Leslie Feist
Encyclopedia
Leslie Feist known professionally as simply Feist, is a Canadian-American
singer-songwriter
, both as a solo artist and as a member of the indie rock
group Broken Social Scene
.
Feist launched her solo music career in 1999 with the release Monarch (Lay Your Jewelled Head Down)
, which failed on charts worldwide. Her subsequent studio albums, Let It Die
, released in 2004, and The Reminder
, released in 2007, were critically acclaimed and commercially successful, selling over 2.5 million copies. The Reminder earned Feist four Grammy nominations, including a nomination for Best New Artist
. She was the top winner at the 2008 Juno Awards
in Calgary with five awards, including Songwriter of the Year
, Artist of the Year
, Pop Album of the Year
, Album of the Year
and Single of the Year
. Her fourth studio album, Metals
, was released on 30 September 2011.
, Canada
. Her parents are both artists. Her father, Harold Feist, is an American-Canadian abstract expressionist
painter who taught at both the Alberta College of Art and Design
and Mount Allison University
in Sackville, New Brunswick
. Her mother, Lyn Feist, was a student of ceramic
s from Saskatchewan. After their first child, Ben, was born, the family moved to Sackville.
Her parents divorced soon after she was born and Feist, Ben, and their mother moved to Regina, Saskatchewan
where they lived with her grandparents. They later moved to Calgary. She aspired to be a writer, and spent much of her youth singing in choirs. At the age of twelve Feist performed as one of 1000 dancers in the opening ceremonies of the Calgary Winter Olympics
, which she cites as inspiration for the video "1234."
Because her father is American, Feist has dual Canadian-U.S. citizenship, joking later that she was given U.S. citizenship as part of a deal with Apple.
). She and her bandmates won a local Battle of the Bands competition and were awarded the opening slot at the festival Infest 1993, featuring the Ramones. At this concert she met Brendan Canning
, whose band hHead
performed immediately before hers, and with whom she joined in Broken Social Scene
ten years later. In October 1993, Placebo opened a Radiohead
concert in Alberta.
In 1995, Feist was forced to take time off from music to recover from vocal cord damage. She moved from Calgary to Toronto in 1996. That year she was asked by Noah Mintz
of hHead
to play bass in his solo project Noah's Arkweld. She played the bass guitar in Noah's Arkweld for a year despite never having played bass before. In 1998, she became the rhythm guitarist for the band By Divine Right
and toured with them throughout 1998, 1999, and 2000.
In 1999, Feist moved in with a friend of a friend, Merrill Nisker, who then began to perform as electro-punk musician Peaches
. Feist worked the back of the stage at Peaches' shows, using a sock puppet
and calling herself "Bitch Lap Lap". The two also toured together in England from 2000–2001, staying with Justine Frischmann
of Elastica
and M.I.A.
Feist appeared as a guest vocalist on The Teaches of Peaches
. Feist appears in Peaches' video for the song "Lovertits
", suggestively rubbing and licking a bike. Later, Feist covered this song with Gonzales
(whom she met while touring with Peaches) on her album "Open Season." In 2006, Feist contributed backup vocals on a track entitled "Give 'Er", which appeared on Peaches'
album Impeach My Bush
.
, was released in 1999. It is composed of 10 songs, including "Monarch" and "That's What I Say, It's Not What I Mean." Monarch (Lay Your Jewelled Head Down) was produced by Dan Kurtz who would later form Dragonette
.
, adding vocals to many tracks after being forbidden to play guitar by defacto bandleader Kevin Drew
. She subsequently recorded You Forgot It in People
with the band. While on tour in Europe with Gonzales, they began recording new versions of her home recorded Red Demos, which would later become her major label debut Let It Die
. Let It Die featured both original compositions and covers, and Feist has been noted both as a songwriter and as an innovative interpreter of other artists' songs.
After the recording of Let It Die, Feist moved to Paris. While in Europe, she collaborated with Norwegian duo Kings of Convenience
as co-writer and guest vocalist on their album Riot on an Empty Street, singing on "Know How," and "The Build Up." She also co-wrote and sang "The Simple Story" as a duet with Jane Birkin
on her album Rendezvous.
