Amy Seeley's Songs Can Strike At Any Time
Wednesday March 28, 2007 @ 06:00 PM
By: ChartAttack.com Staff

Amy Seeley

EDMONTON — Amy Seeley isn't going to let The Trees hide her. Although the Edmonton-based singer/songwriter may often refer to herself as an introvert who hibernates in her house with only a piano for companionship, it's safe to say that the folk-pop artist is finally emerging from the woodwork and taking centre stage.

After being invited to play the Alberta Sessions (an annual event held in Calgary that showcases the province's singer/songwriters) this past weekend, Seeley was introduced to a humbling, tight-knit community of Alberta musicians. This, in turn, gave her an opportunity to share songs from her The Trees Are Glad You're Back album.

"[The Alberta Sessions] were fantastic," Seeley says over the phone in the same mild-tempered tone that streams through her album. "It was the first time I've ever played [the event], and I think the combination of meeting other fantastic artists, sharing the stage with them and meeting some new fans in Calgary was really incredible."

For Seeley, songwriting inspiration can occur anytime, anywhere. Over the years, she's learned how to pay attention to the nagging lyrics or tunes that get stuck in her head, no matter where she is or what she's doing, and discover new ways of jotting them down.

Perhaps it's this inability to leave her piano at home that has Seeley sharing bills with the Great Lake Swimmers at Edmonton's Starlite Room on Thursday and with Danny Michel at the city's Convocation Hall on May 17. Or maybe it's the fact that her songs always end up becoming an entity of their own. Either way, Seeley maintains that no glitz or glamour can stop her from putting herself into her music.

"I think the songwriting Amy is the real Amy. They're the same in my mind. When I write a song, it's based on something I've experienced or observed, or a relationship I have. It might be written in a way that people who listen to it can turn it towards their own lives, but really it's something I've experienced in my life.

"Songs to me are like conversations, and I view them as people. I call songs 'she,' like 'She said this.' And my boyfriend's like, 'Yes, yes Amy.' I'm just the facilitator. If they come to me at any day or point, all they're doing is trying to say what they want to say. They try to live through my experience, but they have something very specific they want to communicate to people."

—Amanda Ash