news

May 22.06

Wow! It's been a while since I've posted anything. It's been a crazy past few months.

Where to start??? Well, Juno Week here in toon town was a blast. Broadway Avenue was hopping. I had the busiest performance night in my 20-some year music history. Blair Finley and I kicked-off the Friday by playing live at the Delta Bessborough for CBC's Afternoon Edition with Colin Grewar. Then, I was off to soundcheck 3 different venues (simultaneously). Blair and I did my show at the Refinery at 9 - then I was off to Lydia's to play bass for Mayfly at 10 - then off to Vangelis to play bass for Jay Semko at 1 am. Whew...needless to say, I was exhausted by the end of the night.

We've just finished running USCAD songwriting 1 classes at the University of Saskatchewan. Kirk Hall rocked! What a great bunch of people - and talented too. There were some really cool ideas flying around and everyone just "clicked". We also had a special guest presenter. Mr. Dean McTaggart popped by to visit and share some songwriting and music industry insight - it was way cool. We'll be running level 1 classes again in September - check it! I really do enjoy sharing the songwriting "love".

As for other news, on March 10, I had co-launched my latest CD "Life Happens" along with my good friends Jay Semko (of the Northern Pikes) and David J Taylor. The concert was recorded by CBC radio and will be aired both regionally and nationally. Here are the details: 

Regional Show: Gallery (1 hour version)
Saturday, May 26 - 5:00 - 6:00 pm
CBC Radio One (Saskatoon 540 AM or 94.1 FM** or Regina 540 AM or 102.5 FM**)(**Suggest the FM is better quality for listening. 

National: Canada Live (2 hour version)
Saturday, May 26 - 8:00 - 10:00 pmCBC Radio Two  (Saskatoon 105.5 FM or Regina 96.9 FM).

Thank you Bonnie, Shauna, Chris and everyone at CBC. Your support is overwhelming.

Summer is shaping up to be a busy one. I'll be performing up at the Land of the Loon resort at Anglin Lake and the Ness Creek Music Festival in July to name a few (check the dates page for details). Jay and I are planning an Alberta tour for August and we close off the summer at Emma Lake Kenderdine Campus for our first annual songwriting retreat.

Thanks for checkin' in.
Kim

March.17.07
Hello Friends,
I want to thank everyone who made it out to the Jay Semko/Kim Fontaine CD launch concerts in Regina and Saskatoon, and to those myspace friends who left some really kind postings on my page. For me, those shows were probably the most musically orgasmic experiences I've had in a long time. Thank you Jay, David, Blair, Lou, Warren and Ross. You guys rule.

Best news of all - CBC recorded the Regina concert for the Gallery. So I'll get to relive those magical moments once again. Rumour has it that our performances will air both provincially and nationally. I'll keep you posted on airdates as I get the details.

And now we head into Juno week. In just a few weeks, Saskatoon is going to rock. This is your opportunity to check out a lot of live music - both locally and nationally. It's going to be a crazy weekend. I'll be at the Refinery on Friday April 30 - 9 pm. It will be a night of amazing Saskatoon songstresses. My set will be followed by Carrie Catherine, Eileen Laverty and Theresa Sokyrka. The Refinery is a beautiful room that is well-suited for an intimate evening. So be there to check it out. Sadly I'll have to miss Carrie, Eileen and Theresa - I'll be rushing over to Lydia's to play bass for Mayfly - and then heading over to Vangelis to play bass for Jay Semko. Details are listed on the dates page.

So let the fun begin. I'll check back soon.
Kim

Feb.19.07
Hi All,
Wow! It's been a while since I've checked in. How are you all doing? I just want to open by announcing that the official CD Launch dates in Saskatoon and Regina for "Life Happens" are right around the corner. March 9 - in Saskatoon, March 10 - in Regina. This will be a co-CD launch with Jay Semko and a full band performance featuring Jay Semko (bass), David J Taylor (guitar), Lou Fontaine (drums) and Blair Finley (guitars).Check it out on the dates page. This concert is presented by Verve 2. Tickets are available at www.verve2.com

I had a great trip out to Calgary a few weeks ago. I had the chance to play at the Ironwood and hang with some good friends (Marco - dinner was amazing - you rule! Jasmine - I've missed you like crazy and it was so good to see you again). I Had a very enjoyable visit with John Beaudin from California 103 and I also had the opportunity to work with some SAIT broadcasting students. I was the subject matter for a video project - way too cool!

