Collette Andrea

It was almost two years ago that Collette Andrea (Collette Falk) first made an impression with her debut, Luna. The Brampton songstress and former GTA-resident who has just recently moved to Hawaii has just released her long-awaited follow up, Steady Sun. For fans of Luna, there’s plenty of promise here as she reunites with Hannah-Kin Studio for another five-song EP that yet again showcases her rich vocals and ability to captivate through a simplistic touch.

From the first notes of “Give Me All Your Lovin,’” Falk seems to be setting out to prove that she’s gained nothing but confidence in the two years since we’ve last heard from her. There’s an added edge to her voice as she sings, belting out the titular demand and reshaping the slow-moving country beat for her own indie blues twist.

That sort of growth is evident throughout Steady Sun, from the hypnotically philosophical “A Song About Spring” to experimental “You and Me.” Along the way, Falk soulfully puzzles over time as her guitar chords roll through the pictured landscape and her lyrics thumb over unmet expectations. It’s on those slower, wandering songs like “Water” that her most impressive instrument—her voice—really steps out with the kind of presence that made certain tracks on Luna stand out for their potential.

Typically an acoustic performer, Falk has maintained a stripped down approach to her instrumentation with a lone guitar offering up the only accompaniment she really needs. While her slower tracks may add the occasional flourish of backing vocals or ambiance that emphasizes the imagery, there’s a sense that Falk understands the balance she’s keen to strike. That’s not to say the entire album is a delicate acoustic journey as the last two songs on the EP strike out in a darker, more fevered direction.

Eponymous “Steady Sun” marks the transition with a slow build up to a crashing shift a minute in. Falk’s vocals, typically clear and smooth take advantage of some effects to roughen them up as she aggressively pleads her case. While closer “You And Me” returns to Falk’s even-handed approach, there’s a divergence from her usual sound as she plays with more eastern sounds, layering them over background clatter to set a scene in a way her other tracks have only hinted at.

Yet again Falk ends her album with the promise of more exploration in the future, expanding and delving into new ideas and sounds and seamlessly tying them into what has come before. And as her voice comes out stronger than ever, it’s certain that whatever direction she chooses to go in she won’t lose her most captivating sound.

Top Track: “A Song About Spring” - Eleni Armenakis

We found Collette Andrea on Twitter a few weeks back and we could not stop listening to her tracks on Reverbnation. A satin voice that is just starting to bloom out into the world. Check her out online and in the Toronto area. Good things to come, indeed. - Arts Avenue

Collette Andrea (@ColletteAndrea) is a Canadian singer-songwriter who should make a huge impact in 2014. Per ReverbNation, she is #6 artist of the Singer-Songwriter genre in her native land. Collette has several videos available via social media with thousands of viewers and no haters. Not only is Andrea a talented performer, she is an educated one. Once her musical career has wound down, she will have a career in social work to fall back on. Collette hopes to have a degree from Ryerson Univesity when it is all said and done. In the meantime, given her soothing voice and on-point guitar skills, the music thing should pan out for years and years to come.

Andrea got the itch to play instruments at the ripe age of 12 and started writing songs two years later dabbling with several genres. Collette lists some of her influences as Etta James, Cat Power, Jimi Hendrix, Feist, among others. After spending time in bands, she pulled a Peter Searcy and elected to fly solo. This led to a record deal with independent outfit HannahKin Studio. Will she have the same career that her famous influences had? Given how the industry works these days, who knows. These days, there are more opportunities for musicians to get noticed. It is up to the artists to take full advantage and push themselves to the moon. Collette Andrea is more than good enough to warrant success on the Adult Top 40 charts and millions of views online.

Luna is the latest EP from Collette Andrea and includes brilliant folk songs like “Hey Jack”, which is featured in the video above. This track is Collette at her finest showcasing her chops on the guitar along with her voice of gold. Luna is short and sweet, with five tracks of various lengths that are easy on the ears and overall the effort works for those of the new generation (short attention spans). “The Night You Packed Your Bags” is another recommended tune that demonstrates Andrea’s exploitation of the acoustic guitar with sheer brilliance. It is advised that cafe music admirers check these tunes out at various online retailers as a placeholder for the full-length record due out soon. This small town-raised performer might just have a very big career ahead of her. - DX Entertainment

The steady, constant rhythm of her chord progressions reveals her musical past, but add a mesmerizing effect that makes late-night listening a pleasure. - Grayowl Point

Brampton native Collette Andrea (Collette Falk) released her debut EP, Luna, in March of this year with the help of Hannah-Kin Studio in Georgetown. The five-song EP is a teaser of what’s to come from this Ryerson Social Work student, who’s promising a full-length album soon.

