KIM WEMPE’S STAR RISING FROM COAST TO COAST

Prairie born songwriter’s career taking off thanks to East Coast support

February 19, 2010

HALIFAX, NS – February is a busy month for Kim Wempe, and one she’ll probably never forget. The Halifax folk/roots artist recognized for a voice as fierce and powerful as a North Atlantic storm has been thrown into a whirlwind of her own, crisscrossing the country with a series of winter festival dates and a two-week residency at Atlantic Canada House for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Pavilions.

But it doesn’t end there. The Saskatchewan born songwriter, whose most recognized song tells her story of falling in love with Atlantic Canada and her move to Nova Scotia, returns from her last Olympic gig just in time to finish rehearsals for performances at the East Coast Music Awards where her May 2009 release Where I Need to Be is nominated for Female Solo Artist and Rising Star Recording of the Year.

“The support for emerging artists on the East Coast is amazing,” says Wempe. “Everyone appreciates music, it’s such an important part of culture out here, and that is reflected all the way up to industry organizations like Music Nova Scotia, the ECMA and the funding partners.”

After a digital release of the record in May, Wempe hit the road with pal and musical soulmate Carmel Mikol (the pair formed their bond travelling together to last year’s ECMA’s) on their “Guess Who’s Driving?” Tour – an ambitious series of more than 50 dates from Newfoundland to Gabriola Island, BC and back to Nova Scotia. The adventure netted them new friends and fans, endless stories and a Canada-wide co-write that will be featured on Kim’s upcoming full-length release, Painting With Tides.

Kim hibernated in Halifax’s Echo Chamber with producer Charles Austin (Joel Plaskett, Thom Swift, David Myles) through January to record the new album which follows her more alt-country Where I Need to Be with a folk/roots sound and added influence from some of Atlantic Canada’s best players including Joel Plaskett, Thom Swift, Chris ‘Old Man’ Leudecke, and David Bradshaw. Currently in mixing, the record has so far been funded by fan support and the Province of Nova Scotia through the Department of Tourism, Culture and Heritage and is currently available in one of five custom pre-order packages at http://kimwempe.com/help.

While no release date has been set for Painting with Tides, Wempe is offering free downloads of three tracks from her ECMA Nominated Where I Need to Be. The entire EP can be downloaded for $4.99 or fans can purchase a limited edition CD + poster package with an instant digital download for $9.99 + shipping. All are available at buy.kimwempe.com where the record can also be streamed for free.

Kim’s music is also featured on this year’s ECMA Rising Star compilation (Where I Need to Be: The East Coast Love Song), the Atlantic Film Festival Music & Image Compilation (Oh Heart) and Spincount Music’s Best of the East Coast Volume One digital download card (Out of My Closet).

Stream Where I Need to Be
Pre-Order Painting With Tides

Myspace: myspace.com/kimwempe
Twitter: kimwempemusic
Or search “Kim Wempe” on Facebook

Kim Wempe on BT Halifax

Hey Halifax!

Tune in to Breakfast Television at 8:40 on Thursday, November 5th to hear a little more about my east coast love story!

Don’t for get to share your love story or a favourite photo and you’ll get a free download of Where I Need to Be (The East Coast Love Song)! Share it…

Carmel Mikol and I are on the “Guess Who’s Driving?” Tour this month and would love to see you at one of our shows! See what we’re up to in the Guess Who’s Driving Tour Video Blog.

Day 1: Guess Who’s Driving Tour -Songwriter’s Circle Tonight at the Company House

Carmel Mikol and I kick off our spring tour tonight with VERY special guest Norma MacDonald at the CoHo (Company House, Gottingen St., Halifax) tonight at 8pm.

Come wish us well as we hit the road for the next few weeks!

Morning Beautiful! (…and the Guess Who’s Driving Tour)

Well hello there folks!

I am just finishing up my morning coffee after watching Canada AM and eating my usual peanut butter toast (yes, I have routine lol…I am such a morning routine person). Anyway…found out that Canadian pork is safe. Turns out even if the pig is infected, the meat is still fine. The strain stays in the lungs. Get that! So…I love how this swine flu is on the news so much that it actually starts install irrational fear in you. You have 100% more likely chance of dieing in a car crash but yup…I’m kinda still scared to get swine flu! lol bhahahahaa. Anywaysssss…

So the weekend in Antigonish was amazing! I sold out my first show at the Justamere Cafe and it was wicked! Thanks to everyone who came out to that show and for those of you who couldn’t get tickets, I’m back with Carmel Mikol on May.22nd at the StFX Art Gallery as part of the “Guess Who’s Driving Tour?”