Life has been crazy hectic lately - but really good and productive.

Chat soon.
KIm

Dec.23.06
Hi All,
So Christmas is around the corner and I am sooooo not ready this year. It seems as if all of a sudden the year is over...we're another year older...you know how it goes...life happens. There will be lots of new things going on for 2007. I think it's going to be a spectacular year for music in Saskatchewan. Go Sask! We'll be announcing the official CD launch party in a few weeks so check back for details. "Life Happens" is now available on CD Baby and iTunes.

I had the best time at the Roxy last Tuesday. We all took a break from the hustle and bustle of Christmas shopping and played our first band show. David J Taylor drove from Edmonton. Jay had just gotten back from touring the maritimes with Joel Fafard, Lou and Blair were amazing. Just a couple of rehearsals and boom - we were ready to rock! You guys are such great talents and it is truly a privilege to play music with you. Anyhoo, for those of you who missed it, check out the photos on the gallery page.

Other than that, all is great...hectic...but great. And BTW, the University of Saskatchewan CCDE is taking registrations for the 2007 USCAD songwriting courses. Check it out at www.uscad.usask.ca

Have a great Christmas and we'll reconnect in the new year.

Kim

Oct.7.06

Hello everyone. Just thought I'd check in. I just thought I'd say hello...I haven't spoken to you for a while - but that's just because I've been working on my second album "Life Happens". We're in the home stretch. The master's are back and it's off to the plant. The new album will be available in early November, 2006. Check back for a new website and listing of CD launch dates.

"Life Happens" was recorded at Audio Art recording in Saskatoon from July-September 2006. It was produced by David J Taylor, was engineered and mixed by David J Taylor and Neil Meckelborg, and was mastered by Dave Horrocks at Infinite Wave.

The album also features the ever so great musicianship of Jay Semko, Lou Fontaine, David J Taylor, Ross Nykiforuk, Blair Finley and Steve Dodd.

Will keep you posted on more details.
Thanks for checking in.
Kim

July.30.06

Thought I'd drop a quick line to bring everyone up to date. I'll be heading out east for 3 weeks pretty quick. I'm mixing business with pleasure - got a few gigs books but for the most part it's all about sight-seeing and family reunions.

Played some fun shows this past summer. Land of the Loon Resort at Anglin Lake was probably one of my favorites. It was so great to be back at the lake, and I even got some writing time in.

The big news, when I get back, it's straight into the studio for the production of album #2. We'll be recording at Audio Art from late August thru September. The new CD will be produced by the legendary David J Taylor. Once again I'll be joined by Blair Finley and Lou Fontaine. In addition, Jay Semko will be playing bass. Can't wait. I'll keep you posted and be sure to take lots of pictures.

May 26.06

Lots of big news! I'm one of the lucky recipients of a Rawlco radio 10K20 grant. Thank you Jamie, Marianne and Neil. Unbelievable! So needless to say, over the next few months, a lot of my life will be focussed on preproduction and recording. The new album is scheduled for completion in September, 2006. Rawlco has also added a few cuts from Morning Pages to their play list.

Level 2 of the USCAD songwriting course is well underway, and we are having a great time collaborating and writing songs. Our final class will be held on Saturday June 24th at Mystic Java from 8-10 pm. Check out what Kim Strange, Sueli DeFreitas, Ron Carrobourg, Brian Boechler, Maylane Wong and myself have been up to.

Other than that, I've got a big trip out East planned for August. I'll be re-connecting with Roger, Danny, Sue, Howie and Suds (all my past band mates from my Legal Limits days). It's been a long time and I can't wait to see everyone again.

Kim

April 24 .06

Just got back from Alberta and I think this was one of the best trips ever! I played a couple of shows and Chantale, Jacky and I spent a day in the mountains. It was wonderful. Check out the gallery for some new pictures.

I had a great time with Jonathan, Tony, John and the rest of the gang at California 103 FM in Calgary. Tune in on Sunday April 30 @ 7pm to hear a live-off-the floor solo performance (with a couple of new songs featured) and a chitty-chat with Jonathan Love. You can listen on line by visiting California 103.com on Sunday night.

And speaking of California 103, thanks for all of your support. And thank you John for getting us backstage to meet Gino Vanelli. What a great concert!

Go Flames!

