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Wendy Lands

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Wendy Lands
Lands at Hugh's Room, Toronto, 2015
Lands at Hugh's Room, Toronto, 2015
Background information
BornMontreal, Quebec, Canada
GenresJazz, pop, rock
Occupation(s)Singer, songwriter
Years active1992–present
LabelsRebelette, EMI
Websitewendylands.com

Wendy Lands is a Canadian singer and songwriter, most noted for receiving a Juno Award nomination for Best New Solo Artist in 1997.[1]

Career

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Born in Montreal, Quebec,[2] she moved to Toronto, Ontario to attend York University.[3] While living in Toronto, she was a member of the pop band Double Dare and an understudy for the role of Eponine in a production of Les Misérables.[4] She also began doing commercial voiceover work and recorded her debut album, Angels and Ordinary Men, between 1992 and 1994.[3] One song from the recording sessions, a duet with Wayne St. John titled "All That I Know", was released to Canadian radio in 1992.[3]

The album was released independently in 1995.[5] Lands then signed a deal with EMI Records, which rereleased the album nationally in 1996.[5] By the time of the album's wider release, however, Alanis Morissette had risen to international fame with Jagged Little Pill, and Lands was unfairly labeled by some critics as an imitation of Morissette;[6] other critics, however, acknowledged superficial similarities in a couple of Lands' songs, but noted that the album as a whole was dominated by pop ballads rather than Morissette-style rock songs.[7] Most notably, Billboard called it "one of the most impressive Canadian recordings in years".[8]

The album produced two Top 40 hits in RPM, with lead single "Little Sins" peaking at No. 27 the week of 23 September 1996[9] and the title track peaking at #35 the week of 2 June 1997.[10] The title track also peaked at No. 34 in the magazine's adult contemporary charts the week of 16 June 1997.[11]

She supported the album with a Canadian tour, both on her own and as an opening act for Jann Arden[12] and Kim Stockwood.[13] Angels and Ordinary Men was released internationally in 1997. In 1998, Lands also received two Canadian Radio Music Award nominations for Best New Artist in the contemporary hit radio and adult contemporary categories.[14] During this time, she also recorded a number of commercial voiceovers for companies including Bell Canada.[15]

She then moved to Los Angeles for a number of years, writing songs with Paul Williams, Melissa Manchester,[16] and Larry John McNally and continuing to do voiceover work in commercials. She did not record or release another album until 2002, when producer John Leftwich selected her to sing a number of vocal compositions by Władysław Szpilman for an album released as a promotional tie-in to the biographical film The Pianist.[17]

Lands moved back to Toronto in 2006, and has since released two further albums; Mumble and Altitude.[citation needed]

Discography

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  • Angels and Ordinary Men (EMI, 1995)
  • Wendy Lands Sings the Music of the Pianist Wladyslaw Szpilman (Hip-O, 2002)
  • Mumble (Rebelette, 2011)
  • Altitude (2015)

References

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  1. ^ Chodan, Lucinda, ed. (30 January 1997). "Nominees in Major Juno Categories". The Gazette. p. D9. ISSN 0384-1294.
  2. ^ Saxberg, Lynn (18 January 1997). Remington, Bob (ed.). "Cracking the Boys' Club". The Edmonton Journal. p. C1. ISSN 0839-296X.
  3. ^ a b c "Lands Takes Off With 'Angels'". Billboard, 6 July 1996.
  4. ^ "Lands says album three-listen CD". Saskatoon Star-Phoenix, 21 November 1996.
  5. ^ a b Saxberg, Lynn (14 July 1996). "Pssst! Wanna Hear a Good Singer?". The Ottawa Citizen. p. C3. ISSN 0839-3222.
  6. ^ Provencher, Norman (20 July 1996). "Who Came First? Wendy Lands or Alanis Morissette?". The Ottawa Citizen (Opinion). p. C1. ISSN 0839-3222.
  7. ^ "Travel Lets Audiences See New Lands". The Ottawa Citizen. p. H1. ISSN 0839-3222.
  8. ^ "Ones to Watch: Talent Picks for '96". Billboard, 27 January 1996.
  9. ^ "RPM 100". RPM, 23 September 1996.
  10. ^ "RPM 100". RPM, 2 June 1997.
  11. ^ "Adult Contemporary Tracks". RPM, 16 June 1997.
  12. ^ Burliuk, Greg (12 September 1996). "Appreciating Jann Arden". Kingston Whig-Standard. p. 19. ISSN 1197-4397.
  13. ^ "Wooden Men carve up Bourbon Street West". Montreal Gazette. 17 January 1997. p. D10. ISSN 0384-1294.
  14. ^ Flynn, Andrew (30 January 1998). "Radio awards to honor musical up-and comers". Kingston Whig-Standard. p. 27. ISSN 1197-4397.
  15. ^ "'Smooth talkers pitch with their pipes' Whether selling soda pop or automobiles, advertisers are paying more attention than ever before to the voices they use in commercials". The Globe and Mail. 18 December 1998.
  16. ^ "Manchester's New 'Road'". Billboard, 27 November 2004.
  17. ^ "Szpilman standards enjoy renaissance". Billboard, 23 November 2002.
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