Feist toured during 2004, 2005 and 2006 through North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia supporting Let It Die
. She won two Canadian Juno Award
s for "Best New Artist" and "Best Alternative Rock Album" in 2004. Sales of Let It Die totaled 500,000 internationally, and she was awarded a platinum record in Canada, as well as a gold album in France. Fellow Canadian Buck 65
appeared in the Feist-directed music video for "One Evening," which was also nominated for Video of the Year at the 2004 Juno Awards.
In 2005, Feist contributed to the UNICEF benefit song "Do They Know It's Hallowe'en?
" The track "Mushaboom" was used in an advert for a Lacoste men's fragrance, as well as in the film 500 Days of Summer
.
An album of remixes and collaborations, Open Season
, was released on 18 April 2006.
Feist also lent her voice to the two tracks "La Même Histoire" and "We're All in the Dance" for the soundtrack to the 2006 film Paris, je t'aime
.
, Mocky
, Jamie Lidell
, and Renaud Letang, as well as her touring band Bryden Baird, Jesse Baird, Julian Brown of Apostle of Hustle
, and Afie Jurvanen of Paso Mino.
Feist's third solo album, The Reminder
, was released on 23 April 2007 in Europe, and on 1 May 2007 in Canada, the USA, and the rest of the world. She toured worldwide to promote the album. The album features "1234
," a song co-written by New Buffalo's Sally Seltmann, that became a surprise hit after being featured in a commercial for the iPod nano
, hitting #8 in the US, a rare feat for indie rock
musicians and even more notable since it hit the Top Ten on the strength of downloads alone. She has been lauded in the press and was featured on the cover of the New York Times arts section in June 2007. The Reminder
had sold worldwide over 1,000,000 copies and is certified gold in the U.S. The album also won a 2008 Juno Award
for "Album of the Year"
on 6 April 2008 in Calgary, Alberta.
Videos for many of the singles were directed by Patrick Daughters
, who previously directed the video for "Mushaboom" and went on to direct "1234," "My Moon, My Man," and "I Feel It All." "1234" and "My Moon, My Man" were choreographed by the acclaimed choreographer & dancer Noemie Lafrance
. The video for Honey, Honey features the work of avant-garde puppet troupe, The Old Trout Puppet Workshop
.
"I Feel It All
" was featured in the UK teen comedy The Inbetweeners
and was used in the film The Accidental Husband
. "Honey Honey" was featured in The L Word
(episode 5.06, "Lights! Camera! Action!"). "I Feel It All" was featured in the 2008 film The Women
. Popular German DJ Boys Noize
remixed "My Moon, My Man," which appears on his 2007 debut album Oi Oi Oi
. The DJ has also been known to close sets with the remix. In January 2009, Bon Iver
played a cover of Feist's "The Park" from The Reminder on Australian radio's Triple J
. The song Limit to Your Love was featured in season 2, episode 1 of British teen drama skins
, and was used in the film The Accidental Husband
.
magazine named "1234" one of The 10 Best Songs of 2007, ranking it at #2. Writer Josh Tyrangiel
called the song a “masterpiece,” praising Feist for singing it "with a mixture of wisdom and exuberance that's all her own". On 6 April 2008, Feist won a Juno Award
for the single as "Single of the Year"
.
Feist performed an alternate version of "1234" on Sesame Street
during its 39th season, teaching children to count to the number four. She also sang with Elmo on the same episode. She said working with the Muppets was a career highlight.
and David Fox in the silent role of "Mother." This film was streamed from Pitchfork.com for a week starting on 2 March 2009. In an interview with the site, Feist described the experience of being in this movie as "watching a movie while being in a movie."
’s and Blender
’s Breakout Artist of the Year.
Feist was photographed by Annie Leibovitz
for the November 2007 issue of Vanity Fair
as part of a photo essay on folk music. On 3 November that year, she performed "1234
" and "I Feel It All
" on Saturday Night Live
.
Feist was on the cover of the Spring 2008 edition of Naked Eye
. On 28 April, Feist was interviewed by Stephen Colbert
. At the end of the show she performed "I Feel It All," while Colbert donned Feist's blue, sequined, strapless jumpsuit from the "1234
" video. Feist joined Colbert again on his first-ever Christmas special, A Colbert Christmas: The Greatest Gift of All!
, which first aired on 23 November 2008. She played an angel working for Heaven's overloaded phone (prayer) service. She also accompanied the Disko Bay Expedition of Cape Farewell
. On 20 October 2008, she told The Canadian Press that, following the success of her last album, The Reminder
, she felt she needed to step away from the pressures of the music industry to consider her next career move and "rest for a minute".