Kim

March 14 .06

I just have to say thank you to everyone at California 103 FM in Calgary for adding 6 cuts from "Morning Pages" to your playlist. I'll be dropping into California 103 on Friday April 21st from noon to 4 pm, where I'll be playing a few tunes and hanging out with Jonathan Love (airdate TBA). We've also got new April dates posted for Alberta.

Other than that, I've been keeping busy writing and working on some new songs. David J Taylor and I are planning to start that whole pre-production process we'll be recording some demos this weekend. Whoo hoo! I'm so excited.

Songwriting courses start in two weeks. There's still time to register!

Keep checking in! Talk to you soon!

Kim

Feb 22 .06

Exciting news! Angel has been placed in a Documentary titled "Under the Skin: Drugs, Dreams and Demons". The program is scheduled for broadcast on SCN on March 20 @ 9:00 pm (Saskatchewan/Central time zone) and on CBC Newsworld (as part of The Lens) on March 21 @ 10:00 pm EST.

Other than that, we've got some new dates lined up for Alberta in April. Check out the details on the dates page.

I also spent last weekend taking in a wonderful songwriting workshop presented by the Saskatchewan Recording Industry Association. We had the opportunity to hang out with (and learn from) Ralph Murphy, James Dean Hicks and Dean McTaggert - all legendary songwriters and great guys too. I must say, it was quite the eye-opening (and very inspiring) experience.

Kim

Jan 12.06

Happy New Year everyone! I hope your holiday was as wonderful as mine. I had a great week chillaxin' with the family and giving myself some well-deserved down time. It was just the kind of R and R that I needed. And now that I've over indulged in an array of home-made sweeties, am up to date with all the current DVD releases, it's time to get off the couch, regroup and get back into the groove of things.

And speaking of groove, my old rusty bass chops have been getting a workout lately. I've had a great time sitting in with my good friends Lisa Unrah and Tracy Thompson (and Alan too) of Mayfly.

Lately, I've been super immersed in all kinds of songwriting activity. Other than that, I've been gearing up for the course and am planning another short and sweet road trip to Alberta in April.

Thanks for checking in! I'll be in touch soon.

Kim

October 28.05

I just got back from touring Western Canada with David j Taylor and Jasmine Whenham. I had so much fun! We actually pulled together a trio set and I really enjoyed the sound of three voices again. The shows were great and we even managed to get some writing time in. Dave brought his portable pro-tools rig on the road and we recorded the shows. I'll be sure to post some audio clips and photos on the site as Dave has promised to send me a DVD of everything.

The Vancouver WCMA's were good! I took in some great workshops and met some wonderful people. I also want to thank all of the Saskatchewan contingent who came out to our show at the Main in Vancouver. Thanks for your support! That show wouldn't have been the same without you!

I've got some exciting news! Starting spring, 2006, I'll be conducting 2 songwriting courses for the University of Saskatchewan Extension Division. I've been working on the program and it's going to be 2, very hands-on, interactive, 39 hour courses. In Level 1, we'll be focusing on foundational elements of songwriting and production. We'll also be spending an afternoon in the studio and Dave will join us on that day and act as our resident producer. Level 2 will focus on the actual writing itself and participants can expect to finish the course with having at least a half-dozen new songs added to their repertoire. I've attended a lot of songwriting workshops in the past but nothing this extensive and I'm really looking forward to sharing my love of songwriting with others. More info on the songwriting course can be found at: www.uscad.usask.ca/coursedes.html. Scroll down the page.

Other than playing a few dates around the province, over the next little while, I'll be focusing my time around songwriting and getting material together for the next album. Although, Jas, Dave and myself are talking about doing another Sask/Alta tour after Christmas. We'll keep you posted!

Anyhow, thanks for checking in! We'll chat again soon!

Kim

June 24.05

Hey y'all!

Lots of exciting things happening! "The Reading of Morning Pages" video is now on line. Check it out on the media page.

David J Taylor, Blair Finley, Lou Fontaine and myself had another wonderful trip to Alberta. David and I had a lot of fun doing the A-Channel's "Big Breakfast" show - thank you Chantale for setting that up! The Ironwood was a blast too! Jenny Allen and Lyn Elder joined us for Lucinda, and Jasmine Whenham came up and sang stellar harmonies on "Angel". Twin Butte was "heaven" - probably one of the best gigs ever.

