April 2006

Turning up the heat
Janine Stoll puts it all into This is Where We Bury It

"Erotic I am not," cracks a cool and collected Janine Stoll in the polyrhythmically pop "Novel" as she clings to the sweet, percolating Afro-beat flow and low-end funk fusion like a warm sonic security blanket.

"I think I'm afraid of you/ but the fear makes me hot."

Mere moments later the temperature rises appreciably as the sultry songstress, consumed with desire and prepared "to lose [her] heart," digs into the late night Parisian jazz of "Lay Your Hands on Me," her voice swirling like slim ghosts of smoke fading into the evening air.

"Just do it," she purrs, "before I change my mind."

Which she does, often, along with her perspective in general. Vulnerable and cautious one second, bold and brazen the next, Stoll - Toronto's tough and tender maven of sweet carnal folk - examines the many sides of her personality from the inside out on her striking sophomore effort, This Is Where We Bury It.

"I didn't want to follow the run-of-the-mill top 40 pop equation," says Stoll, mulling over her creative intent. "I wanted to do something that was unconventional, that had a lot more texture, roaming through different genres of music."

She had plenty of help conceiving that texture along the way. In addition to cultivating her own work, Stoll is a member of no less than three ongoing musical projects: The Ladybird Sideshow (a quartet comprised of fellow tunesmiths Melissa McLelland, Erin Smith and Lisa Winn), a more intimate duo alongside the aforementioned Smith, and the six-piece Afro/groove merchants Mr. Something Something, to whom she lends her vocal talent "and dance steps" when the spirit moves her.

Naturally, everyone turns up and tunes in on This Is Where We Bury It. Produced by Mr. Something Something's John MacLean and recorded at World Record Studios, otherwise known as the Gingerbread House (a basement in an old century home in High Park), the 13-track set ebbs and flows much like a personal passion play, as Stoll skilfully takes on fear, family, fidelity and desire at every stage - the playful beginnings, the sometimes conflicted mid-life commitments and the autumn years - with a sense of wide-eyed wonder and contempt.

"I write songs about what weighs heaviest on my conscience, and my emotional state," explains Stoll, adding she tends to favour themes of love both lost and found, and wanting to escape.

"In terms of tracking, and positioning them on this record, everything was very carefully placed. It is kind of a journey, from the lighter songs, to sexier songs, to stripped-down tunes about family dynamics to more ambient turns. I just don't want to paint myself into a corner creatively."

-Steve Baylin, Ottawa XPress

April 2006

"Another singer who's expanded her sound on disc is Toronto's Janine Stoll, known for her work with The Ladybird Sideshow female folk revue and afro-funk combo Mr. Something Something. Her new solo CD, This Is Where We Bury It, recruits members of both those outfits, making it a far cry from her acoustic debut Everything You Gave Me, with horns, complex percussion parts, and stirring harmonies.

Stoll has a sweet voice that frequently turns sultry on songs like "Novel" and "Devour You", and you can hear it in all its glory tonight in trio form at the Orient Lounge in Antigonish, and in Halifax at Stayner's Wharf on Saturday (with Paul Buchanan) and The Seahorse Tavern on Sunday."

- Stephen Cooke, Halifax Herald

April 2006

Sultry songstress comes to Saint John
Janine Stoll hits province in support of her CD, This Is Where We Bury It

Janine Stoll is the first to admit her music is tough to label.

"It has a country influence - it's a lot of folk and a lot of ambient rock/funk. It's an eclectic mix - not your run-of-the-mill," she says over the phone recently from her Toronto home.

This Is Where We Bury It is the singer/songwriter's second CD and it boasts an impressive mixture of sounds through a variety of instruments.

There are trumpets, clarinets, saxophones and kalimbas.

"Mr. Something Something, the back-up band on the CD, offers a Afro-funk beat meets folk sound," she says.

Add to that Stoll's sultry, jazz and blues-influenced voice and you have tracks truly distinctive and flavourful.

It's a record that has been a long time in the making, she says, adding she wanted to take the songs a step further, to bring them to a higher level.

Stoll will bring her sounds to southern New Brunswick Wednesday night at Rothesay's Sessions Café. It's one of four stops in the Maritime region. With Liam Smith on bass and Paul MacDougall on guitar, the trio will perform This is Where We Bury It's arrangements in string-only versions.

