Chantel Upshaw

 

The music of Nanaimo, BC singer/songwriter Chantel Upshaw has been shaped and moulded by a multitude of different influences introduced at various times during her life. In her vocal delivery, you can hear the influence of the Motown records she was exposed to while being raised by her foster parents. In her more ethereal moments, you can detect the influence of Pink Floyd and Queen, two of the many artists from the ’70s and ’80s introduced to her at another point in her life by her birth parents. At play as well are the deeply spiritual music she learned while singing in church, the Broadway show tunes she learned while appearing in regional musical theatre, and the pop music of such contemporary divas as Gwen Stefani and Pink. Upshaw draws on all these influences in crafting her soulful, piano-dominated pop music but still manages to come up with a sound that comes across as fresh and original. A big reason for that is the voice that comes from somewhere deep within her being. Power, range, versatility, control – she has it all. One moment she’s bouncing big notes off the wall; the next she’s feathering the air with the sweetest of sighs and whispers. Upshaw’s star is about to rise – she just recently recorded a new CD with producer Bill Bell who’s helmed projects in past for Jason Mraz and Tom Cochrane – and when it does, there’s no telling how far it could go.

Listen to Chantel Upshaw’s Ain’t No Good

This entry was posted on Wednesday, November 26th, 2008 at 4:29 pm and is filed under Showcase. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.