Kylie Fox

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Like the tides of the Bay of Fundy on which she was raised, or the steadfast city line that broods along its port, Kylie Fox has been devoted to honing her craft as a songwriter for as long as she can remember. Growing up with a Mother who would sing to her, and a Father who sat at the helm of every kitchen party with his Yamaha and uninhibited voice, it became clear to Fox from a young age that music was how to show love, how to express identity, and how to connect with the people around her. Kylie’s career in music has led her to share stages alongside names like Bahamas, The Strumbellas and Joel Plaskett. She has showcased at the East Coast Music Awards (2021), Folk Alliance International (2021) and the Canadian Song Conference (2021). In 2020, she participated in the Banff Centre for the Arts International Songwriting Residency and has also been featured on lineups for festivals like the Cavendish Beach Music Festival (2022) and Area506 (2021). She was named “Breakthrough Artist of the Year” at the 2020 PrixNB Awards, and recently named “Innovator of the Year” at the 2023 PrixNB Awards.

Having recognized Fox’s creativity as a child, her Mother enrolled her in the Interaction School of Performing Arts in Saint John, New Brunswick. She found a home on the stage and developed a passion for acting that led her to study theater at Concordia University in Montreal, and a love of singing that led her to study opera at Mount Allison University in small town Sackville, New Brunswick. It was in university that Fox started sharing the songs that had filled her journals, performing at open mics, coffee houses, and to a group of friends who’d compare songs in their dorms. She spent her Summers working as a tree planter in British Columbia, strumming her guitar around backwoods campfires, swimming in endless lakes, and developing a fortitude for hard work.

That resilience transpired in her many jobs serving tables and fundraising to record her songs. She released her first EP BalconyEP in 2017 and toured it as a three piece band called “Kylie Fox and the Hound”. After university, she toured the East and West Coast of Canada as a solo artist, all the while documenting her experiences through song. In the chaos of 2020, she released her first full length album, (Green, 2020), found home in an arty new city, formed her band, and started carving out a career in music full time. She has acted as the music director for the Theatre New Brunswick Theatre School, composer for Solo Chicken Theatre Company’s developing works, and voice teacher in her home studio. She recently utilized her theater training and starred as Dolly Parton in two sold out performances of the Once Upon a Christmas Tribute show.

This year, Kylie has partnered with manager Joe Bamford (The Kings, Glass Tiger, The Headstones and Leslie Spit Treeo) and is gearing up for a busy 2024. She has performed at the Fredericton Playhouse and the New Brunswick Casino this Spring, opening for Matt Minglewood. She performed on the main stage of Paddlefest, and is about to debut at Dooryard Arts Festival, and Harvest Music Festival and represent New Brunswick on an eight-date tour of the East Coast Songwriter Circle. She is currently preparing to release her second studio album, Sequoia, that was made with the support of ArtsNB, Music New Brunswick and Canada Council for the Arts. Sequoia has come to life as an eleven track album, developed with her band and six-time ECMA-winning producer, Daniel Ledwell (Jenn Grant, Fortunate Ones, The Good Lovelies).

Sequoia is deeply rooted in folk-Canadiana elements that have characterized Fox’s career, while also exploring folk-rock and jazz-pop fusion. The album could be described as 70s Sesame Street meets Sharon Van Etten. “The eleven songs that make up Sequoia are reflections on gratitude in relation to the women in my life, my environment, my relationships, and myself.” says Fox of the forthcoming album. The title Sequoia refers to the source of inspiration for the project which struck upon a news story that told of firefighters working throughout the night to prevent a Sequoia tree from burning in a forest fire. “It resonated with me how severely nature and time have been taken for granted.” concludes Fox. Like Joni Mitchell’s “Big Yellow Taxi”, the collection of songs on Sequoia acknowledge moments when something was taken for granted, while also functioning as pieces of gratitude in and of themselves in how they uplift and celebrate love and life.

In her music and on stage, Kylie Fox’s energy is as nurturing as a big sister, quirky as the Phoebe Buffay of the friend group, and present with a voice that has something important to say. As she looks forward to a creative and busy year of live performance, collaboration, and sharing an album with her growing fanbase, Kylie strives to keep her work as authentic as the songs sung in her dad’s kitchen parties, and as real as the tree-planting mountains.

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