About Romi Mayes “This is the sort of sound you’d want to hear pouring out of roadhouses as you drive up expecting to get drunk and maybe fall in love.” – Americana UK Magazine
“Music from the heart and soul, Romi makes it look easy.” – Bob Harris, BBC
“Romi Mayes is the hardest-working person in the Americana scene right now. That’s good, because she has a great new record out, and it deserves to be heard.” – Slaid Cleaves, songwriter
“If Ray Charles and Joan Jett had a love child, you’d get Romi Mayes” – Jason Nowicki, musician
From the centre of Canada, deep in the prairies, comes an unstoppable force that is becoming a household name across the globe: Romi Mayes. Suitably pronounced “Raw Me”, Mayes is a straight shooter with heart on your sleeve lyrics, edgy innuendo, and some serious bad ass guitar playing. She writes down home country blues about love, sex, drugs, and the road. She can be soft and sweet or just down right dirty.
Her latest release “Achin In Yer Bones” is another testament to exactly that. Taking home Album of The Year, and Songwriter of The Year at The 2009 Western Canadian Music Awards, she unravels herself from song to song throughout the album, with no filters and no shame. But honesty is only part of the charm, not the main talent here. Mayes also won 2007 WCMA Album of The Year and Songwriter Of The Year awards, was nominated for Songwriter of The Year by The 2006 Canadian Folk Music Awards, and also won the 2006 Whiskey Award for Album of The Year – all for her previous album “Sweet Somethin Steady”. It is undeniable and one can really hear where her true gift rests when you hear Romi Mayes or see her perform. On her latest album, Mayes’ effortless, matter-of-fact lyrical style weaves poetically around fantastic production, credited to renowned producer Gurf Morlix (Lucinda Williams, Mary Gauthier) who also worked with her on “Sweet Somethin Steady”.
It is no wonder a producer like Morlix would come up to Canada in the cold of winter from his home base in Texas to work with Mayes again. “Romi’s writing on this new album is better than ever,” says Morlix. “She’s got the flint and she’s got the steel – everything she needs to take her anywhere she wants to go.”
Commonly referred to as the hardest working musician in Canada, Mayes tours steadily and relentlessly across the globe from solo shows in smaller venues to rowdy rockin bar shows to tightly arranged full band sold out theatre shows. She has shared the stage with the likes of Ricky Skaggs, Iris Dement, Guy Clark, Derek Trucks, Jim Cuddy, The Flatlanders, Slaid Cleaves, Martha Wainwright, Hayes Carll, Fred Eaglesmith, Corb Lund, Billy Joe Shaver, Sue Foley, Blackie and The Rodeo Kings, Dale Watson and many many more. Romi Mayes is charming, passionate, comedic, and with whiskey in one hand and a cigarette in the other can out-cuss any sailor on a Saturday night.
About Billy Manzik
Billy Manzik’s musical journey began where Highway 61, the “Blues Highway” ends, in Thunder Bay Ontario. The soundtrack for his upbringing was provided by his guitar slinging, country singing mother, and influenced by roots rock, old rhythm and blues, and even (gasp) the metal bands of the 80’s, not to mention Billy’s penchant for wandering the continent. The result is a driving blues rock sound, complete with catchy riffs, lyrical hooks and a ‘feel-good’ toe tapping kind of style.
Billy’s new release ‘AllTogetherNow’ packages this sound into one beautiful and diverse album, sure to catch the ear of any who hear it. From the anthemic, uptempo lead out track ‘On A Road’ and the sweet harmonies of ‘Hannah’, to the wailin’ bluesy rock of ’61 Highway’ and the summertime pop sounds of ‘Has Been’, ‘AllTogetherNow’ combines musical ingredients so well it puts the icing on the rock n’ roll cake. Recorded at Orange Lounge Studios and Knob and Tube Studios in Toronto and produced by Chris Wardman (The Watchmen, Randy Bachman) with help from David Gavan Baxter (Justin Rutledge), ‘Alltogethernow’ is music for modern times. Chock full of energy, hope, and a little melancholy, its mostly just plain fun. In addition to Billy on vocals and guitar, the album showcases the talents of many well-known Canadian musicians, Geoff Hilhorst (Deep Dark Woods) on keys, Erik Allen (Jenny Whiteley) on drums, Mike Filipowitsch on guitar and Jonny Kerr on bass, plus appearances from many others. Everyone, all together now!
Watch for a glowing review of “AllTogetherNow” in the spring issue of Penguin Eggs, Canada’s Folk, Roots & World Music Magazine, which calls the album “a powerful roots-rock assault that hits every pop nerve you’ve ever pumped with proteins.” (Eric Thom)
Billy Manzik’s music career debuted in Alberta in 2007 with his self-titled release, recorded at Calgary’s Rocky Mountain Studios with producer Rob Smith, with help from Daniel J. Coe (Aerosmith, The Trews) and contributed to by Canadian icons Tim Williams, Charlie Hase and Bill Zulak. “Billy Manzik” received critical acclaim, charting on several !earshot charts and being featured on CBC’s Key of A. In 2008 Billy showcased at the annual Alberta Sessions (Alberta Music Series), broadcast on CBC’s Radio 2, and kicked off the 2008 Juno Awards with a spirited performance at the annual Juno Welcome Reception. In recent years Billy has played with or opened for such luminaries as Blue Rodeo, Elliott Brood, The Trews, and Colin James. Billy currently resides back in Thunder Bay, Ontario while he decides where to go next!