Liven It Up!: Emm Gryner - North (Live For CBC Radio 2 2012)

  "In My Heart You're North Of The Border Shining Down Like The Aurora!"

 I haven't yet written about Emm, which seems odd because she has been one of my favourite Canadian Artists since I was in high school, but given that today is her 38th Birthday, I feel this is perfect timing.

 Emm is a singer/songwriter and gorgeous instrumentalist originally from Sarnia, Ontario who has always managed to do things for herself in the music industry. She released her first album, "The Original Leap Year", in 1997 after she entered her song "Wisdom Bus" in a National songwriting competition and won. The money from her win enabled her to start up her own independent record label called "Dead Daisy Records". Original Leap Year caught the attention of music producer Warren Bruleigh who managed to get Emm signed to Mercury Records for the release of her second album "Public" in 1998. This album put Emm in the spotlight with it's hit single "Summerlong" and had her opening on tours with Ron Sexsmith, Rufus Wainwright, and a spot in Lilith Fair, but it wasn't long before Mercury Records was bought out by Universal Music and she was dropped from her contract and back to releasing music through Dead Daisy Records. 

That one major label album was enough to get Emm's name on people's lips and her third release 1999's "Science Fair" outsold "Public" significantly which surprised even the woman herself. In an interview at the time she was quoted as saying,

  "It blew my mind to see that I could make an album on an 8-track at a rented cottage and it could reach more people than the previous album which was board roomed to death by all these supposed experts in the industry."

 Emm has continued to release music independently since and has headlined and been a special guest on so many tours (including David Bowie) since then, and has proven herself to be her own Canadian Industry. To date, she has released 12 albums (a few of these being limited edition specials for her fans only available through her website) and 1 Greatest Hits package.

 North is my favourite song from her most recent studio release "Northern Gospel" which was released in 2011.

She has most recently teamed up with fellow Canadian artist Dayna Manning (who I'll also be writing about in the future) and Laura C. Bates to form the band "Trent Severn".

 I don't know what you say, but I think Emm's work ethic and passion for her art are extremely commendable and inspiring. Happy Birthday Emm!