Some people are born with a mission. Danielle Bourjeaurd made her live singing debut in a restaurant at the age of 4 when she jumped on top of the piano to help the piano man sing "Stand by Me". At this moment, her parents knew she was either trouble, or a young star, or both.
Her father & uncle played in a bluegrass band called North Of The Border and Danielle's early environment was full of music and musicians. As a young performer, she shared the stage with likes of the Good Brothers, Wendell Ferguson, Jack de Keyser, Al Cross and John Diamond. At bars where she was too young to play, a fake ID frequently got her in the door and on stage.
A defining moment came when Terry Clements pulled her up on stage at Massey Hall during Gordon Lightfoot's 60th birthday show to say "one day if you keep working hard, you'll sell out this room". "Terry was a very special friend to me", Danielle explained. "I was fortunate to be able to play gigs and learn so much from him. I remember his sincerity on that stage, and I knew he really believed what he told me. That same feeling is still burning inside me and it's just getting stronger every day. From the moment I stood on that stage I knew that this is my purpose in life; this is my calling."
The single "Way Too Late" was released independently without a label, without backing and without an album. "We just wanted to get it out there", explains producer Pete Swann. "I knew it was good, and once we got people's attention, the rest of the ducks could be lined up later." The single beat all the odds for a new indie release, climbing the charts and blasting out of radio stations in every province within a month of release. Now that buzz has translated into big industry interest, endorsement deals, writing dates in Nashville and a tour on the books. Swann summarizes, "I guess we were right".
The debut album Raw Truth, now in production, bears the mark of influences from an eclectic range of artists including Patsy Cline, Sheryl Crow, Guns & Roses, Linda Ronstadt, Dolly Parton, Kid Rock, Emmy Lou Harris and her all time favorite Steven Tyler. It's undeniably edgy, pushing the envelope for traditional country into the world of hard rock and classic rock. If you've never heard a female convincingly belt out outlaw country rock, it's probably because few singers have the pipes topull it off, but Danielle Bourjeaurd definitely does. Lyrically Danielle describes her stories as "the days and life of a 20-something-year-old redneck princess from a small town North of a smaller town”.
Look for the release of Raw Truth in the spring of 2012.