Altering the arrangements is an interesting and challenging task but, she says, she trusts the listener will enjoy the transformations. Creating and rearranging is second-nature to Stoll, after all. The 28-year-old has been writing songs since she was 17. With 97 songs to her credit, her 100th milestone may very well be reached while on the East Coast.

And she's in the midst of planning a new album. Next month, she's back to the studio to record her third disc - a more stripped-down compilation than This Is Where We Bury It.

"I want to make my equivalent of Joni Mitchell's Blue or Patty Griffith's Living with Ghosts. The songs stand on their own," she says. The CBC is supportive, she says. This Is Where We Bury It receives a lot of airplay in Ontario, New Brunswick, Alberta and British Columbia.

Two weeks ago she was featured nationally on CBC Radio's Definitely Not The Opera with host Sook-Yin Lee.

The feedback is reinforcing as the singer gathers steam in the far-reaching corners of the country.

Hence the reason for visiting New Brunswick.

"We have a bit of a fan base [in the Maritimes]," she says. We want to see that grow.

After Saint John and Moncton, she's off to Amherst and Halifax, then back through Quebec and Ontario. During the summer, she plans an extensive tour West.

Janine Stoll Trio plays at Sessions in Rothesay on Wednesday at 8 p.m.

-Angela Kippers, Telegraph-Journal, Saint John NB

March 2006

Maybe it happens after good sex. That moment - you know what I'm talking about - when you look at your lover and he is so sexy, so beautiful and so, so perfect that you could eat him. (Or her, depending on your gender and sexual orientation, of course.)

The thing is, though, there is this moment, this point in time when you really want to get closer to your lover than will ever be possible, closer than is practical even, because really, the moment passes and the truth is you want to go pee, blow your nose and sleep uninterrupted and unbothered for a few hours on your side of the bed.

But that moment isn't really gone. It's there, lingering in your mind, burning for days after. It's the reason we pair off. It's the reason we make love, have sex, stay in bad relationships, fantasize about good relationships and, occasionally, forsake all others.

What's all this got to do with a story about a singer and songwriter? Janine Stoll recreates that moment - and who knew there was anyone capable of recreating such a moment? - in one of the original songs on her new CD This is where we bury it.

The song, Devour You is an intimate song - just a singer and her guitar. Penned only a week before it was casually recorded as an idea, a song that would eventually be reworked. But, says Stoll, the take was so raw and so strong she decided not to re-record. "It's organic moments like that I really like in my music," she said.

Stoll doesn't write what she calls "bubble gum pop". You won't find lyrics like these in any overplayed radio pop song: Put your hands upon my face so I can lick your fingertips/Kiss your sleeping eyes, they taste like apricot/I'll boil you in a pot, drink your broth/You are delicious/I will devour you

But then, Stoll doesn't listen to the radio. That's right: this musician doesn't appreciate most of the music that is played on the radio. "Bubble gum pop radio doesn't speak to me. It doesn't inspire me to create," she says.

What does inspire this self-described "soulful folk pop, with a bit of country" musician to create are other gutsy, original singers. Some names are well known: Joni Mitchell and Ella Fitzgerald, for example. Other names you might not know so well: members of bands The Ladybirds and Mr. Something Something.

All this is only a roundabout way of telling you that Stoll and two members from the afro funk band Mr. Something Something band are bringing their big city show to the East Coast. They'll be performing in Saint John on April 5 at the Sessions Café in Rothesay. Admission is free but there will be a collection for the artist at the door.

Can you picture this? One year ago, Stoll had a decently paid office job in Toronto. She worked at a desk in a publishing company, doing work she had no passion for. "I wasn't doing anything that really feeds your soul," she says.

So, 26-years-old (she's 27 now) and restless, she cut herself loose from "the golden handcuffs" and decided to see if she could make it as a singer and songwriter."

A year later, she hasn't exactly been able to make ends meet with her music. But she offsets what her music brings in with part-time web design and has found that "the world tends to take care of you."

There's a lot in that simple statement: there are many who couldn't say it.

