Wednesday, March 12   10:00 p.m.
Victorian Room at The Driskill   (604 Brazos St)

  Kim Fontaine - Coincidentally
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Born and raised in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Kim Fontaine made herself at home on local stages – most often stage left – with a guitar, bass or some sort of percussion instrument in her hands. She learned to navigate the industry by touring around Canada with different bands, but then came to realize that songwriting was her true calling. And now you see her centre stage, most-often armed with nothing but a Taylor acoustic and her voice that is well – extraordinarily unique.

Last year, as Kim was heard performing live across Canada on CBC radio, program host Krista Baliko described her as having, “one of the most distinct voices in Canadian Music.” It is often depicted as having a rich, smoky texture with a slight masculine edge.

Kim loves sharing her most intimate thoughts through songwriting that reveals a deep reflective nature. She draws inspiration from newspaper headlines - or by quietly observing day-to-day life. She can make a room stand still with just her voice and guitar, but each time you listen, you can peel away another layer and discover something new in the meanings of her songs.

A few years back, Kim wrote a song called Life Happens (the title track off her latest album) with a lyric that says, “I’ve heard a lot about Austin – maybe I’ll get there one day.” Kim's song will take on a whole new meaning when she performs it at SXSW. This is her first trip to Austin and her showcase may be the festival’s best-kept secret. She will be joined by some of her closest friends and cream of Saskatchewan’s musical crop: Canadian icon Jay Semko (The Northern Pikes), David J Taylor (2007 WCMA producer of the year award winner) and Lou Fontaine (Hot Rod Hullaballoo). They all have an amazing ability to support her unpredictable style without diminishing her occasional subtlety.