Posted on: February 14, 2009 Posted by: anfnewsacct Comments: 0

EMMA COOK, who the Toronto Star called a “meld of Alanis Morrissette warble with Ani DiFranco angst,” is debuting her eclectic brand of music in the States this spring with the arrival of her first U.S. CD release, Hit & Run, set to street March 31, 2009. Quickly becoming one of Canada’s most vibrant singer/songwriter/guitarists, the Toronto Independent Music Award nominee also will kick off her first U.S tour in February at The Langdon Street Café in Montpelier, VT. The first leg of the tour will continue through March, including dates at SXSW in Austin and the International Folk Alliance Conference in Memphis.

“I’ve had a really positive response whenever I’ve performed for audiences south of the border,” says Emma, “so it’s exciting to be able to continue the momentum Hit & Run has gained by releasing it in the U.S. with my first real tour of the States.”

Popjournalism, Canada’s popular culture and media magazine, gave Hit & Run three-and-a-half stars, noting that “every track has a different mood and shade, but the result is one cohesive story that showcases one of Canada’s blossoming singer-songwriters.” The U.S. CD release of Hit & Run will feature three bonus tracks, not available on the Canadian record, and will be released digitally on Amazon, iTunes, Puretracks and CD Baby. Hit & Run was released last summer in Canada on this gifted young folk grrrl’s own label, Emmazing Records. Since the 2003 release of her first Canadian CD, Manifesto, critics all over the Great White North have raved about the Toronto native’s sound: “Martha Wainwright, watch your back; Emma is going to steal your thunder” (Daily Press in Ontario), and “powerful…fascinating voice…The melodies are catchy” (Brandon Sun in Manitoba).

Self-“untrained” from a classical voice background and with a unique guitar style identified by its percussive techniques, Emma composes intelligently outspoken lyrics reflecting her own strength and individuality, covering issues such as war, women’s issues, politics, and sexuality. She has generated a huge fan base throughout Canada over the past few years, due to constant touring and radio airplay. Two tracks off the Hit & Run record have been played extensively on college radio, CBC (Canadian Broadcast Corp.) and The Verge channel on XM/Canada: “This Boy,” a catchy blues/folk tune about a boy who won’t leave his mother, and the quirky alt-country title track, “Hit & Run,” about enjoying life’s ride rather than just the destination. Highlights of showcases where Emma has appeared include North by Northeast (NXNE) in 2007, Canadian Music Week and Indie Week. She also has performed as part of New York’s Skylark Folk Series, and received back-to-back grants for popular music recording from the prestigious Ontario Arts Council to finance Hit & Run and her 2009 U.S. tour.

Emma Cook U.S. Tour dates

Wed.-Sun. 2/18-22 International Folk Alliance Memphis, TN

Sun 3/15 The Bitter End – Singer/Songwriter Night New York, NY

Wed.-Sun. 3/18-22 SXSW Austin, TX

MORE DATES TO COME

www.emmacookmusic.com

www.myspace.com/grrremma

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