The road for a musician like Stoll is long and hard: She doesn't compromise and her songs can have a weight and raw intensity to that may keep them from flying up the charts quickly. Even her sexy songs (and there are a lot of these) are intense. But, that's what makes each song personal and real.

Stoll isn't looking for superstardom. Still, wherever life takes her, Stoll is convinced music will always be with her. "Even if I don't make a million dollars, I'll always play. I'll always write. If I don't own a house until I'm fifty, that's okay," she says.

-Michelle Porter, coalfish.ca, Saint John, NB

March 2006

CD Review: Elusive beauty
Toronto musician to descend on Ottawa in support of new album

In a word, Janine Stoll's sophomore album is breathtaking.

It is something fresh compared to the much less-developed sound from her 2001 debut, Everything You Gave Me. Don't get me wrong, the songs still contain an appealing raw quality reminiscent of her first album, just more grown-up. Her eclectic afro-beat-funk-jazz-bluesy fusion makes her sound unlike any other. The songs are accessible and arresting, the lyrics are poetry. She sings of family, love, sex and leaving, but they're not your typical "my-heart-is-breaking" songs. This is the best portrayal of these themes I've heard in long time. The words are beautiful, conveying a sense of poignancy and, at other times, urgency. Stoll's velvety voice washes across the melodies so naturally, melding impeccably with the beats and rhythm. The trumpets, piano, saxes, clarinets and vocals melt together, creating harmonies that can only be described as lush. I tried to pick out a few favourites to recommend but found it impossible. Each and every one of her 13 songs is inherently fresh and attractive. After just one listen, it seems only natural to go back and do it again, then again. This is the work of an artist who knows her craft and does it exceptionally. This is where we bury it is purely original, slipping through our need to categorize what the music really is. It's elusive and haunting, tinged with a quiet sadness that never whines.

If Stoll wanted a solid record, both lyrically and musically ingenious, she didn't just succeed — she excelled.

-Lisa Xing, The Charlatan, Ottawa ON

March 2006

Chanteuse Janine Stoll our hearts

Janine Stoll’s smoke detector is blaring when she phones. “It’s my apartment; I haven’t lived here that long and I’m still getting used to it.”

Stoll has been a full-time musician for years, and seems to be growing comfortable with the requisite vagabond lifestyle. “I’m extremely transient in that I move around quite a bit. I usually get antsy and don’t want to hold on to a lease.”

A self-taught vocalist, guitarist and clarinet player, Stoll conducts herself with humility, saying “I may not be the best singer or guitarist in the world, but my songwriting is really strong.”

Stoll suggests that journal-keeping can aid songwriters in the creative process. “In the act of journal-writing you’re collecting thoughts and keeping track of everything you go through.”

She also has aspirations to be a short story author, as she claims she doesn’t “have the ability to commit to something as long-term as a novel.”

Stoll says she relies on a little solitude to keep the music flowing. “I try to get away and be by myself for several weeks of the year. I’m most prolific when I have space and time to let ideas breathe.”

Describing the Toronto music scene as “an incestuous community,” Stoll explains that a lot of collaborations begin in her own neighbourhood of High Park.

“It’s a totally artsy area with lots of young families, and it attracts a lot of musicians. I started playing with John MacLean of Mr. Something Something because he lives just a few streets away from me.”

Stoll also plays with her principal side project, the Ladybird Sideshow, featuring fellow singer/songwriters Melissa McClelland, Erin Smith and Lisa Winn. Stoll says the project assembled serendipitously, as “crazy twists of fate just kept putting us in the same place.”

After playing a few shows, the group developed a pleasant performance dynamic as well as strong friendships. Stoll adds, “There’s an amazing symbiosis that happens when we play music together.”

Symbiosis is a buzzword in the independent music scene these days, as artists increasingly rely on teamwork and networking to find success. “Everyone in arts community helps each other out. Everyone needs a leg up to build a career in music.”

Stoll explains that music communities are not like visual arts or dance industries, in which so many people compete for few coveted positions. “It’s one of the most accessible art forms. All you have to do to find success is build up some sort of appreciation from fans.”

Her latest solo album This is Where We Bury it plays out like a bit of a journey, trekking through a variety of styles and subjects. “The first four [tracks] are stronger, then it moves into sexy, personal, eclectic and then family-oriented.”