In March 2009, it was announced that she would make a guest appearance on the track "You and I" on Wilco's
seventh album
.
In 2009, Feist was featured in the CTV
television film "My Musical Brain" with neuroscientist and writer Daniel Levitin
, based on Levitin's bestselling book This Is Your Brain On Music
.
Feist collaborated with Brooklyn band Grizzly Bear
on the song "Service Bell" for the AIDS charity the Red Hot Organization
. This song appears on Red Hot's album Dark Was the Night
, and she joined the band in June 2009 during their Toronto show to sing this song and contribute backing vocals to the song "Two Weeks." She also collaborated with Ben Gibbard
on a cover of Vashti Bunyan
's "Train Song" for the same Dark Was the Night
album.
In June 2009, she re-joined Broken Social Scene
at a North by Northeast
performance celebrating the launch of the band's biography entitled This Book Is Broken
, in which she is prominently featured. This contradicted various rumors saying that it was unlikely Feist would ever play with the band again; this was the first of several appearances with BSS. She performed with Broken Social Scene during their 11 July 2009 concert at Toronto's Harbourfront Centre, singing and playing guitar through most of the concert, as well as performing a medley of her solo songs with Kevin Drew and his solo songs. The concert was filmed by director Bruce Macdonald and released as This Movie Is Broken
. She sings on Broken Social Scene's most recent album Forgiveness Rock Record
. She performed with the band again in June 2010 on Olympic Island, and at the Sound Academy in Toronto on 9 and 10 December 2010.
Feist joined Beck
, Wilco, Jamie Lidell
and James Gadson
in a Los Angeles studio covering Skip Spence
's Oar
as part of Beck's Record Club series, with videos appearing on Beck's website beginning November 2009.
She also contributed vocals on Constant Companion the second album from Canadian songwriter Doug Paisley
. Feist sings on the tracks "What I Saw" and the duet "Don't Make Me Wait". The album was released 12 October 2010.
Her song "Limit to Your Love
" was covered by British pop artist James Blake
and later remixed as a Dubstep track by Benny Bennassi and played to high acclaim at the 2011 Ultra Music Festival.
On 7 July 2011, Feist with Radiohead
's Colin Greenwood
, Air's Nicolas Godin, The Hotrats and Soap&Skin
performed The Velvet Underground
and Nico
's Femme Fatale
at an all-star gig "The Velvet Underground Revisited" which took place in Cité de la Musique
, Paris.
Her album Metals
was released on 30 September 2011. Collaborators include Valgeir Sigurðsson
, Chilly Gonzales, and Mocky
. Metals
also includes duets with Vanessa Carlton
, and Marina & The Diamonds
. The album received widespread acclaim from music critic
s. It achieved an overall rating of 7.6/10 at AnyDecentMusic?
based on 32 reviews.
In 2012, Feist plans to cover a song from the progressive metal band Mastodon
, with Mastodon also covering Feist, and release both songs on a split 7" on Record Store Day
.
. The film was released on DVD in December 2010, and a limited series of screenings were conducted including a Toronto screening at the Royal Ontario Museum, which featured a post-film interview of Feist by George Stroumboulopouloses.
The film focuses on the recording of The Reminder as well as the development of the tour through puppetry and projection. The film includes interviews with band member Afie Jurvanen; producer Chilly Gonzales; Broken Social Scene bandmates Kevin Drew and Andrew Whiteman; and video director Patrick Daughters.
Bonus materials on the DVD include "This One Jam", an early performance of Feist with Gonzales at Trash Club; live performances from the Reminder tour; and two short films: "The Water" starring Feist and "Departures" starring Kevin Drew and based on an idea by Feist. A CD is also included that contains the documentary soundtrack (tracks from the Reminder re-interpreted and performed by Gonzales), live performances by Feist, as well as two versions of the title track, "Look at What the Light Did Now", one of which was recorded as a duet with the song's writer, American musician Kyle Field
.
Canadian-American
A Canadian American is someone who was born or someone who grew up in Canada then moved to the United States. The term is particularly apt when applied or self-applied to people with strong ties to Canada, such as those who have lived a significant portion of their lives in, or were educated in,...
singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
, both as a solo artist and as a member of the indie rock
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
group Broken Social Scene
Broken Social Scene
Broken Social Scene is a Canadian indie rock band, a musical collective including as few as six and as many as nineteen members, formed in 1999 by Kevin Drew and Brendan Canning. Most of its members currently play in various other groups and solo projects, mainly based around the city of Toronto...
