LIVY JEANNE

Under The Radar

Under The Radar? Not for long. Country music industry insiders have been aware of the phenomenal talent of young Albertan songstress Livy Jeanne for some time now, and by all indications, the release of her debut album in the spring of 2012 promises to propel the career of this fast-rising star into a much higher orbit. It is astonishing to consider that an artist can possess this much poise, self-confidence and musical and emotional maturity at just 16.

Livy Jeanne has honed her performance skills at numerous North American talent competitions, and she has diligently worked on her songcraft with some of the best writers in country music. Her commitment and hard work have now paid off with Under The Radar. The album was recorded at famed Vancouver studios The Factory and The Armoury, under the watchful guidance of ace producer Tom McKillip (One More Girl, Lisa Brokop, Aaron Pritchett) and Juno-winning engineer Kevin Churko (Shania Twain, Ozzy Osbourne).

Appearing on the album is an all-star cast of Vancouver musicians: drummer Jerry Adolphe (Chilliwack), guitarist Jay Buettner, Darren Savard (Deric Ruttan) Joey Landreth, (One More Girl), keyboardist Simon Kendall (Doug and the Slugs), bassist Dennis Marcenko (K.D. Lang), John Ellis (Ridley Bent), and fiddle player Mike Sanyshyn. Tom McKillip played acoustic guitar, while his talented daughters Carly and Britt (aka One More Girl) chimed in on backing vocals.

Livy loved the whole recording process. "Tom wanted it to be a learning experience for me," she says. "He really cares about my career as well as the project. He has my back." Tom's wife Lynda McKillip (herself a skilled songwriter) played a key role in organizing the elite group of Nashville and Canadian songwriters who wrote for and with Livy Jeanne for Under The Radar.

Taking a key role on the record with five cuts is Emily Shackelton, while other notable songsmiths featured include Phil Barton, Dave Thomson, Bruce Wallace, Dee Briggs, Ron Irving, Lynda McKillip, Davor Vulama and Victoria Banks. Livy loved her co-writing sessions in Nashville, recalling that "being in a room every day to write with these great songwriters was just so cool."

Livy Jeanne's own fast-developing prowess as a songwriter is demonstrated by the three songs she helped co-write for the album. Along with Lynda McKillip, Ron Irving, and Davor Vulama, she co-wrote the first single, "Invisible," a number especially close to her heart. It addresses the theme of teenage bullying, a constant social problem with which Livy is painfully familiar.

A victim of relentless bullying at school, she survived by immersing herself in music. "By finding my passion, I found a place to express myself, find some personal strength, and feel good about who I am," she explains. Livy has become a very active spokesperson on the subject, recently speaking eloquently about it on CBC TV show, Connect with Mark Kelley. She helps support Kids Help Phone and is about to tour schools, playing her music and speaking to students about her own experiences of being bullied.

The other songs on Under The Radar cover a wide stylistic range. Livy is equally convincing on a heartfelt country ballad like "I Want To Fall In Love" and up-tempo country rockers (written by two of her musical mentors, Britt and Carly McKillip) like "Watch Me" and "Made Up Your Mind," a barn-burner of a track that Livy loves to perform. Other stand-out tunes include “Again” – an edgy, angst-ridden ballad about fighting back from the depths of heart break, the beguilingly provocative “I’m Not Ready To Go Home”, and the sweetly compelling title track ‘Under The Radar’…….

Livy's original songs speak eloquently about the situations young women find themselves in. Themes like self-esteem, discovering one's identity, and exploring love and relationships are very personal, yet she is able to give them a universal resonance. One of her own earlier songs, "Save Me," was written for the Canadian Mental Health Foundation, and it has elicited a strong response.

Her versatile vocal style reflects the fact that Livy Jeanne has a diverse approach to music, as evidenced by her playlist that features artists from Keith Urban and Taylor Swift to Katy Perry and Jewel. Livy Jeanne was enthusiastic about music from an early age, she recalls. "I sang along to Titanic at five, and there's video of me singing and dancing along to Spice Girls songs. I didn't really start singing until I was 11 or 12, when I asked my parents to come to a school concert." Only then was evidence of her major talent revealed to her parents. "We had bought Livy a karaoke machine, but we never heard her," says her mother Paulette. "She just sang in her room, so we never even knew she could sing." A jaw-dropping performance of a Sheryl Crow song at the school show changed all that. "She was on dead last, and the flip phones instantly came out," recalls Paulette. "People went 'ohmigod, how long has she been singing?' 20 minutes, I said!"