Produced by John Maclean, the album demonstrates the strong influence of West African music and afro funk pop folk. “People who like new and creative sound will like this,” Stoll says.

She adds that many of her fellow musicians have enjoyed her newest work, and used it as inspiration for their own writing. This pleases Stoll as “there is no higher compliment than the respect of one’s peers.

“The next logical step for me is to write my Blue,” Stoll says. “There are certain records I can listen to over and over, such as Patty Griffin’s Living with Ghosts. I am really inspired by albums that are stripped down just to stories, and don’t necessarily have a huge production budget. It’s important to let words speak for themselves.”

Touring has also been beneficial for Stoll: “I’ve been able to do quite a bit of traveling with [Mr. Something Something] and the Ladybirds, and through that I’ve learned a lot about promoting a tour. Touring is the best way to go — [the] only way to realistically build a career.”

When Stoll considers the ideal way for her career to play out, she insists that superstardom is not the end goal.

“I think longevity is the key. So many times people reach superstardom, but they are just a flash in the pan. You have to build a career — and the respect of your fans — slowly.”

Stoll offers the wisdom of a veteran songwriter to aspiring artists: “Just keep writing. Listen to people who are amazing, use them as your influence, and don’t be afraid to get personal.

“People don’t want to hear dumb music, so don’t use the same old metaphors or equations that people have used in the past. Get specific; it creates a place and a time and a different energy that people can feel.”

- Dallas Curow, The Gazette, London ON

"Janine Stoll just flat out blew me away with her second CD, This Is Where We Bury It. The CD contains a delightful mix of afro-pop and singer/songwriter ballads, with themes of love, sex, family and restlessness. Janine is truly an original and prides herself on putting forth her purest musical gifts, foregoing the temptation of squeezing into one of the many convenient boxes the biz has created for singers with her many attributes."

-Andy Frank, CIUT FM

November 2005

"Toronto is just oozing with musical talent these days, and one artist to keep your eye on is singer-songwriter Janine Stoll. Steering clear of today's highly disposable pop sound, Stoll offers a little of everything-from African rhythms (Stoll often sings with Toronto afrobeat band Mr. Something Something, and seems to borrow a little of their fusion style here) to jazz and funk, to folk ballads and even a country song. There's also an a capella piece done in a layered vocal style similar to American folk heroine Ani Difranco. More substantial than her 2001 debut release, This is Where We Bury It lacks traditional folkie-style restraint and offers mysterious, intriguing, and thought-provoking songs track after track. Stoll recorded the album at World Records Studio, a century-old home-turned-studio in High Park affectionately known as the Gingerbread House, and you can hear some of that old-fashioned warmth in her music."

- Miyoko Ohtake, The Varsity, Toronto

November 3rd to 9th, 2005

Rating: NNNN
"With her quiet, silky voice and Joni Mitchellesque fingerpicking, Stoll will likely suffer a few Sarah Harmer comparisons. While it's true that both rely on hushed, poignant vocal delivery, Stoll proves the gutsier lyricist, going for the bad-relationship jugular with naked detail. She tries to face down the spectre of romance gone wrong without flinching – from coital slide-backs (Lay Your Hands On Me) to the dark moments between when a lover stops trying (Leaving Autumn) and is gone for good (Disappearing Act). While a long list of musicians are credited on the album, Stoll seems to prefer using intimate cabaret-sized arrangements on each track, which heightens her vocal presence and makes This is where we bury it an even more commanding listen. Janine Stoll plays the NOW Lounge Saturday (November 5)."

- Jason Keller, NOW Magazine

September 2005

"Toronto-based songstress Janine Stoll’s latest release is an album full of gorgeous porch songs. Bringing in elements of jazz, Afrobeat and classic lounge, she is reminiscent of Canadian contemporary Feist, and at various points the country tinges hint at Kathleen Edwards. Stoll’s voice and approach is refreshingly mature and rich. Each song weaves delicate tales of love, lust and life without going overboard with total cheese (like so many of her contemporaries). Tracks like “Kitchen Table” and “Empty Bottles” are a testament to Stoll’s talent and ease with songwriting. This is where we bury it is a beautiful album, with Stoll’s songs being the perfect accompaniment to a lazy Sunday Afternoon."

