Kate Channer

It’s not like Kate Channer had a choice.

“Music is just in my blood, it’s my family,” said the London native. “My mom was a musician, and so was my grandfather — and all my siblings. I started playing music when I was three with piano, and just grew from there.”

Now the singer/songwriter is getting ready to drop her first EP, called Revived, featuring five original songs, on Saturday, Feb. 4.

She’ll also release her first music video for the track Rhythm of My Song, which was filmed at London’s EMAC Recording Studios.

Walking the line between rock and pop music, Channer has been playing to London audiences for over a decade, slowly making a name for herself in the Forest City music scene.

And what started out as just a shy girl and her guitar has evolved into a force to be reckoned with, thanks to a wealth of determination, and lot of inspiration.

A self-proclaimed former high school music geek, Channer describes her sound as a mix of a number of influences, including pop and rock, with even the odd bit of country thrown in for good measure.

“It’s all based on my own style . . . my voice ends up being more rock than anything else, but my music still has the influence of pop because that’s what I know,” she said. “I really listen to everything, from classical to hard rock. Generally, what I listen to is what I’m trying to learn.”

Her favourites include everything from bands Halestorm and The Pretty Reckless, to the more mainstream sounds of Melissa Etheridge, Amanda Marshall, and even the Spice Girls.

Basically, Channer continues to be captivated by groups with a strong female lead, something she wasn’t always sure she could emulate.
“I’m loving the female progression . . . I’m really appreciating it because seeing a woman as the lead in rock is very rare, and very hard to do,” she said. “I started as kind of a folky-artist — just little shows here and there but I never pushed myself. I didn’t think I had the strength to be a lead person.”

Part of what held Channer back was a penchant for writing what she called “lots of cheesy, cheesy music.”

Turns out all it took was getting in tune with what was most important to her.

“This album is about everything from forgiveness, to me finding my rhythm with my music again — so it crosses a lot of feelings and emotions,” she said. “I always knew I had talent, and I was always song writing . . . but I needed something I could really get into on a different level.”

Some tracks were years in the making, including Forgive, a song Channer wrote 12 years ago for her mother.

“It’s about forgiving yourself and forgiving your family members, which is something I’ve used throughout my entire life in all sorts of situations I’ve been in. So that’s me, singing from my heart,” she said, adding she can still remember the exact moment that inspired the song each time she sings it. “Every time I have that vision . . . and how we built it up in the studio just brings up that emotion that I thought I would never get out of it.”

Sometimes putting so much on the table for audiences can be a little stressful, even for someone who’s no stranger to the stage.

“It’s still nerve-racking, but it’s like putting on a helmet. When you have it on, you’re this different person, portraying someone people want to see,” Channer explained. “Fact is I love when I see someone’s foot tapping to an original song. That makes me feel like I’ve been successful, that my melodies worked. It’s not about image, it’s just about getting the audience humming my music, or getting one of the hooks stuck in their heads. That’s when I’ll know I’ve made it.” - OurLondon.ca

London’s Kate Channer Band is really and truly doin’ it in this week’s Reaney’s Pick video.

Lead singer and guitarist Channer went back to an earlier era and a different lineup for Do It.

“This song has been revamped. I didn’t use to sing this song,” Channer said Tuesday at The Free Press newsroom.

Do It is treated in a somewhat unplugged groove with drummer Monica (Moxy) Miatello using a Latin-style cajon drum box to drive the song instead of the full kit.

“The song we’re playing isn’t really a loud song,” Channer said of her co-write Do It’s sexy energy.

“But you’re powerful,” added Miatello. The two became music allies in the 2000s when Channer joined The Strap-Ons as bassist. Miatello was the drummer in the London band with a cult following.

Channer named Westminster as her secondary school of career impact. “That’s where my band geek friends (were),” she said.

Also in the Kate Channer Band are two more Londoners — keyboardist and sonic wizard Adam Plante, a Banting, Western economics and OIART grad, and bassist and former Lucas and Beal student Ryan Cruickshank, the most recent to join. Cruickshank was the bassist with London band Crystal Kage.

Plante was inspired at Banting by music teachers Sandi Mennill (choir) and Gary McCumber (band). After economics at Western, he found his way back into music and is active in sound, sales and recording.

Plante’s home studio, called Beats Working, is where Kate Channer Band is recording. Four new songs are expected to be heard on its forthcoming demo.

Channer comes up with a KCB song’s melody, chords and lyrics. Then, she brings those to her bandmates for the full KCB treatment. “They write on top of that,” she said.

Channer suggested “pop rock” as Kate Channer Band’s genre.

“We’re really eclectic,” Miatello said.

An admirer of the band couldn’t help noticing something of The Doors’ classic uneasy rocker Riders On The Storm turned up in Do It’s arrangement.

No problem. Sonic wizard Plante said he might be able to find some of that band’s tunes to strap on.