This summer is shaping up to be a busy one. I'm looking forward to taking my little trailer up to the Ness Creek Music Festival and Regina's Flatland Festival. There's also some solo shows coming up at Emma Lake Kenderdine Campus. I do love summers, playing music and camping at the lake.

This fall, I'll be joining David J Taylor and Jasmine Whenham on tour through Sask, Alta and B.C., followed by the Western Canadian Music conference in Vancouver. I can't wait!

Thanks for checking in!
Kim

May 12.05

My, it's been so long since I've posted any news. Shame on me! Seems life gets so busy and time flies by. But there's been a few interesting developments over the last little while.

The big news is - we've finally gotten that DVD done! Yay! I'm so happy with it. It's a 12 minute behind the scenes rock-u-mentary. We shot some cool footage in the studio and taped a few live shows. There was plenty of interview stuff as well. We'll be posting a big honkin quicktime file in the next little while. A huge thank you goes out to Glen Sorochuk (director/editor), Albert Couillard (videographer), Sandra Panko (producer) and all the great people at Juxtapose Productions who did such a great job with it. And thanks to my co-stars Dave Taylor, Blair Finley, Dale Swistun, Lou Fontaine and Neil Meckelborg. You guys Rock!

Other than that, we've played some great shows. I was in Edmonton last week at the Atlantic Trap and Gill, where I was joined by the lovely Michelle Boudreau and Jasmine Whenham. Then there was also those amazing shows in Forget, Saskatchewan with Dale and Dave. Who can forget Forget? Thanks so much to Shannon and Dave for your incredible warmth and hospitality.

Other than that, Dave, Blair, Lou and myself are off to Calgary and Twin Butte next week for another little road trip. And for those of you living in the Calgary area, be sure to tune into the the A-Channel's "Breakfast Show" on Thursday May 19th between 7 and 9 am. Yours truly will be performing. It's going to be one early morning after a long night of driving.

Until next time...
Kim

Feb 27.05

We just got back from a great weekend in Calgary and Lethbridge. Dave, Blair and I really had a lot of fun. The sun gods showered us with the most amazing February weather I had ever experienced - it felt like May. Thanks to Corrie at the Tongue n' Groove for your hospitality and everyone who came up and sang a very improvised version of "Hey Jude" as well as other old songs till the wee hours of the morning. Thanks to Annette at the Verge and special thanks to Jenny Allen of the Fates who opened Thursday night's show - you sounded soooo good! I think the highlight of the night was when Jenny, Lori Reid and Jasmine Whenham joined us on stage for "Can't Let Go" by Lucinda Williams - although, Jasmine's solo performance after the show was pretty darned stellar too. And to those of you who came to Friday night's show at Karma, again, just want to thank you for being such a warm, intimate audience - I could tell you were listening. Thanks to my life-long friend Debbie Keller and my manager (and cousin) Chantale Fontaine who shuttled us around Calgary, gave us a place to crash and even came up to sing backs on "This Night" at Karma. One of the biggest highlights of the weekend was also having the opportunity to chat with Luka Symons at CKUA. You work for a great station and we all appreciate your support of indie music.

We met a lot of wonderful people along the way - it was such a pleasure and I hope we can all stay in touch. Dave and Blair, you guys are amazing! The trip wouldn't have been the same without you.

Well, I think I covered all the highlights of the weekend except for sharing the story of how I accidentally spit my gum on Dave Taylor while dining in Jann Arden's restaurant. It was somewhat embarrassing but I don't think any of us have laughed that hard in years.

Next stop - Forget, Saskatchewan on March 18 and 19.

Talk to you soon,
Kim

Feb 20.05

We're gearing up to head out back to Alberta for a short tour. This time out, I'll be accompanied by Blair Finley on Dobro and Acoustic, and Dave Taylor on Rhodes piano. See the dates page for details. And for those of you living in the Calgary area, tune into CKUA on Thursday Feb. 24th just after 4pm. Dave, Blair and myself will be doing a live performance and interview with Luka Symons.

Other than that, I've been working with Juxtapose Productions on a DVD, complete with live performances and studio footage. It is being directed by Glen Sorochuk and shot by Albert Couillard. We're having a lot of fun working on this project. It should be complete and packaged by the end of March, 2005. Details to follow.