- Stacey Abramson, Exclaim! Magazine, Canada-wide

September 6th 2005 - Come Together Festival review

"The talent at the side stage always amazed me. People looked so unassuming to me and then they picked up their instruments and I was just blown away. I have to confess, Janine Stoll nearly made me cry. She's so beautiful."

- DES, jambands.ca

July 2005

"Remember when you were in high school (maybe you still are…) and there was that one person you could never seem to top? It was like this underlying competition where you just felt like you were born to lose and Billy or Becky or whatever their stupid name was ALWAYS blew you to smithereens. Well get ready for it yet again, ‘cause with her latest endeavour "This is where we bury it", singer/songwriter Janine Stoll shows you that your silly little three-chord meandering is little more than a drop in the bucket as compared to her tsunami of awesome. Flushing out her sound with a vast array of instrumentation (previous efforts have been little more than her sugary voice and a velvety guitar which still find space here) and stronger production values this sophomore release was a long time in the making but with 13 tracks filled with lush harmonies, it maximizes the cliché of “worth the wait.” More mature, certainly worldlier and disgustingly catchy, "This is where we bury it", well, that’s what it does. It buries the grudge right in the top of your pointy little head... loser."

- Keith Carman, Music critic/journalist

October 2004

Dorothy Parker’s immortal two-liner that “Men seldom make passes at girls who wear glasses,” finds a modern answer in the witty songs of hippie-nerd chic duo Janine Stoll and Erin Smith. No doubt, their expletive-laden response to Ms. Parker would be, “Who needs those kinds of fucks anyway?” The two made a brief but engaging appearance at Le Swimming on Oct.14th as openers for Toronto’s Afro-Funk collective, Mr. Something Something.

Though grrrl music, especially the girl meets acoustic pairing, can get monotonous with its perpetual focus on wrongs-done-by-men and epiphanic confessionals, Smith and Stroll manage to avoid such tedium. Instead, this duo takes a light-hearted and funky approach to such typical subjects, more akin to the self-deprecation of Bridget Jones than the heavy handed gothic suffering of Emily Bronte. As a result, what could be and often is a painful schlag through relationships gone bad is fortunately and enjoyably transformed into a celebration of clever girls, disinterested boys, and the lies we tell ourselves to get by.

No stranger to the stage, Smith (of the Erin Smith Band and the Ladybird Sideshow) immediately claimed the attention of the crowd with her big, bluesy voice. The two then proceeded through the set of songs from their new demo, swapping the guitar and duties of backup and lead. As a pair, they compliment each other well. Smith has an easy and relaxed manner with a raw, ferocious voice. Stoll is more coiled and edgy with an urbane air and an earthy sound. Stoll provided a grounded, rolling acoustic backdrop for Smith’s colorful, wide vocal strokes, while Smith lent her pal a bit more up-tempo, loose funkiness. Both have a radiant presence on stage. Their enjoyment at performance and delight in one another is evident.

Aside from the opener, especially engaging was the performance of Lament of the Lazy Lover, which showcased the strengths of the two performers as individuals and as a duo. Performed, the song is a musical conversation, complete with fretting and hand-wringing. The two voices weave together, never overpowering one another, never shifting the balance of power, and culminating in an lushly elegant, harmonized finish.

The demo CD proves to be as enjoyable as the performance with songs for overlooked brainy girls and their sensitive, undatable male friends. Much like the show, the songs are stripped down with only an acoustic guitar providing back-up, allowing the vocals the be the focal point.. Upbeat but contemplative, lonely but not alone, the songs ask honest questions about navigating the tricky route of longing after the wrong sorts of people and things. Comparisons with Patty Griffin (especially her first release) and Joan Osborne are all too appropriate. Best of all, the CD captures the vitality and joy of the live performance, and one eagerly anticipates a polished, full-length version.

Perhaps men seldom make passes at girls who wear glasses, but styles come and go. Smith and Stoll are more enlightened. Being smart, talented, strong, and true to oneself is a more lasting Beautiful and a timeless Sexy.