So…what is the “Guess Who’s Driving Tour?” you ask yourself?! A frickin’ fun time! That’s what it is! Carmel Mikol and I are hittin’ the road together and eventually making our way back to Newfoundland where we had our first trip together and first experience with NFLD together for the ECMA’s! Carmel was driving…and let me tell you! It takes some patience people! I do not know how many times we got lost and she said she knew where she was going! lol bahahahahah. Carmel also likes to think it’s safe to drive 7 hours on 2 hours of sleep! I’m gonna go ahead and say that is unsafe! lol…I love Carmel though! She is sooooo wicked and we had so much fun together travelling around the ECMA’s so we agreed to do it again closer to summer. So! Here we are. She dropped me off outside my house the day we got back, after ferry delays, crazy storms that almost blew the vehicle off the road, duct taping Carmel’s eyelids because she refused to stop driving, finally convincing her to sleep a couple hours because it wasn’t safe to drive and we both had to work early the next day, and finding out that both of our bosses had let us off the hook just outside Halifax! I said, “Well good to know we can tour together, but next time, I’M DRIVING!” lol bahahahahah. “And now I’m going to sleep!” What a time…

Here’s a list of our shows folks! Nova Scotia and NFLD watch out! And thank you Ian Foster for all your help with NFLD! Check him out peeps! www.ianfoster.ca!

“Guess Who’s Driving Tour?”

Halifax – Company House, May 21, 8pm $10
(w/ Norma MacDonald)

Antigonish – St. FX Art Gallery, May 22, 8pm $10

Sydney – May 23, The Upstairs Club, 8pm $5

Truro – May 24, Fair Trade Community Café, 7pm

St. John’s, NL – June 2, The Grapevine, 10:30pm

June 3, Distortion, 10pm

June 4, The Bull & Barrell, 12am

June 6, Rose & Thistle, 10pm

Corner Brook – June 8, The Bar Room, 8pm $5

Stephenville – June 9, Clancy’s, 11pm $5

So…for those of you looking to do something this weekend..check this. I’m playing for my supper, like alot of musicians do lol, at the Carleton on Saturday afternoon! Starts at 2pm and what a time it will be! It’s hosted by Kev Corbett and the others playing are Ashley Condon and Bob Ardern.

Secondly…some wicked gals are on tour, a big boots and lipstick tour that is, and you should check them out! I’m playing with Lynn Jackson and Ambre McLean at Gus’s Pub on Sunday night and Just Us Cafe on Spring Garden on Monday Night! Gus’s Pub is a 10:00 show and Just Us is a 7:00-9:00 show. Hope to see ya out folks! These girls need to be heard “livvveee”!

So…folks…it was nice talking with ya and I hope the rest of your week and weekend is lovely! Don’t forget about Mother’s Day either! I know my Momma is one of the most influential, beautiful, supportive and amazing people in my life and she deserves ALOT back from putting up with me! (Especially in high school…ugggghhh lol) She is the thread that runs through my veins (and don’t you dare steal this line for your card! and if you do you gotta do one of these..-Kim Wempe- ahahahahah) …so make sure you take a moment to tell your Momma you love her and if you’ve lost her, take time to be grateful for the time you had with her and if you tell her you miss her, she’ll hear you…I swear…

“Keep your feet on the ground and eyes on the stars…”

Love…
Kim

I feel summer coming…

Well folks…I think summer is on it’s way, well unless you’re in Alberta and just got a couple centimeters of snow, but I’m sure it will melt people! No worries!

Anyway…yesterday it was 27 in Halifax! We went down to the Seahorse for Music Nova Scotia open mic night and everyone was out…the patios on Argyle Street are out, kickin’, and busy! I walked home in a tank top and enjoyed the summer breeze, humidity, and views of Halifax…Man I love this city!

I woke up this morning all bright and early, thinking if I would have had one more drink at the Seahorse, I might not be feelin’ so hot this morning! Went on to Canadian tire and for the second day in a row they said “We’re all booked up, not today.” I guess I’m driving with winter tires on for a bit because everyone is in this same mad rush to get those puppies off! But I do tend to jinx things so since I made a little fun at the Alberta snowfall, I could be laughing if we get some type of crazy winter storm that blows in. Then again…nope…I don’t think I would be laughing so much as cursing…loudly. lol….

So…the gig at the Company House on Saturday was amazing! Such a great time and I can’t stop listening to Ana Egge’s new disc “Road to My Love”! We got this gig on video so maybe some clips to upload to the dropcard in the next few months if ya got one ;P If you don’t, you should probably pick one up from one of my shows coming up. Just sayin lol!

I’m off to Antigonish today to rehearse for the show at the Justamere Cafe tomorrow night! The show is just over half sold so make sure you buy tickets and reserve ahead of time! I have special guest musicians Donald MacLennan on violin, mandolin, and harmonies, and Greg Hann on drums. It’s our little trio and it’s going to be a great night! The show is going to start at 6:00 and go over a dinner time setting, and I think the Justamere may have a new little menu? If not yet, they will soon and they’re menu is awesome either way! If you’re around Antigonish, come on out and join me and the boys! If you’re not, enjoy your weekend and the sun and the summer breeze….and the fact that you can walk around without a coat on in flip flops. I’m stoked!

“Keep your feet on the ground and your eyes on the stars!”

Peace from the East…
Kim