Nov 22.04

Hi All,

Just got back from a great weekend in Regina. It was a really fun show and the Exchange's "The Club side" has a really nice vibe to it. Thanks to John and the gang for treating me so well. Thanks to Julie for helping with the door. And, a special thanks go out to Kathy and Michelle from the Frontier Gals, as well as Dave Taylor who joined me on stage. It was a blast.

Other than that, I got news that "Angel" has been picked up as a feature song in an up and coming episode of Renegade Press. The episode entitled, "Giving Yourself Away"' will air Sunday Feb 6 at 7:30 pm on APTN.

Talk to you soon!

Kim

Nov 7.04

Hi all,

I just got back from doing a few shows in Calgary and just have to say thank you to the Ironwood Bar and Grill and Money Pennies for treating me so well. And for any Calgarians visiting the site, thank you so much for coming to the shows and being such a supportive audience. I had a great time! It was a weekend that I'll never forget.

October 28.04

For all the Regina Folk!

A CD launch is set for Regina on November 20th. I will be accompanied by my long-time friend and producer Dave Taylor and Regina's own Frontier Gals will be opening. And, with a little bit of relentless arm-twisting, there may even be some Michelle Boudreau and Kathy Stochmal harmonies in the mix.

The Frontier Gals have been hailed by the Brandon Folk Festival as having "powerful harmonies and stylin' guitar rhythms". The combination of Kathy Stochmal and Michelle Boudreau has been compared to a fusion of Patsy Cline and Emmylou Harris. The Frontier Gals play classic country and catchy original tunes. Hootin' and hollerin' crowds always want more.

The launch is taking place at:
The Club (the Exchange building)
2431 8th Ave. Regina
Saturday Nov. 20,2004
Door 8pm
$3 members $5 non-members

New dates for Saskatoon and Calgary are posted on the "dates" page so check it out!

Thanks for checkin in!
Kim

Sept 29.04

Hi all,

Just wanted to give you a quick news flash. I just got off the phone with Shane Clark from CHAB radio and we had a wonderful interview. CHAB is going to feature "Tenderness", "Naked" and "Feel Good Today" on Saskatchewan Spotlight this Saturday morning (October 2) at 8:00 am. If you happen to be in the area, please tune in.

For my musician friends, do send Shane your CD - he's really supportive of Saskatchewan artists.

Other than that, I'm heading off to the WCMA's this weekend to mingle and schmooze.

Talk to you soon, Kim

June 20.04

Thank you to all who made it out the the CD launch at Lydia's Pub on Broadway. Our all star line up featured Dave Taylor on hammond; Lou Fontaine on drums; Blair Finley on dobro, slide and electric guitars; Ron Clemmens on electric guitar; Angie Slind on bass and acoustic and Carissa Klopoushak on violin.

I had a blast. It was an amazing time and the band rocked!

And a huge thank you goes out to Dave Taylor for opening and Mayfly for closing. And, another huge thank you goes out to Jamie Peever. Everyone commented on how great the mix was. If you missed it launch, check out the photo gallery.

Thanks for checking in.

Kim

April 17.04

My first solo CD - entitled "Morning Pages", which is based on a writing exercise as suggested by Julia Cameron, is finally done.

When we first started this project, I was working with Shaun Verreault (Wide Mouth Mason) and Neil Meckelborg from Meckelborg Music Services. During this time, we tracked "Naked", "Do You Wanna Get On?", and a few others that didn't make it on the CD. Shaun eventually moved to Vancouver and was no longer available to continue working on this project. Neil and I continued demoing together.

In spring, 2003, I went back to the drawing board and penned new songs which included "Angel", "Forgive Me", "Why Me?", "Feel Good Today", "You and Me", "Don't Feel Sorry For Me", "Thankin You" and a few others that didn't make it onto the album. This was a creative time for me and I started to feel like I was getting into a writing groove.

In July, 2003, Dave Taylor came to one of my shows at Café Ultimate in Regina. He expressed a keen interest in working with me and hey - I just lapped up all the attention. Dave, Neil and I started working together in November, 2003, where Dave took on the task of completing the songs we had begun with Shaun, Neil and myself, in addition to producing 5 new cuts, which included "Angel", "This Night", "Don't Feel Sorry For Me", "Why Me" and "Angel".

Once we teamed up with Dave, we managed to accomplish more within 3 months than we had on our own during the past year and some.

I wish to thank everyone who was involved with this project: Neil, Dave and Shaun, and all the amazing players who performed on it.