- Rachel J. Levine

"Just a heads up. Erin Smith and Janine Stoll are the openers for Mr. Something Something (East Coast Tour 2004). If you've never heard of them before, think along these line: two talented, pretty women belting out soulful blues-funk ditties about clever girls and and evil boys."

- Jamhub.ca, October 2004.

"Erin Smith and Janine Stoll...the two acoustic goddesses"

- Chuck Teed, The Coast, Halifax NS, October 2004.

March 28th 2003

Putting your wits to the test

This Saturday The Cellar will be invaded by a swarm of self-described hippies in their van nicknamed Rudy (short for Rutabaga Nugget). Co-headlining the Spring Bling Bling Tour, Wit Project and The Erin Smith Band have their hearts set on spreading the word of groove, funk and world jamination in Fredericton.

Wit Project's accomplished singer/guitarist Janine Stoll took a moment to answer some questions about the tour for The Brunswickan by e-mail.

To begin with, we were curious if Stoll was ever concerned over the frequent use of the word "hippy" as a derogatory term when she so freely uses it to describe herself and her bandmates.

"`Hippy' is a funny word. I don't know why it's got such negative connotations in a lot of circles. My old roommate used to refer to me as a hippy and I always felt that if I was really a hippy in my own personal definition then I probably wouldn't worry so much, might follow my instincts more often, live more simply," Stoll explained.

"If I had it in me, today I would stash myself away on some commune in the country, plant organic produce and paint on Sunday afternoons while the kids play naked in the manure pile. I'd almost bank on it that the majority of the other kids in Erin Smith Band and Wit Project would also consider this type of life pure bliss… Yes, I strive to be a hippy. But not necessarily the kind who goes off to an anti-war protest and then forgets what they're protesting while sparking up another blunt."

Although Wit Project (also including drummer Benoit Laurence and bassist Mike Overton) is a relatively new project, Stoll also has several years worth of solo experience under her belt.

The Erin Smith Band, who are joining Wit Project on tour, also have a handful of albums behind them. The two bands have developed close ties over the years and are even known to freely exchange band members during shows.

"We really love what the Erin Smith Band creates musically. They're simply amazing to see live because their energy is so strong and their grooves are impossible to watch seated," Stoll clarified.

"Currently Erin and I work together on a lot of different levels; as half of the (side project) Ladybird Sideshow, as a Tag Team acoustic duo, and as a Tag Team front for our mega-band (pretty much ESB and Wit Project together on one stage)."

This Saturday, March 29th, Cellar Dwellers can expect all Hippy Hell to break loose as Wit Project and Erin Smith come to our fair city. For more info on the bands, check out www.witproject.com, www.erinsmithband.com and www.ladybirdsideshow.com.

The Erin Smith Band will also be returning to the east coast in May for a tour that includes a stop at MacPhail's Taproom on May 1st.

- Patrick Reinartz, The Brunswickan, Fredericton, NB.

June 13th- 20th 2002

A mother folkin' good time
Call them what you will, these touring Toronto divas
are a diverse yet cohesive group of performers

'We were sitting around joking about the name, " said Janine Stoll on the upcoming Mother Folker Tour.” We were going to call it the eight-tit tour."

Call it what you will, the upcoming female folk extravaganza, set to hit the Whitebone Lounge at UNBSJ on June 20, is sure to be an entertaining evening. Stoll, along with Melissa McClelland, Erin Smith and Lisa Winn, are presenting their tunes in the round, a unique setup which lets the artists perform on each others material.

"Sometimes we do stuff solo, but we sing on each other's stuff," says Stoll.

"There's a lot of funny stage banter. It's pretty different."

The four performers have varied styles, but compliment each other well.

Stoll's sound is stripped down and earthy; Winn leans gospel; McClelland moves towards sophisticated pop; while Smith is a little more rough around the edges.

Stoll believes the quartet will appeal to a wide audience. "It switches up so fast that even if you don't love one of the performers you do not get bored. There are so many talents and styles, it's great."

But it might not be for the easily offended, warned Stoll. "I have a little potty mouth. I say fuck and shit and ass sometimes. I have a review where the writer said I would get the Order of Canada if I wasn't so naughty."

Stoll also denounces the quick assumption that the concert is geared towards females.