.
Feist launched her solo music career in 1999 with the release Monarch (Lay Your Jewelled Head Down)
Monarch (Lay Your Jewelled Head Down)
Monarch is a 1999 album by Feist. It was recorded in Toronto and mixed at Hamilton's Catherine North Studio. Sold primarily at shows, Monarch became an underground hit, even generating a music video from the single "It's Cool To Love Your Family", featuring a band composed of Canadian musicians...
, which failed on charts worldwide. Her subsequent studio albums, Let It Die
Let It Die
-Personnel:* Gonzales – piano, various instruments* Feist – guitar, vocals* Julien Chirol – trombone* Frédéric Coudere – saxophone-Album:...
, released in 2004, and The Reminder
The Reminder
The Reminder is the third full-length album by indie artist Feist. It was released on April 23, 2007 in countries outside of North America, and May 1, 2007 in the United States and Canada....
, released in 2007, were critically acclaimed and commercially successful, selling over 2.5 million copies. The Reminder earned Feist four Grammy nominations, including a nomination for Best New Artist
Grammy Award for Best New Artist
The Grammy Award for Best New Artist has been awarded since 1959. Years reflect the year in which the Grammy Awards were handed out, for records released in the previous year. The award was not presented in 1967...
. She was the top winner at the 2008 Juno Awards
Juno Awards of 2008
The Juno Awards of 2008 were held in Calgary, Alberta, Canada on the weekend ending 6 April 2008. These ceremonies honoured music industry achievements in Canada in the latter part of 2006 and in most of 2007....
in Calgary with five awards, including Songwriter of the Year
Juno Award for Songwriter of the Year
The Juno Award for "Songwriter of the Year" has been awarded since 1971, as recognition each year for the best songwriter in Canada. It was also known as the Juno Award for "Composer of the Year" from 1975 to 1990.-Best Songwriter :...
, Artist of the Year
Juno Award for Artist of the Year
The Juno Award for Artist of the Year has been awarded since 2002 as recognition each year for the best artist/musician in Canada. The category was originally divided by sex...
, Pop Album of the Year
Juno Award for Pop Album of the Year
The Juno Award for "Pop Album of the Year" has been awarded since 1999, as recognition each year for the best pop album in Canada.-Best Pop Album :*1999 - Barenaked Ladies, Stunt-Best Pop/Adult Album :...
, Album of the Year
Juno Award for Album of the Year
The Juno Award for "Album of the Year" has been awarded since 1975, as recognition each year for the best album in Canada. It was also known as Best Album , and Best Selling Album .-Best Album :...
and Single of the Year
Juno Award for Single of the Year
The Juno Award for Single of the Year has been awarded since 1974 for the best single in Canada. It has also been known as Best Single and Best Selling Single.-Best Single :...
. Her fourth studio album, Metals
Metals (album)
-Track listing:-Tour:Metals Tour -Charts, sales and procession:Metals debuted on the U.S. Billboard 200 at number 7, selling about 38,000 copies in its first week. The album earned Feist's best sales week and her first top 10 chart in US.-Charts:-Release history:...
, was released on 30 September 2011.
Biography
Leslie Feist was born on 13 February 1976 in Amherst, Nova ScotiaAmherst, Nova Scotia
Amherst is a Canadian town in northwestern Cumberland County, Nova Scotia.Located at the northeast end of the Cumberland Basin, an arm of the Bay of Fundy, Amherst is strategically situated on the eastern boundary of the Tantramar Marshes 3 kilometres east of the interprovincial border with New...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. Her parents are both artists. Her father, Harold Feist, is an American-Canadian abstract expressionist
Abstract expressionism
Abstract expressionism was an American post–World War II art movement. It was the first specifically American movement to achieve worldwide influence and put New York City at the center of the western art world, a role formerly filled by Paris...
painter who taught at both the Alberta College of Art and Design
Alberta College of Art and Design
-History:The Alberta College of Art & Design is a Canadian degree-granting, publicly-funded art and design college located in Calgary . It was known as the Provincial Institute of Technology and Arts, which was part of SAIT until 1985...
and Mount Allison University
Mount Allison University
Mount Allison University is a primarily undergraduate Canadian liberal arts and science university situated in Sackville, New Brunswick. It is located about a half hour from the regional city of Moncton and 20 minutes from the Greater Moncton International Airport...
in Sackville, New Brunswick
Sackville, New Brunswick
Sackville is a Canadian town in Westmorland County, New Brunswick.Mount Allison University is located in the town...
