Kele Fleming
Kele Fleming (/kɛli/ ke-lee) is a Vancouver-based Canadian singer-songwriter and musician. She was a founding member of indie pop band, Hazel Motes, part of the Vancouver indie music scene in the 1990s and early 2000s.[1] Fleming became a solo artist in 2005 with her debut solo album and book of poetry, Songs from the Tinforest. She has since released 2 additional solo albums, with a 4th album scheduled for 2020 release.
Early life[edit]
Fleming's father was in the military and the family moved often throughout her childhood. She grew up on Vancouver Island, Nova Scotia, and Trenton, Ontario.[2] She began writing poetry as a child and started her first band at around the age of 9 or 10. [3] She also sang and played guitar, violin and French horn, but her interest in songwriting grew out of her love of literature. Fleming lists Jane Sibbery and Patti Smith as her musical influences.[4]
I had the opportunity to share the stage with one of my fave artists of all time, Jane Siberry, a couple of years ago. I’ve followed Jane’s work since I was in my late teens and have been really influenced by her artistry and vision over the years. So, you can imagine, it was a dream come true to perform with her!
Patti Smith is another artist who has had a huge influence on me as an artist. Her fusion of rock and poetry has been a huge inspiration for me since I first heard her ‘Easter’ album many years ago. I have always written poetry and her work inspired me to follow my voice and bring my poetry into my music. On my new album, you can hear Patti Smith’s influence in the spoken word part on ‘The Last Apple. It would be an absolute dream to collaborate with her.
Career[edit]
In 1991, she founded Vancouver indie folk pop band Hazel Motes while studying English Literature at the University of British Columbia. The band was named after the main character in Flannery O'Connor's novel, Wise Blood. She describes her songwriting at the time to be interested on religion's impact on women's lives, especially those in the sex trade.[5] They soon released their self-funded debut album, Eponymous, which was followed by 4 EPs. [6] Five songs from their fourth album Twentieth Century Monologue were recorded with CBC Radio's David Wisdom from the show Night Lines. At their most active in the 1990s, the band went on multiple tours in Canada playing at various festivals such as Bumbershoot (1992), NXNE (1995), and Canadian Music Week (1996). Hazel Motes released their 5th and final album Sturgeon Love in 1998. Fleming left the band soon after the album's release.[7]
In 2004, Fleming released her debut solo album Songs from the Tinforest, which was accompanied by a book of poetry. She released a follow-up album World in Reverse in 2010 with songs examining violence against women, family history, and environmental destruction. The opening track "Crowsnest" was inspired by news about convicted serial killer Robert Pickton and her volunteer work with the WISH Drop-in Centre, a non-profit supporting women in the sex trade in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside. Alexander Varty of The Georgia Straight says "if there's an overarching concept behind the disc, it’s that the same willful ignorance that allowed Vancouver to overlook the Downtown Eastside’s missing women for so long is also behind our blindness to global warming and other threats to the planet".[5]
Her 3rd solo record, no static, reached number one on CiTR's charts in April 2018.[8] Tom Harrison from the Vancouver Sun said of the album that it was Fleming being "more free, more expressive, more extroverted" due to her collaboration with musician Ron Yamauchi.[9] Fleming and Yamauchi included the song "Sleeping Beauty", which Yamauchi wrote prior to the album, to express a desire to not "miss the magical moments that maybe coming your way".[10] Fleming delayed a promotional tour for no static due to a uterine fibroids diagnosis leading her to seek treatment first. Her experience has led her to be even more vocal about women's health issues.[11] In addition, she is an advocate to increase awareness of Lyme Disease in support of her sister Lesley who contracted the disease and leads Voices of Canadians About Lyme Disease.[12]
Fleming worked with Juno-nominated Sheldon Zaharko on her fourth album, The Song I’ll Write For My Whole Life due for release in October 2020. [13] She said the songs were inspired by her surroundings while on vacation in rural areas of British Columbia and Ontario over the course of 10 months in 2019. [4] The first single, Vanishing of Bees, was released as a digital download in May 2019 with proceeds being donated to the David Suzuki Foundation in honour of United Nations World Bee Day.[14] Stuart Derdeyn of the Vancouver Sun described the songs as "literate" and "textured" while crediting Zaharko as being able to capture Fleming's "intelligent lyrics and interesting arrangements." [15] Five songs from the album have been released as singles.
She is working again with Ron Yamauchi to develop a sci-fi stage musical.[10][4] She plans to reissue songs from Hazel Motes through Bandcamp. [6]
Discography[edit]
Hazel Motes[edit]
- Eponymous (1991)
- Ragnarok (1992)
- Stand (1993) - Recorded with CBC's Nightlines
- 20th Century Monologue (1995)
- Sturgeon Love (1998)
Kele Fleming[edit]
- Songs from the Tinforest (2005)
- World in Reverse (2010)
- no static (2016)
- The Song I'll Write for My Whole Life (2020)
References[edit]
- ↑ Rockingham, Graham (May 24, 2017). "Graham Rockingham's Best Bets: May 25-28". The Hamilton Spectator. Retrieved January 5, 2020.
- ↑ "Five Questions With Kele Fleming". Canadian Beats. May 29, 2020. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
- ↑ Cherelle Jardine (May 24, 2019). "Kele Fleming". Make a Scene Canada (Podcast). Pacific Northwest Radio. Event occurs at 6:10. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Melanson, Jenna (January 27, 2021). "Interview – Kele Fleming". Canadian Beats Media. Retrieved March 13, 2021.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Varty, Alexander (October 19, 2010). "Kele Fleming's imagination operates on an outsized scale". The Georgia Straight. Retrieved January 5, 2020.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Cherelle Jardine (May 24, 2019). "Make a Scene Canada". Make a Scene Canada (Podcast). Pacific Northwest Radio. Event occurs at 6:55. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
- ↑ "It's official: Winter cocooning is now over". Daily Xtra. March 17, 2010. Retrieved January 5, 2020.
- ↑ "CITR 101.9 MHZ - Vancouver Top 30 for the Week Ending: Tuesday, April 17, 2018". !earshot. April 17, 2018. Retrieved January 5, 2020.
- ↑ Harrison, Tom (October 13, 2016). "The Garage: Becoming Kele Fleming". The Vancouver Sun. Retrieved January 5, 2020.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 "Friday May 4th, 2018 with Chris White, Barb Gray, Allen Roulston". Friday Special Blend. May 18, 2018. Retrieved January 5, 2020.
- ↑ "Singer-songwriter kele fleming to perform at Garnet in Peterborough". Peterborough Examiner. October 13, 2016. Retrieved January 5, 2020.
- ↑ "VOCAL Ottawa raising awareness of Lyme Disease with a performance by Kele Fleming". Daytime Ottawa. June 1, 2017. RogersTV. Retrieved January 5, 2020.
- ↑ "Exclusive Premiere: Watch Kele Fleming's New Video for "Compassion Machine"". Aesthetic Magazine. May 21, 2020. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
- ↑ "Vanishing of Bees" (Press release). May 20, 2019. Retrieved 2020-01-05.
- ↑ Derdeyn, Stuart (November 24, 2020). "New Music: 5 things to know about Self Help by Badge Époque Ensemble". The Vancouver Sun. Retrieved March 13, 2021.
External links[edit]
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