Cd Isle...CDs by BC island recording artists

The Million Dollar Tip is our first CD. It was released in January 2002. We had a great time recording it with Kate Simms at Bent Sound in Victoria. (Kate has now relocated to Vancouver) It is full of traditional fiddle tunes and vocal hits. There are also a couple of original tunes (the first of many). We had the pleasure of playing with a few other musicians on the disc so there's a nice full sound complete with bass and accordion!

Contemporary Folk singer, Birgit writes songs that touch hearts and souls and she creates melodies that lift spirits. "Birgit's music is pure and honest and thankfully free from cynicism in a world that needs more hope. She writes songs that make you feel glad to be alive", says Juno Award nominee Mae Moore about Birgit's songs. Having starting singing and song writing, just a few short years ago, Birgit has come a long way in a very short time. A two time BC Festival of Arts delegate for songwriters "who show promise for a professional career", Birgit's recordings from her second CD "Running with the Wolves" are part of a soundtrack for a documentary film slated for the 2002 Sun Dance Film Festival. She was invited to sing back up by Chloe Goodchild, artist director of V-Day 2001, held in Madison Square Gardens, New York City. In March she opened for Juno Award Winner and International Recording Artist, Susan Aglukark at the West Coast Women's Music Festival. 

Quotable Quotes “Birgit’s voice touches a deep vein of longing and beauty for the inexpressible which arrests and nourishes the hearts of her listeners. Her singing brings healing balm to the hungry soul” - Chloe Goodchild, singer, musical director and producer Vday 2001, Madison Square Garden, N.Y. “Birgit’s music is pure and honest and thankfully free from cynicism in a world that needs more hope. She writes songs that make you feel glad to be alive.” - Mae Moore, singer, international recording artist and Juno award nominee “This girl has a deadly voice and a way with a lyric that is truly charming” - Ron Hynes, singer, international recording artist and East Coast Music award winner “Birgit’s music fills my space with love and joy” - Ann Mortifee, singer and officer of the Order of Canada “Birgit sings sweetly and plays with intensity. When she sings she opens herself right up. It’s quite awesome because she reveals what a lot of people are afraid to look at and does so with humor and aliveness. Her songs are very catchy and you find yourself humming them. They infiltrate your psyche” - Joanna Finch, music reviewer, The Voice Magazine

Just when you thought it was safe to go into the water, The Bottomfeeders have released their inaugural CD, Waterview.
A compilation of lyrical, whimsical, wonderful ballads, Waterview 
has a little something for everyone, from harmonious vocals
to toe-tapping rhythms reminicent of maritime down-home folk.
     For those who enjoy browsing their CD liners while immersed in music, this one will keep you entertained for most of its 50 minutes;
some great photos, words to sing along to, and titles like (My Gal Left Me For A) Geoduck Clam, Spruce Bug, Drunkest Deckhand, and Gooseneck Barnacle Pickers.
    Waterview is the ultimate stocking stuffer for your loved ones. Decorate it with a clam shell and the promise of a clam dinner,and
they'll wonder no longer what mysteries lie at the bottom of the sea.

Marilyn McEwen - The Westerly News

... it's the album's diversity that makes it easily one of the biggest sleeper hits in recent indie memory. Graceful harmonies around Coral Palm in Wait Some More ... the tranquil image you instantly visualize around the traditional Canadian folk ballad The Jealous Lover ... make no mistake about it - these guys and gal are serious musicians, with the craftsmanship one naturally gains with music they love to play.

A fisherman's life couldn't be made out more eloquently, capturing one of the country's few 'roots musics'.   A refreshing splash of originality is just what Canadian music needed and The Bottomfeeders give you that splash - and all the fish tales that come with it. 

After years of harrassment from their fans,
the band entered the studio in the spring of 2001 and recorded their first cd, Waterview.
It was recorded at Sundog Studios, in Ucluelet, BC, except for the guitars and vocal of 'Estevan Reef' which were recorded in  John's living room in Tofino, BC in 1994, and the drum tracks which were recorded at Wireworks Digital, in Parksville, BC.
The recording was produced by The Bottomfeeders and Rob Thoms, who was also the recording engineer.
Mixing and mastering were done by Regan Myers and John Armstrong at Wireworks Digital.
Graphic design was done by Paul Harris and Bill Morrison at Word Works.

Since I released "One Stitch at a Time" in 2000, quilters from all over the world have been telling me their stories. Some of them made me laugh and some cry. I knew I had to write more songs to share these tales. This music is now available on a CD called "A Quilter's Embrace". It features 14 new songs with the same mix of history, current events and fun that everyone loved about "One Stitch at a Time".

While recording this CD in Toronto, I got the chance to work with some of the top session musicians in Canada, and they did a wonderful job on the new songs. I also got the chance to finally work with an old friend, and top-notch producer, Paul Mills, in the producer's chair. I had lots of help from many, many quilters, who told me fascinating quilting stories. It is thanks to their generosity that this CD has come to be. Here are the songs on the CD:

Quilter's Husband's Lament to hear a sample of this song, click here and scroll down the page until you find the title
I found this poem on the Internet, and have set it to music. It was originally adapted by Shelly Burge from a poem called "A Husband's Viewpoint" and published in her Home Extension Club newsletter in the late 1970s. If you know the author of the original poem (which ends with the husband getting directly into heaven, since "you've done your time in Hell"), please get in touch with me.

A Quilter's Embrace to hear a sample of this song, click here and scroll down the page until you find the title
After hearing about so many charity quilts done by every single guild we've visited over the years, I had to write this song. Each verse is about someone who has received an anonymous charity quilt, and the chorus is the supposed quilt label on each of those quilts. It's been bringing a tear to the eye of audiences so far!

recorded on Vancouver Island 

mastered at Wireworks

Colleen is 1/3 of the celtic trio "The Ecclestons". In Essence is a collection of Colleen Eccleston songs to provide listeners with a representative cross-section of Colleen's work, which had been either unreleased or in limited production, up to 1997. Recorded and mixed primarily in-house by musician/producer/ husband Hugh McMillan, the styles range from almost prog-rock through to nearly country and on to acoustic folk, and features guest appearances by James Keelaghan (harmony vocal), Oscar Lopez (nylonstring guitar), Vince Ditrich (drums and percussion), Brent Gubbells (acoustic bass), Eugene Oschadsky ('cello and arrangement), and Louise Rose (piano).