Plante’s KCBandmates were not surprised he would know just where to look and listen.

“We call him ‘The Vault,’ ” Miatello said. - London Free Press

A week-long celebration of music ended Sunday on a sweet note.

Dozens of London’s musical talent were honoured at the annual Jack Richardson London Music Awards in front of a standing room only audience at the London Music Hall.

“I was very surprised,” said Jane Carmichael, one-half of The Marrieds with Kevin Kennedy who won the folk/roots award for the second time.

“We’re friends with everyone who was nominated and we’re humbled to be nominated with them and honoured to win.”

The night got off to a rousing start with the AK Arts Band joined by the young dance troupe, Glee London, singing and dancing to It Must Be Love.

And there was lots of love as the accolades flowed all night for the winners and the performers.

The gala featured performances by nominees and winners, including winners of the youth award, the Beal secondary school band Legal Kill featuring Talyn Prior (bass and vocals), Charles Ondrovcik (lead guitar and vocals) and drummer Tyler Woods who opened the night’s show with an original hard rock tune, Ghost.

Other performers included country winner Genevieve Fisher singing her current hit Take It On Home.

She was followed by the King’s University College King’s Chamber Choir singing Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah, followed by hip hop winner JR Fillion, songwriting nominee Kate Channer Band, blues queen and nominee Chuckee Zehr, Hall of Fame inductees Uranus, metal nominee Matter in the Medium; punk winners Certainty and rock winners Texas King to close out the show.

Jack awards chair Mario Circelli said voting for the awards was up 30% from about 6,000 last year to more than 8,000 this year.

“It’s been an incredible week,” Circelli said.

“Obviously, we’re pleased and we congratulate all the winners. I think the winners are a good representation of who’s really pushing and doing well out there. All of them are indicative of what’s going on out there, the talent.”

One band the audience didn’t get to hear was the Jack’s Fantasy Band, a new initiaive where fans can vote for individual musicians. The band includes Sarah Smith (vocals), Melissa Ogden (bass), Kory Adcock (guitar), Steve Crew (drummer), Michael Bonnell (keyboards), Chris Murphy (horn), Tara Dunphy (strings) and Blair Heddle (utility musician).

The week was also capped off with the induction of several prominent Londoners into the Jack Richardson London Music Hall of fame.

Tap dancer/singer Joey Hollingsworth, the first African Canadian man to appear on Canadian television, Gerald and Marlene Fagan, who founded and directed the Gerald Fagan Singers, and the band Uranus with Jack Whiteside (vocals, lead guitar), Dexter Beauregarde (drums), Frank Ridsdale (vocals, piano, guitar) and Jerry Fletcher (bass), whose 1980 hit You’re So Square was a Canadian hit, were all inducted.

“I am thrilled to stand here and see all these people who have come because they love music,” said Gerald.

“I don’t care what musical genre you perform, but now in London we have an all-embracing society of people who entertain and make music their lives.”

Retired London Free Press music writer/columnist James Reaney received the 2017 Lifetime Achievement Award.

“Those are the important honours we handed out,” said Circelli.

“The induction says you’ve had an incredible career over an extended period of your life, a life dedicated to music in London.”

Circelli said the week-long format will continue next year, perhaps enhanced with larger venues for events, especially the seminars and panel discussions that sold out quickly.

“The whole week surpassed our expectations and those of our sponsors,” Circelli said.

“People are now calling us to get involved. I think we’ve created a solid template this year and we can now beef it up and perfect it.” - London Free Press

While Scott was trying to fathom being a first-time winner, The Marrieds were taken off guard by winning the Folk/Roots category for the second time in three years.

Jane Carmichael said she wasn’t expecting the win so she was calm the entire night, right up until their name was announced and she started “freaking out.” For his part, Kevin Kennedy said it’s “definitely nice” to be recognized in a category with “so many great people” who also happen to be their friends.

Taylor Holden, winner for Contemporary Singer/Songwriter, found herself in a similar place — receiving an award in a category full of friends.

Holden said she felt “a sense of validation” in her win, but even more so she was thrilled to be honoured for something she feels so passionate about.

“It’s such a nice thing to be nominated for songwriting; it’s my bread and butter,” she said. “I didn’t think songs I wrote about — chocolate milkshakes and 20-year-old boys . . . I didn’t think people would be interested and I’m happy they are.”

Also pretty happy were double-nominees Swagger.

A nominee in the Cover/Tribute category (which was won by Full Petty Fever), Swagger took home the award as Fan Favourite, something that Ogden — the band’s founder and bass player who was also named to the Jack’s Fantasy Band, along with singer Sarah Smith and others — was blown away by.

“This is why we do it; we do it for the fans,” she said. “Winning shows how many people in London love the band, which is great. Being part of the Jack Richardson awards is just awesome; it’s my first time, first time for all of us. It’s cool to be part of it.”

For full results, visit https://jrlma.ca. - Our London