Collette cites a surprising mix of influences, including Joni Mitchell, Feist, Janis Joplin, Alice in Chains, Sublime, Cat Power, Nirvana, Jimi Hendrix and the Smashing Pumpkins—influences that aren’t all immediately evident, but show themselves in Collette’s playing.

“When The Sun Goes Down” introduces Collette’s Feist-like voice, and her steady acoustic guitar rhythms (a leftover from her earlier days as a bass player). The sparseness of the track works to show off Collette’s vocals and lyrics, and provides an apt introduction to her sound.

“Broken Coast” again offers a minimalist approach to the guitar, though with more variations than “When The Sun Goes Down”. The latter minute of the song introduces another guitar, adding a nice extra layer while Collette steps away from the mic, using the opportunity to show off the music rather than her voice.

There’s a nice country twang to Collette’s voice with “In The Morning” as she moves away from the typical indie-girl sound and draws on her other influences. The strumming also picks up strength, creating a fuller sound to go along with the more powerful vocals.

The penultimate track on the EP, “The Night You Packed Your Bags,” is the meeting point between the indie-pop sound of the first two songs, and the powerful vocals of “In The Morning”. Collette’s voice sounds like it’s found a middle-ground between the two, while musically she’s much more present than on the EP’s first songs. It’s a welcome change, since it’s obvious she knows how to match her music to her vocals.

“Hey Jack” is reminiscent of Patrick Watson’s “The Great Escape” as it evokes imagery of long roads and empty plains. The country-inflection isn’t as prominent, but it again adds a depth to Collette’s voice that shows off her impressive abilities.

Collette’s voice is capable of a fullness that emerges during the second half of the EP, suggesting greater things to come with her full-length album. The simplicity of the album is surprisingly effective—allowing the vocals to take precedence over everything else. The steady, constant rhythm of her chord progressions reveals her musical past, but add a mesmerizing effect that makes late-night listening a pleasure. Since it’s so easy to get lost in, the fault of this EP is how abruptly it ends.

Top Tracks: “Broken Coast”; “In The Morning” - Eleni Armenakis

Collette is a throwback to an era when music touched your soul. Intelligent lyric writing combined with innovative arrangements and one extremely melodic voice instantly take you back to the golden days of the singer/songwriter in the 60's and 70's, but with a fresh, now feeling - supportunsignedartists.com

Collette is a throwback to an era when music touched your soul. Intelligent lyric writing combined with innovative arrangements and one extremely melodic voice instantly take you back to the golden days of the singer/songwriter in the 60's and 70's, but with a fresh, now feeling - supportunsignedartists.com

“She writes songs like Joni Mitchell, has the most unique guitar playing style, and has a voice that instantly leaves me paralyzed”- Inside Independent - HannahKin Studio

"She is a woman with a true passion for music who represents the art of music in all its glory"- MarsBands on Collette Andrea - MarsBands.com

So if you are anything like me (God help you if you are) you go about listening to a new band or musician like this: “Ok, so this band/musician is called ‘insert name’. Hmm, and the music is ‘insert genre’. Ok. So what makes ‘insert name’ so special?” That’s pretty much how it goes for me, at least to start. The answer to that last question is always one of two things. It’s either 1) “Oh. Nothing.” or 2) “Oh!” Yup. You might think my process is too simplified, but for me it’s worked wonders and hasn’t failed me yet. So if you’re wondering what’s so special about Collette Andrea, be prepared to “Oh!”.

What’s so special about Collette Andrea? Allow me to elaborate past “Oh” for you. Are you a fan of intelligent, captivating, thought-provoking lyrics? Are you a fan of brilliant songwriting and an impressively sincere voice? Are you a fan of passion and raw emotion? If you answered yes to any of those (and you really should have answered yes to all of them) then you are going to become a fan of Collette Andrea rather quickly. She is a woman with a true passion for music who represents the art of music in all its glory.

And while lots of people will compare her to some rather well-known singers and musicians as a means to describe her sound, I will describe her like this: Take Ladylike Lily (- the French) + Hannah Georgas and you end up with Collette Andrea. She has that Jazzy, soft, comforting voice in common with Ladylike Lily while also having the ability to take a seemingly simple song with just a guitar and turning it into something otherworldly like Hannah Georgas does (see: The Beat Stuff). Mix in a little bit of Folk here and there and Collette Andrea has created her own special blend of music that will immediately captivate your ears and minds.

Collette only confirms my belief that Canada very well may be the best place to find intelligent, amazing music (see: The Oh Wells, No Island, Allison Crowe). My favorite songs from Collette (which you can listen to down below thanks to our lovely friends over at ReverbNation) were Hey Jack and When the Sun Goes Down. Give her amazing music a listen and be sure to share it with your friends. Enjoy! - Chris Dientos