Roxanne Potvin

Roxanne Potvin (born March 31, 1982 in Regina, Saskatchewan) is a bilingual French-English Canadian singer, guitarist and songwriter based in Gatineau, Quebec. Potvin has earned a Juno nomination, seven Maple Blues awards nominations, making appearances at the Montreal Jazz Festival and Ottawa Bluesfest, and has toured internationally,.

Roxanne Potvin
Born (1982-03-31) March 31, 1982
Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada
OriginGatineau, Quebec, Canada
GenresRoots music, Pop, Blues
Occupation(s)Guitarist, singer-songwriter
InstrumentsVocals, guitar
Years active2002–present
LabelsIndependent
Websitewww.roxannepotvin.com

Early life

Born in Regina, where her father was a TV reporter for CBC, Potvin grew up in Hull, Quebec. Drom an early age, she displayed an affection for the 1950s American rock n' roll of Little Richard, Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis, Elvis Presley and the Everly Brothers. A turning point came at the age of 13, when she discovered the Beatles and received a guitar on her 14th birthday. At the age of 15, she discovered blues music and began experimenting with songwriting. She did not consider music to be a career choice until two years later, when she frequented open jams in Ottawa.

Career

Bogart's Bounce

Potvin made her recording debut in January 2002 when she sang an original tune on Bogart's Bounce, a Northern Blues release by Ottawa's JW-Jones Blues Band. Veteran blues giants Kim Wilson and Gene Taylor of the Fabulous Thunderbirds also appeared on the album.

Careless Loving

In 2003 Potvin wrote a canon of songs with which she self-produced, self-financed, self-released, and self promoted her first recording, Careless Loving. The album featured six original songs and four covers by Dinah Washington, Ruth Brown, Etta James and Buddy Johnson. This album helped build her reputation as a songwriter as well as a singer and player. Local writers (and campus and CBC radio) embraced the CD, and Potvin's reputation began to spread.

The Way It Feels

The Way It Feels (2006), produced by Colin Linden, a Nashville-based Canadian guitarist and writer with 60 CD production projects to his name, helped bring together a cast of support players that included: Daniel Lanois, Bruce Cockburn, Wayne Jackson of The Memphis Horns, members of The Fairfield Four, and one of Potvin's favourite songwriters and singers, John Hiatt.[1][2]

The album received a Juno Award nomination for Blues Album of the Year.[3]

Time Bomb

Time Bomb (2007) featured three female blues players, Deborah Coleman, Sue Foley and Potvin. The title track, "Time Bomb", an instrumental where all three women take turns laying down leads. For the next nine songs the women spell each other off taking lead vocals and guitar duties of every third song until they come together again on the final track "In The Basement".

No Love for the Poisonous

No Love for the Poisonous (2008) was produced by Dave Mackinnon of FemBots.[4] In a favourable review of the album, The Globe and Mail wrote, "Smartly timeless and featuring the most assured songwriting of Potvin's three-album career, No Love for the Poisonous is a wicked success story."[5]

Play

In 2011, Potvin changed directions and recorded Play, an album with a combination of folk, indie rock and pop influences. She collaborated with Black Hen Music director and guitarist Steve Dawson and a crew of Vancouver studio musicians, recording an album of new songs in five days.[6]

For Dreaming

Roxanne Potvin's latest album, For Dreaming, was released in 2016 and follows a five-year break from recording. Potvin stated that making For Dreaming largely on her own was "the most challenging and frightening experience" she has had in her career to this point but also "the most satisfying experience" as well, due to being able to work at home without any outside pressure.

Management

Roxanne Potvin signed with Alert Music Inc. late in 2005, and was managed by W. Tom Berry (Holly Cole, Kim Mitchell, Gino Vannelli) from 2005 to 2009. She is since self-managed.

Influences

Potvin has stated that her music has been influenced by her growing up and listening to artists such as: Dinah Washington, Freddie King, Muddy Waters, Big Bill Broonzy, John Hiatt, the Beatles, Elvis Presley, the Everly Brothers, Aretha Franklin, Sarah Vaughan, Billie Holiday, Solomon Burke, Irma Thomas, Jimmy Reed, the Staple Singers, Ruth Brown, and others. Contemporary or more recent influences include Beck, Bahamas, Kurt Vile, Brian Wilson.

Discography

Main releases
Year Title Label
2003 Careless Loving Independent
2006 The Way It Feels Alert Music Inc.
2008 No Love for the Poisonous Alert Music Inc.
2011 Play Black Hen Music
2016 For Dreaming Independent

Collaborations
Year Title Label Notes
2002 Bogart's Bounce NorthernBlues Music sang on one track with JW-Jones
2004 My Kind of Evil NorthernBlues Music sang on one track with JW-Jones
2007 Time Bomb Ruf (Idn) with Sue Foley & Deborah Coleman

References
  1. Dickie, Mary (June 27, 2006). "Roxanne Potvin scores big names: Singer's sophomore CD has a who's who of guest artists, Toronto Sun. Reprinted in Jam!. Retrieved May 19, 2010.
  2. McQueen, Anne Marie (July 7, 2006). "Losing job blessing in disguise for Potvin", Ottawa Sun. Reprinted in Jam!. Retrieved May 19, 2010.
  3. (April 1, 2007). "The 2007 Juno Nominations & Winners Archived 2011-08-10 at the Wayback Machine", Canada.com. Retrieved May 19, 2010.
  4. Barnard, David (December 2008). "Roxanne Potvin: No Love for the Poisonous", Exclaim!. Retrieved May 19, 2010.
  5. Wheeler, Brad (November 11, 2008). "No Love for the Poisonous: Roxanne Potvin", The Globe and Mail, p. R3.
  6. Roxanne Potvin -Play (Black Hen Music). Rick Bowen, 6 July 2011. Retrieved 13 August 2011.
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