I'm very pleased to announce that my first entry to Beautiful Pain will be about Peterborough, Ontario native Serena Ryder!

Serena Ryder with bassist Derrick Brady.

I learned of this talented young woman by reading a local magazine just a few weeks ago which made me curious.  After I had downloaded some of her music and was very pleased with what I heard I went and saw her the very next day at a local folk festival where she opened for Hawksley Workman whom she's been touring/playing with the last couple of years.

She blew me and the rest of the crowd away!  One of the songs she sang was "At Last" by Etta James which got the attention of everyone in the park.  She's simply amazing.

At only 21 years of age she has one of the most powerful/advanced voices I've ever heard.  She's been compared to artists like Tracy Chapman, Patsy Cline, Etta James, Janis Joplin but she's definitely got a variety of unprecedented songs that make her truly unique.

Critically acclaimed Unlikely Emergency is her newest album which was produced by Hawksley Workman (another great Canadian artist) and released on his label Isadora Records making her Workman's first signed artist.
 

Performing artist and producer Hawksley Workman whom Ryder considers to be a mentor.

Serena Ryder started recording CDs at an early age.  She recorded 4 (all independent) before she released Live, a recorded performance on a CBC radio program called Bandwidth. One of them was entitled A Day at the Studio and two of them being live shows.  The first one she did when she was 15.  I don't believe there are anymore copies available anywhere though.

That's about as much as I can tell you about Ms. Ryder.  The very first song I heard by her was This Song is About You which had touched me in a big way that it brought a few tears to my eyes.  I'd have to say that it's one of my favorite songs by her along with the one from her new album with the same name Unlikely Emergency.

 

If you're interested in this talented folksinger I suggest you go to her website and click on the guitar where you can hear 5 of her songs.  I've also got a few mp3's that aren't featured on the website or even on her albums but I'm not sure if Allie wants to feature them.  I wouldn't share that many since I believe you should go out a buy the album.  It's definitely worth your money.

wailfulrhyme