Kerry Jayne
Peterborough, Canada | Established. Jan 01, 2012
Music
Press
A Peterborough couple is holding a musical event Saturday night in support of mental health initiatives.
Stephen Stamp and Kerry McMaster are hosting Music for Mental Health at Market Hall.
The event features seven local musical acts, poetry readings and guest speakers on mental health.
Stamp and McMaster have both experienced dark days. Stamp once tried to take his life and McMaster has suffered from PTSD.
Earlier this year, McMaster watched her 26-year-old daughter struggle with her mental health while also witnessing the strain on the mental health system trying to help her.
That's what prompted McMaster to create the fundraiser.
And what better way to address a what's often seen as a difficult issue to address than with something uplifting.
"Music is a kind of healing ... it certainly was for me. It helped me out of a dark time," McMaster said.
The line up of talent features genres that range from folk to pop and jazz to Celtic. Musicians include Hunt the Hare, Hillary Dumoulin, Kerry Jayne, Celeste Terry, Whitney Paget, Owen Wright and Britt Hall.
Stamp will be reading some of his poems and local poet Wes Ryan will be performing spoken word as well.
Proceeds from Music for Mental Health will benefit the local Canadian Mental Health Association and It's Mental, a mental health initiative founded by singer-songwriter Amelia Curran. It supports much needed mental health resources in Newfoundland and Labrador.
Stamp and McMaster are both fans of Curran and saw her perform twice at Market Hall. They wanted to support her cause and help locally, too.
The event coincides with National Suicide Prevention Awareness Week.
NOTE: Tickets to Music for Mental Health are $23 and it starts at 8 p.m. Tickets are available at the Market Hall box office and Moondance on George Street, or online at www.markethall.org
JNyznik@postmedia.com - The Peterborough Examiner
When Kerry McMaster was going through a rough patch, writing music pulled her through it.
"All these songs started coming out and the next thing I know I had pages of them," McMaster said.
Not long after that, those songs became an album: "Wheels of the Ground."
Now, McMaster, who goes by the stage name Kerry Jayne, is ready to release her second album.
"Romance of Many Dimensions" comes out Friday. A CD release party is taking place at The Red Dog, with doors opening at 8 p.m.
Missy Knott will warm up the stage at 8:30 p.m. before joining Hillary Dumoulin to sing backup vocals for McMaster.
Admission is $10 at the door and both of McMaster's CDs will be for sale. Her latest album is $15 or it's $20 for both of her CDs.
Although McMaster isn't a Peterborough native, she isn't a newcomer to the city's arts community.
The songstress moved to the city for love in 2014. The Victoria, B.C., native said her new community embraced her with open arms.
"Peterborough art's scene is amazing, and everyone is so welcoming, and I've just been so lucky that way," said McMaster, who owns a hair salon in East City.
McMaster has played at The Garnet, Market Hall, The Black Horse, and The Spill (which is now closed).
The nine tracks on "Romance of Many Dimensions" speak to love and change — aspects McMaster said she often tends to write about.
"There's always an element of hope and heartbreak in my songs."
The new album features James McKenty, Melissa Payne, Hillary Dumoulin and Missy Knott.
In March, McMaster and Dumoulin, another local performer, hit the road for a two-week tour across several cities.
In the meantime, McMaster will continue to work on songs for the next album, which is already well underway.
For the first time in her music career, the singer/songwriter put some of her new tunes out on social media to test the water.
"I'm curious to see what the world thinks about it."
The musician plans to continue to make music forever, whether her songs reach the airwaves or not — though she admits a hit single would be "lovely."
As for "Romance of Many Dimensions," McMaster has humble hopes for her album.
"I am hoping that people enjoy listening to it and they might want to play it more than once," she said with a laugh.
Jessica.Nyznik@peterboroughdaily.com
Jessica.Nyznik@peterboroughdaily.com - The Peterborough Examiner
Discography
Romance of Many Dimensions (2019)
Wheels of the Grand (2014)
Photos
Bio
Kerry Jayne’s voice is haunting & intimate, her songs ethereal & dreamy.
She began her music career on the West Coast, in Victoria BC. Inspired by her surroundings and the people in her life, Kerry's songs are full of conflict, passion and curiosity. Her first album, released in 2014, garnered a VIMA nomination for roots song of the year.
Kerry fell in love and moved her life to Peterborough, Ontario, where the arts community has embraced her. Her second album, completed with producer James McKenty, and released this February, 2019 is the culmination of two good years of hard but fun work. Kerry wanted to push herself as a writer and work with an industry veteran. James, who has worked with the likes of Gord Sinclair and Greg Keelor, helped her to do that in spades.
Kerry Jayne has played in Peterborough venues like the Spill, the Garnet and Market Hall and has opened for Corinna Rose & Milo McMahon among others. She has put together fundraisers for International women's day in 2015, '17 and '18. Along with her partner Stephen, she has raised $3,000 through Music for Mental Health shows in 2017 and '18.
Influences: Sarah McLachlan, The Be Good Tanyas, Sarah Harmer, Dido, Gillian Welch.
Sounds like: Margo Timmins of Cowboy Junkies or Dido meets The Be Good Tanyas.
Links