"We're women, but we don't look at it that way. We’re four like-minded people who respect each other musically."

"Plus," she jokes, "It's easier to pitch. Four perty gals is easier to pitch than three perty gals AND one awkward looking boy."

Initially planning to take their troupe out West for three weeks, The Mother Folkers decided, "it might not be practical. It's a long trip and a lot of money, so we decided to do one week on the East Coast."

Alberta's loss and New Brunswick's gain. The Maritimes may be new territory for the quartet, but all four are well known in the Toronto scene. Smith has shared stages with pop star Nelly Furtado and college queen Sarah Slean. Winn has pulled off three successful European tours. McClelland has worked with veterans Moxy Fruvous and Hawksley Workman while Stoll has performed alongside up and coming acts such as Martina Sorbara and Andy Stochansky.

"We're all Toronto divas," laughs Stoll. "We're all pretty well known in our own right around here, but none of us have been out east to play. We all eventually want to come out solo to perform but this way was easier to put together."

Landing gigs east of Toronto was relatively simple, says Stoll. "The bookers were really warm, easy to deal with and sweet. It was like, 'We like music, come out and play.'"

The quartet prepared for the tour and raised funds through highly anticipated concerts in Toronto and Dunnville. They raised $1000, which enabled the Mother Folkers to make their trip possible. "The shows went totally successfully, everything worked out."

The Mother Folker Tour sets sail Friday June 14th towards Ottawa and will be in the East Coast by the end of the weekend.

The group is especially excited about hitting Halifax, our Maritime music capital.

We've heard the scene there is pretty cool and we want to come check it out." says Stoll.

It's about mother folkin' time.

- Chuck Teed, HERE Magazine, Saint John NB.

June 19th, 2002 Musical postcards from the alt-folk edge
Toronto gals with guitars hone harmonies

Imagine Thelma and Louise, times two, with guitars instead of guns. You'd have a pretty clear picture of the Mother Folkers Tour, a quartet of Toronto singer-songwriters who've joined forces for a special East Coast tour that touches down tonight in Halifax at the Velvet Olive.

Janine Stoll, Erin Smith, Melissa McClelland, and Lisa Winn are each busy performers in their own right on the Canadian alterna-folk scene, but in the interests of spreading their music a little further afield they decided to take a page out of the Lilith Fair book, pool their resources and head out across the country.

"We're all friends, we met in the Toronto music scene," explains Smith from the Halifax home of Jimmy Swift Band's Mike Macdougall, who's putting the foursome up for a couple of days. "I've known Janine and Lisa for years, and Melissa has known them for years, so we go pretty far back.

"We decided this would be fun, and our music is so different and eclectic that it would be an interesting roadshow. So we packed all the girlies in the van and here we are."

It's turned into a part-concert tour, part-vacation adventure for the quartet - chronicled with daily updates on their Web site -with some sisterly bonding along the way.

They perform back-up on each other's songs, and have constantly been trying out new harmonies and instrumental parts, both on stage and in the van.

"It's a nine-day jaunt, and it's been going really well," says Smith. "We've got some cool four-part harmonies happening. Melissa sort of plays pop stuff, and Janine is bluesy rock, Lisa is more folk and I'm the funk one.

"It's pretty wild, in terms of the mix. We just do it up on each other's songs. They doo wop on my stuff, we do some lovely harmonies on Lisa's songs, and it all sounds cool."

Besides their guitars, the Mother Folkers take turns playing rhythms on a djembe hand drum, accompaniment on the fiddle or chords on a cheap Casio keyboard from Value Village, while their between-songs asides and commentary frequently puts the crowds in stitches.

"We get pretty silly when we're on stage," she admits. "We're very chatty and we like to involve the crowd, getting them to sing along. We get really naughty . . .

"We had a pre-show for the tour in Dunnville, Ont., and we got pretty out of control. Almost all of our parents were there, and we're like 'Are you proud of us NOW?' "

- Stephen Cooke, The Herald, Halifax NS.

June 2002

"Everything You Gave Me is the first acoustic effort of independent singer/songwriter Janine Stoll. Stoll is a supple balladeer whose raw vocal wanderings set against harmonic guitar-strummings make great theme music for your introspective mood.