Now hooked, Livy began competing in local talent contests. On a family trip to Florida, she performed at a VFW hall, and one impressed observer told her mother "she has a real gift. You need to pursue this." Music lessons followed, and Livy wrote her first song, "Ride Free," at age 12.

From there, Livy Jeanne's budding music career has taken off like a mustang galloping across the prairies. A barometer of her rapid progress has been Livy Jeanne's participation in The Vancouver Island Music Business Conference. In 2009, her victory in the Comox Valley Idol competition earned her entry to this important conference. There, she had the opportunity to meet and work with such legends as Bill Henderson (Chilliwack) and songwriting great Ralph Murphy. Event panelist Larry Wayne Clark gave her invaluable advice by asking her "do you want to be a pageant singer or an artist? You need to learn to play or get a band."

That spurred Livy to buy a guitar and learn to play from the internet. The next year, she was invited back to the VIMBC, but this time as a showcase artist. This proved career-changing: it’s where she met Tom McKillip. "I knew everything he'd done, like producing Lisa Brokop and One More Girl," recalls Livy. "I was shaking nervous when I met him and gave him a three song demo I'd made. I found out he's the nicest guy ever, and that's when we started talking about working together." What Livy was unaware of is the fact that out of all the CD’s McKillip received at that conference, he was intrigued enough to play Livy’s before he even left the Island. A first listen had him convinced that Livy was the real deal – a bona fide young artist with exceptional talent and focus. A year later, Livy attended the 2011 VIMBC with her own band, a fistful of awards and a debut album in production, further confirmation of her rapid evolution as an artist.

Another huge boost to Livy's confidence came from being one of just 10 songwriters invited to attend a private songwriters retreat in 2010. It was attended by some of North America's best songwriters, and Livy was featured on a seminar with Steve Wilkinson, Dan Hill and Ralph Murphy. At the wind-up party, Wilkinson said 'I've only loved one female voice in my life, my daughter Amanda. Now I've found another love. Livy Jeanne, please come up to the stage." Livy then joined Steve in a rendition of The Wilkinsons smash hit, "26 Cents," something she terms "Way too cool. That was the best performance ever."

Livy Jeanne also made a fan of Dan Hill when she opened for him at an intimate acoustic show, while other artists and songwriters expressing strong belief in her talent include Bill Henderson, Crystal Shawanda (Livy opened a SunFest show for her), and One More Girl.

2011 was a crucial year for Livy. As well as working intensively on the writing and recording of Under The Radar, she scored multiple triumphs at the North American Country Music Association International (NACMAI) 2011 Awards show in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. Winning the 2010 Global Country Star Search earned her entry there, and Livy collected trophies as International Female Vocal Artist of the Year, International Female Entertainer of the Year, International Songwriter of the Year (for "24/7"), Co-Writer of the Year (Mixed Age) for "Invisible," and International Video of the Year, for "You Go First."

Livy Jeanne has made multiple trips to Music City, co-writing with many of country music's best songwriters as well as showcasing at some of Nashville's most historic venues. She has performed at an open mic night at The Bluebird Cafe, and bowled them over at Tootsie's. "I was given my own five-song set there," she says. "The guitarist in the house band gave me his guitar to play, and he told me later the last time he'd done that was for a young guy called Tim McGraw!"

Away from the spotlight, Livy is a country girl at heart, and not just musically. She lives with her family on a nice parcel of land in Ardrossan, outside Edmonton. "There's plenty of room for our dogs to run around," she says. "I love living in the country. You can't have a campfire in the city!" Horse-riding has been one of her passions, but a telling indication of her passionate commitment to music, is the fact that she sold her horse to help fund the making of Under The Radar.

Livy Jeanne also seizes every opportunity to put her musical gifts to good use in assisting worthy causes. In 2009, she was nominated for the AFP Heart & Soul Philanthropy Award for her involvement in a breast cancer-themed event. She has also performed for such organizations as the Make a Wish Foundation, Run For The Cure, and Casa For Kids. "At 16, I don't have money to give, but I can help by having people pay to hear me with the money going to a good cause," she says. "It is about paying it forward."

Livy takes to the spotlight like a cat to cream. A natural performer, she has further honed that talent by working with American stage performance guru Tom Jackson. Onstage, she brings each song to life with graceful animation, seducing the listener with each subtly delivered phrase and powerful chorus.

Livy Jeanne: Invisible? Not a chance. We're all about to see and hear much more from this vibrant new musical star.