ACCLAIMED CANADIAN FOLK GRRRL EMMA COOK KICKS OFF 2nd LEG OF U.S. TOUR AT SXSW WITH DEBUT OF THE EMMA COOK TRIO

ACCLAIMED CANADIAN FOLK GRRRL EMMA COOK KICKS OFF 2nd LEG OF U.S. TOUR AT SXSW WITH DEBUT OF THE EMMA COOK TRIO

RedGorilla Music Festival in Austin, Singer-Songwriter Cape May to highlight March run

Toronto Independent Music Award Nominee’s 1st U.S. CD Release, Hit & Run, Set for March 31 Street Date

“Your ears will not be bored (with) Emma Cook’s

sultry voice, witty lyrics, and artisan acoustics…”

— Metro Spirit

“Emma Cook can’t help but be compared to Joni Mitchell…

The raw talent in Cook’s voice is undeniable…

Cook uses poignant lyrics to assert her femininity…

Her singing and songwriting show emotional range and diversity throughout the body of her work.”

— Suite 101.com

“Emma Cook sings like an angel…It’s tough not to be won over by Cook’s

luminous approach to crafting songs [which is] a refreshing change of pace…”

— Red Deer Express

WATCH Emma Cook perform songs from Hit & Run live at Toronto’s Hugh’s Room:

EMMA COOK, who “can be a jazzy hipster a la Rickie Lee Jones, an eclectic avant-folkie like Joni Mitchell, or a soulful ingénue of the Dusty Springfield school” (Muses Muse), is launching the second leg of her U.S. tour with a pair of showcases at SXSW, performing as the EMMA COOK TRIO. Aside from Emma on guitars and vocals, the trio includes GordMowat on upright bass and Tim Shia on drums. Emma will debut 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 kicked off her first U.S tour in February and included a series of shows at the International Folk Alliance in Memphis. The second leg continues through March, including a pair of SXSW appearances at the RedGorilla Music Festival and Music Gorilla Live Label Showcase Series in Austin, and Singer-Songwriter Cape May at the Jersey Shore.

“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’sown 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 2/4 Langdon Street Café Montpelier, VT
Thu 2/5 Coffee Camp Plattsburgh, NY
Fri 2/6 The Skinny Pancake Burlington, VT
Sat 2/7 Radio Bean Burlington, VT
Sun 2/8 Cousin Larry’s Danbury, CT
Tues 2/10 Boulder Coffee Company Rochester, NY
Wed.-Sun. 2/18-22 International Folk Alliance Memphis, TN
Fri 3/13 The Co-Op Plattsburgh, NY
Sun 3/15 The Bitter End – Singer/Songwriter Night New York, NY
Thu 3/19 SXSW – RedGorilla Music Fest Austin, TX
Fri 3/20 SXSW – Music Gorilla Austin, TX
Sat 3/21 Mosaic @ Opening Bell Coffee Dallas, TX
Tue 3/24 Celtic Irish Pub Pascagoula, MS
Fri 3/27 Singer-Songwriter Cape May Cape May, NJ
Sat 3/28 Radio Bean Burlington, VT