. Her mother, Lyn Feist, was a student of ceramic
Ceramic
A ceramic is an inorganic, nonmetallic solid prepared by the action of heat and subsequent cooling. Ceramic materials may have a crystalline or partly crystalline structure, or may be amorphous...
s from Saskatchewan. After their first child, Ben, was born, the family moved to Sackville.
Her parents divorced soon after she was born and Feist, Ben, and their mother moved to Regina, Saskatchewan
Regina, Saskatchewan
Regina is the capital city of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The city is the second-largest in the province and a cultural and commercial centre for southern Saskatchewan. It is governed by Regina City Council. Regina is the cathedral city of the Roman Catholic and Romanian Orthodox...
where they lived with her grandparents. They later moved to Calgary. She aspired to be a writer, and spent much of her youth singing in choirs. At the age of twelve Feist performed as one of 1000 dancers in the opening ceremonies of the Calgary Winter Olympics
1988 Winter Olympics
The 1988 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XV Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event celebrated in and around Calgary, Alberta, Canada from 13 to 28 February 1988. The host was selected in 1981 after having beat Falun, Sweden and Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy...
, which she cites as inspiration for the video "1234."
Because her father is American, Feist has dual Canadian-U.S. citizenship, joking later that she was given U.S. citizenship as part of a deal with Apple.
Music career
In 1991, at age 15, Feist got her start in music when she founded and was the lead vocalist for a Calgary punk band called Placebo (not to be confused with the English band PlaceboPlacebo (band)
Placebo are a British rock band from London, England, formed in 1994 by singer and guitarist Brian Molko and bass guitarist Stefan Olsdal. The band was joined by drummer Robert Schultzberg, who was later replaced by Steve Hewitt after conflicts with Molko. Hewitt left the band in October 2007 and...
). She and her bandmates won a local Battle of the Bands competition and were awarded the opening slot at the festival Infest 1993, featuring the Ramones. At this concert she met Brendan Canning
Brendan Canning
Brendan Canning is a founding member of Broken Social Scene and a veteran indie rock performer who has been a member of various notable bands including By Divine Right, Blurtonia, Valley of the Giants, Len, and hHead....
, whose band hHead
HHead
hHead were a Canadian alternative rock band in the 1990s. The band consisted of Noah Mintz, Brendan Canning and a succession of drummers. They were originally known as Head, but added the second h after discovering that another band was already recording as Head.The band's first album, Fireman, was...
performed immediately before hers, and with whom she joined in Broken Social Scene
Broken Social Scene
Broken Social Scene is a Canadian indie rock band, a musical collective including as few as six and as many as nineteen members, formed in 1999 by Kevin Drew and Brendan Canning. Most of its members currently play in various other groups and solo projects, mainly based around the city of Toronto...
ten years later. In October 1993, Placebo opened a Radiohead
Radiohead
Radiohead are an English rock band from Abingdon, Oxfordshire, formed in 1985. The band consists of Thom Yorke , Jonny Greenwood , Ed O'Brien , Colin Greenwood and Phil Selway .Radiohead released their debut single "Creep" in 1992...
concert in Alberta.
In 1995, Feist was forced to take time off from music to recover from vocal cord damage. She moved from Calgary to Toronto in 1996. That year she was asked by Noah Mintz
Noah Mintz
Noah Mintz is a Canadian rock singer-songwriter, guitarist and mastering engineer. Mintz founded the band hHead with Brendan Canning in the 1990s...
of hHead
HHead
hHead were a Canadian alternative rock band in the 1990s. The band consisted of Noah Mintz, Brendan Canning and a succession of drummers. They were originally known as Head, but added the second h after discovering that another band was already recording as Head.The band's first album, Fireman, was...
to play bass in his solo project Noah's Arkweld. She played the bass guitar in Noah's Arkweld for a year despite never having played bass before. In 1998, she became the rhythm guitarist for the band By Divine Right
By Divine Right
By Divine Right is a Canadian indie rock band, led by guitarist and vocalist José Miguel Contreras.-History:The band was formed in 1989 by high school friends Contreras, drummer Mark Goldstein, bassist Liz Teear and guitarist Steve Berman. They put out a number of independent releases before...
and toured with them throughout 1998, 1999, and 2000.
