Aiming for the Canadian Radio Stars
"Saint John songstress Jessica Rhaye heads to Toronto this week to compete for a national songwriting award."
Telegraph Journal NB
March 5, 2007
By Mary-Ellen Saunders
Photography: Lori P. Morse
Saint John pop-folk singer Jessica Rhaye will have her fingers crossed as she flies to Toronto this week, where she'll belt out her moving single Holding Out in a bid for The Canadian Songwriters Radio Star Award.
"It's a relationship song about somebody realizing they had something with someone in the past that is really what they wanted, and it's too late," said Rhaye. "The lyrics are sad, but the music is upbeat, it has some banjo on it and a lot of good musicins on it, so it is a cool song."
The track is from Rhaye's sophomore album, Short Stories, which was released last year. She said she is pushing this album harder than her first one. And this time around she took her time - just over five years - to develop the album, not just writing the songs, but designing the website and album cover, too. Now she is in promotion mode, doing her best to get the album out. She entered all the contests she could find, and applied to music festivals all over the country.
"I've always wanted to perform my own music and record it," said Rhaye. "I am doing my dream, and am not making a huge fortune, but it's my job, so that is my dream."
Rhaye is the regional winner of the Radio Star contest. She will face off against 13 other contestants on March 8 and 9 for the grand prize of $10,000 in cash, 30 hours of mixing and mastering in a studio, complete website design, a $2,500 national radio promotion package and some equipment.
Rhaye said she plans to produce a music video for Holding Out in Saint John and wants to release it as a radio single, too. A prize like this would really help her out, but if she doesn't win she'll go ahead with her plans anyway.
Rhaye has been working on Holding Out for a few years, but said she had put it on the back-burner. When she got together with local writer Ken Tobias they finished it together, writing lyrics to her music.
"I'm not a writer that writes everyday or anything," said Rhaye. "I am a writer that writes when I am inspired after reading a book, having a personal experience, watching a movie or listening to a personal experience someone else has had. But I have to be in the mood. It just happens, I pick up my guitar and away I go. This morning it kind of happened and than the phone rang."
The weekend in Toronto will give her the chance to meet with top Canadian songwriters, play her song and hear criticism. That in itself, she said, is very valuable.
Though she wants the big prize, Rhaye said it would be great to take the fan choice award (anyone who'd like to vote can visit www.radiostar.ca).
"It's always good to to get any kind of recognition for writing especially, it makes me feel good and makes me feel like I know what I am doing when it comes to writing. I'm very honoured", said Rhaye.
"It's a great contest, it's not the be-all-end-all of my career or anything,but it's a great opportunity."
Rhaye was also a semifinalist in in the International Songwriting Contest but was eliminated in the final round. No matter, for Rhaye every nomination is great exposure.
At the end of the month she's off again, this time to Boston where she'll help represent New Brunswick tourism at a Boston trade show. The province invited her to showcase the province's talent and style.
"Saint John songstress Jessica Rhaye heads to Toronto this week to compete for a national songwriting award."
Telegraph Journal NB
March 5, 2007
By Mary-Ellen Saunders
Photography: Lori P. Morse
Saint John pop-folk singer Jessica Rhaye will have her fingers crossed as she flies to Toronto this week, where she'll belt out her moving single Holding Out in a bid for The Canadian Songwriters Radio Star Award.
"It's a relationship song about somebody realizing they had something with someone in the past that is really what they wanted, and it's too late," said Rhaye. "The lyrics are sad, but the music is upbeat, it has some banjo on it and a lot of good musicins on it, so it is a cool song."
The track is from Rhaye's sophomore album, Short Stories, which was released last year. She said she is pushing this album harder than her first one. And this time around she took her time - just over five years - to develop the album, not just writing the songs, but designing the website and album cover, too. Now she is in promotion mode, doing her best to get the album out. She entered all the contests she could find, and applied to music festivals all over the country.
"I've always wanted to perform my own music and record it," said Rhaye. "I am doing my dream, and am not making a huge fortune, but it's my job, so that is my dream."
Rhaye is the regional winner of the Radio Star contest. She will face off against 13 other contestants on March 8 and 9 for the grand prize of $10,000 in cash, 30 hours of mixing and mastering in a studio, complete website design, a $2,500 national radio promotion package and some equipment.
Rhaye said she plans to produce a music video for Holding Out in Saint John and wants to release it as a radio single, too. A prize like this would really help her out, but if she doesn't win she'll go ahead with her plans anyway.
Rhaye has been working on Holding Out for a few years, but said she had put it on the back-burner. When she got together with local writer Ken Tobias they finished it together, writing lyrics to her music.
"I'm not a writer that writes everyday or anything," said Rhaye. "I am a writer that writes when I am inspired after reading a book, having a personal experience, watching a movie or listening to a personal experience someone else has had. But I have to be in the mood. It just happens, I pick up my guitar and away I go. This morning it kind of happened and than the phone rang."
The weekend in Toronto will give her the chance to meet with top Canadian songwriters, play her song and hear criticism. That in itself, she said, is very valuable.
Though she wants the big prize, Rhaye said it would be great to take the fan choice award (anyone who'd like to vote can visit www.radiostar.ca).
"It's always good to to get any kind of recognition for writing especially, it makes me feel good and makes me feel like I know what I am doing when it comes to writing. I'm very honoured", said Rhaye.
"It's a great contest, it's not the be-all-end-all of my career or anything,but it's a great opportunity."
Rhaye was also a semifinalist in in the International Songwriting Contest but was eliminated in the final round. No matter, for Rhaye every nomination is great exposure.
At the end of the month she's off again, this time to Boston where she'll help represent New Brunswick tourism at a Boston trade show. The province invited her to showcase the province's talent and style.