the Rag Tag Billy Bobs" so...it would appear that that name will stick until the posters run out... Discography
| The guys in the band... Morgan - This guy seems to know everyone. Like famous people, and they know him...it's really weird. He's a paramedic, he plays bass, is a published author, award winning play-write, he has 3 great kids, and on the weekends he's the captain of the star trek enterprise. I swear to god. Morgan Jones Phillips. www.emergencymonologues.com An Interview with Keith Jolie Q: Where did you grow up? A: I grew up in rural Ontario, a small farming community called St. George. When I was small, the village had a population of 1000 and you could draw a map of the village on a small piece of paper. It was the type of place where everyone knew everyone, the hockey arena was the centre of town and the Confectionary sold lots of candy for a penny a piece. Q: What made you realize that music was your path? A: I've played music since I was 9 years old, and started writing songs in high school. The first time I played one of my own songs publicly was at an open stage in University, and when everyone applauded at the end of my performance...I was hooked. I guess you could describe it as a bad habit or addiction...I can't imagine not playing, writing or performing. Q: How would you describe the music that you typically create? A: I would describe myself as a narrative songwriter - there's always a story in the lyrics. I guess you could call me a City Story Folk artist... Q: Who are your biggest musical influences? A: A lot of great songwriters. Guys like Leonard Cohen, Neil Young, Nick Drake, Ron Sexsmith, and more recently performers like Bright Eyes, and some other lyric based bands over the years like REM, U2 and others. I'm a child of the 80's that still likes to hear new things. Q: What makes your music unique? A: The narrative that is the basis of my songs - the stories. Whether real or imagined, my songs tell stories and I think I tell a better story than a lot of writers. I grew up in a small town, and then moved to the city after school - I think that gives me a small amount of an outsider opinion on the things that I see that reflects in my lyrics. Q: Has there been one particular moment in your musical career that you're most proud of? A: I'm always very taken aback and flattered when total strangers take the time to contact me to say that they like my music. The first time it happened was an email from a young man in England - I still stay in touch with him on a regular basis. Q: What's next for you? A: I'm recording an album of new material in my home studio and I hope to get that out and support it with lots of live performances as soon as it's done...and before it's done for that matter... |
