Acrpost: A Project of the Pacific Association of Artist Run Centres

Event Description

Ember Swift
with guests... To be announced
Friday, November 17th, 2006
Central Bar & Grill, 708 View St. 250-361-1700
Doors 7pm - Showtime 9:30pm
Tickets: $13 Advance / $15 Door
Available at: Lyle's Place (cash only) 250-382-8422, Central Bar and
Grill 250-361-1700
& High Tide Box Office at www.hightideconcerts.net or charge by
phone 250-478-1888

Ember's Website is: www.emberswift.com
More info can be found at: www.hightideconcerts.net or email us at
hightideconcerts@shaw.ca

"...Politically charged lyrics, a blindingly versatile voice, and decidedly
punk sensibilities."
See Magazine – Edmonton, Alberta.
"The Dirty Pulse," the ninth album by Ember Swift through her own
independent label Few'll Ignite Sound, is a collection of new material
whose central theme is a celebration of life, the living, and the
embedded hope in us all.

Lyrically, these songs pose brave inquisitions about the (sometimes
dirty) truth behind issues such as the environmental and cultural
impact of the mining industry ("Bliss"), affluence ("Affluence
Disease"), urban isolation ("Reinforced Concrete") and democracy
("Intervention"). That's not to say there isn't joy in this body of work;
"No Regrets," is a song that celebrates family (in all its dysfunction!),
"Some Fine Day" rallies hope towards the promise of a brighter future,
and "Ten Pin" is a cheeky song that informs the listener that ten-pin
bowling is cool, no matter what anyone says.

Still featuring the familiar stylistic diversity of Ember Swift's music, this
album has a melodic and rhythmic pulse found in the layers of
Ember's dirty electric guitars coupled with the featured horn lines,
keyboard licks and gentle distinctions found in the sparse acoustic
finger-style songs with Flamenco overtones. The styles on this album
range from folk to funk, to R&B, to jazz and feature some new forays
into reggae and South-African influenced pop. Throughout it all, the
groove is undeniable. There is a distinctive life force that vibrates this
recording.

Like a germinating plant deep in the soil, The Dirty Pulse recognizes
that the possibilities of a better world have been lying dormant for too
long. Digging up the truth of our destructive ways as humans is not
always a clean, pristine process, but is necessary if we wish to move
forward. This album attempts to contribute to this process, which
recognizes that only by sifting through the "dirt" can we find the hope
and truth to which we aspire.

Recent News

In recent years Ember's career has grown significantly. She and her
band have performed at the Ottawa and Winnipeg Folk Festivals in
Canada; Blissfest and Great River Folk Festival in the U.S.A., and the
Roots and Blues, Woodford and Port Fairy Festivals in Australia, to
name but a few. Ember's music has recently been heard on the highly
popular American T.V. series The L-Word, and the international
organization PETA, recently featured Ember in a one page add which
ran in various North American publications. In 2006, Ember was one of
the few artists asked to perform at the inaugural Canadian Folk Music
Awards in Gatineau, Quebec and was also approached as a juror for
both the Northern Ontario Film & Music Awards as well as New York
City's OutMusic Awards.

The fall of 2005, saw the release of the first ever DVD project entitled
Witness: Live in Australia, 2005 which features the band performing
live interspersed with interview and road footage. The band has just
completed the release tour in Australia to glowing reviews and several
sold-out shows.

BIO

Ember Swift is a Canadian and Ontario-born singer-songwriter who
has been writing songs since she was nine years old and performing
since she was ten. In 1996, she released her first "self-titled" album
and started to develop her now loyal fan following that extends to tens
of thousands of people across Canada, the U.S. and Australia. Her
loyal support network is thanks to a high-energy live show coupled
with pertinent politics that reaches out to many communities. It is the
union between art and activism that forms the foundation of Ember's
songwriting ethic; only through honest and open dialogue about
global issues can we hope to inspire greater social awareness that will
lead to social change.

After graduation from the University of Toronto with a degree in East
Asian Studies in 1998, Ember and regular band member Lyndell
Montgomery, took to the road and embarked on building a career
through consistent touring of North America and Australia. (These live
shows often feature the additional talents of Adam Bowman on drums
and percussion.) Ember's music has garnered large and loyal support
thanks to the high-energy live show and pertinent politics that reached
out to many communities.

The fall of 2005, saw the release of the first ever DVD project entitled
"Witness: Live in Australia, 2005" which features the band performing
more than ten pieces live and is interspersed with interview footage,
on-the-road footage and some glimpses of fans. It was directed by
Sydney-based documentary filmmaker Max Bourke of Pigfish
Productions. This DVD has been received with great excitement. The
band has just completed the release tour in Australia to glowing
reviews and several sold-out shows.

See above for more information about their most current release, "The
Dirty Pulse", a full-length album project released in April, 2006.

Ember currently resides in a 130-year old home in Eastern Ontario. She
has never been happier. The quiet of rural living lends itself well to
music-making; the beauty of her surroundings has inspired a new
body of work that is more positive and hopeful than songs written in
previous years. Her new release reflects the width of sky outside her
door and the emphatic rejection of impossibility.