This is a disc you want to listen to on an overcast day as you stare blankly out your bedroom window, chamomile in hand, ears perked and attentive as you absorb the music. And no, you don't have to be staring out a window to appreciate the album. But believe me, Stoll's harmonic subtleties and vocal variations demand a reflective, pensive mood; a mood often induced by a still and transparent frame.

Each song on the CD seems to be its own window into the netherworld of Janine Stoll. Sprinkled with Torontonian references, Everything You Gave Me is a seemingly autobiographical project, at times sorrowful ("Crazy Ride"), at times brooding ("Young Girl"), but always beautiful. Stoll is an artistic songwriter and an eloquent lyricist whose talents as a live performer have transferred faithfully to this, her first full-length record.

As a musician, Stoll has a strong hold on her craft, with a range comparable to Alanis, a rawness not unlike Ani and a uniqueness setting her apart from both. She is a rising talent worth looking out for and this album paints an accurate portrait of her sound, her style, and her self."

- Lauren S. Breslin, Imprint Magazine, Waterloo ON.

June, 2002

"Janine Stoll is not just an indie music artist, she's also behind www.indievoice.com, which helps a lot of artists. This young lady... my gosh. Her music is pretty simple - ordinary strumming, for the most part, but the lyrics.... son of a bitch! Maybe she'd get the order of Canada someday, if she weren't so naughty. She's a poet man. She's the new Leonard Cohen, Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Lucinda and Victoria Williams.

She's got these amazing stories of love, sex, religion, wild youth, life on the streets of Toronto. Such creativity and imagination. I'm devastated. It's like when you read a poem, and think, "DAMN, I wish I had written that!" She does it EVERY TIME. And she's not one of these people who write lyrics that make you go, "Okay, so what's that all about?" The story is always clear, and it's a good one, but the interesting thing is... there's always a bit of ambiguity - you never know the whole story. Thus, you can play it out in your mind in so many different ways.

Go on - read these lyrics on her website, and I'll interview her in our next issue."

- Steve Kaklamanos, Spill Magazine, Toronto ON.

December 2001

"Stunning and honest - what a wonderful acoustic album (everything you gave me). This CD is spellbinding! Janine Stoll casts tales of longing, summer joy, urban life, country warmth and everything in between with honesty and lyrical prowess. Her voice is full of warmth and depth, but full of attitude and versatility - it alternately scathes and soothes. Highly recommended."

- Nimue Sound, Toronto ON.

November, 2001

"Stoll uses her roots in r&b, gospel, punk, funk, folk and pop to add depth to her gutsy vocal delivery and catchy melodic writing. Edgy and honest, straightforward and lyrically compelling, the tunes on this new disc envelope her sense of hope and humour through the dark and moody material."

- C'est What E-News, Toronto ON.

November 2001

"One thing I know about Janine Stoll is that she has an ability to write the perfect song. Although, she never just writes one perfect song or even a few perfect songs here and there. Consistently, Janine writes one perfect song after the other, each one standing on its own as a masterpiece, brilliant and distinct. Pure, strong voice, haunting melodies, astonishingly mature lyrics and story telling. If you’re looking for good indie music, then this is the complete package. You can't go wrong with Janine Stoll."

- Melissa McClelland, IndieVoice.com, Toronto ON.

November 2, 2001

"Stoll is an extremely talented singer-songwriter who has performed with many acclaimed artists. She is capable of singing in various styles (folk, funk, rock, punk, jazz, country) with unflinching authenticity. With a voice that is at times reminiscent of Sarah Harmer, other times Alanis Morissette, Stoll is an amazing songwriter who has a penchant for melodically delicious songs, both up and down-tempo. As far as the Toronto music scene goes, most people are just learning about Janine Stoll and her talent, but she won't remain a secret for long."

- Lisa Johnson, Imprint Magazine, Waterloo ON.

August, 1998

"She's a siren!"

- Keith Carman, Toronto Star, Toronto ON.

Yummy Quotes from Yummy Folks...

"In my humble opinion, at 22 years old, Janine is one of the most incredible singer/songwriters in this area. She is far beyond her years in musical maturity and poise."

- Singer/Songwriter Lisa Winn, Hamilton ON.