In 1999, Feist moved in with a friend of a friend, Merrill Nisker, who then began to perform as electro-punk musician Peaches
Peaches (musician)
Merrill Beth Nisker , better known by her stage name Peaches, is a Canadian electronic musician and performance artist who lives in Berlin, Germany. Her songs are noted for disregarding traditional gender norms and their use of sexually explicit lyrics...
. Feist worked the back of the stage at Peaches' shows, using a sock puppet
Sock puppet
A sock puppet is a puppet made from a sock or similar garment. When the manipulator fits a hand into the closed end of the sock, the puppet can be seemingly made to "talk". The puppet's mouth is formed by the region between the sock's heel and toe, with the puppeteer's thumb forming a jaw...
and calling herself "Bitch Lap Lap". The two also toured together in England from 2000–2001, staying with Justine Frischmann
Justine Frischmann
Justine Elinor Frischmann is an English singer and guitarist, best known for being the lead singer of the now defunct band Elastica...
of Elastica
Elastica
Elastica were an English alternative rock band that played punk rock-influenced music. They were best known for their 1995 album Elastica, which produced singles that charted in the US and the UK.-History:...
and M.I.A.
M.I.A. (artist)
Mathangi "Maya" Arulpragasam , better known by her stage name M.I.A. , is an English singer-songwriter, rapper, record producer, painter and director of Sri Lankan Tamil descent. Her compositions combine elements of hip hop, electronica, dance, alternative and world music. M.I.A...
Feist appeared as a guest vocalist on The Teaches of Peaches
The Teaches of Peaches
The Teaches of Peaches is the second studio album by Canadian recording artist Peaches, and her first under the stage name Peaches. It was released on September 5, 2000 by Kitty-Yo...
. Feist appears in Peaches' video for the song "Lovertits
Lovertits
"Lovertits" is a song by electroclash singer Peaches. It was released with the Lovertits EP in 2000 after Merrill Nisker adopted the performing name Peaches.-Critical reception:...
", suggestively rubbing and licking a bike. Later, Feist covered this song with Gonzales
Gonzales (musician)
Gonzales, , is a Grammy-nominated Canadian musician currently residing in Paris, France. Though best known for his first MC and electro albums, he is also a pianist, producer, and songwriter....
(whom she met while touring with Peaches) on her album "Open Season." In 2006, Feist contributed backup vocals on a track entitled "Give 'Er", which appeared on Peaches'
Peaches (musician)
Merrill Beth Nisker , better known by her stage name Peaches, is a Canadian electronic musician and performance artist who lives in Berlin, Germany. Her songs are noted for disregarding traditional gender norms and their use of sexually explicit lyrics...
album Impeach My Bush
Impeach My Bush
Impeach My Bush is the fourth studio album by Canadian recording artist Peaches, released on July 11, 2006 by XL Recordings. Guest appearances on this album include Joan Jett, Josh Homme, Samantha Maloney, and her one-time roommate Feist....
.
Monarch (Lay Your Jewelled Head Down)
Feist's solo debut album, Monarch (Lay Your Jewelled Head Down)Monarch (Lay Your Jewelled Head Down)
Monarch is a 1999 album by Feist. It was recorded in Toronto and mixed at Hamilton's Catherine North Studio. Sold primarily at shows, Monarch became an underground hit, even generating a music video from the single "It's Cool To Love Your Family", featuring a band composed of Canadian musicians...
, was released in 1999. It is composed of 10 songs, including "Monarch" and "That's What I Say, It's Not What I Mean." Monarch (Lay Your Jewelled Head Down) was produced by Dan Kurtz who would later form Dragonette
Dragonette
Dragonette is a Canadian electropop group active since 2005. Dragonette consists of singer-songwriter Martina Sorbara, bassist and producer Dan Kurtz and drummer Joel Stouffer....
.
Let It Die
In the summer of 2001, Feist self-produced seven songs at home which she called The Red Demos, which have never been released commercially. She spent more than two years touring throughout Europe with Gonzales. In that same year she joined a group of old friends in forming a new version of Toronto indie rock group Broken Social SceneBroken Social Scene
Broken Social Scene is a Canadian indie rock band, a musical collective including as few as six and as many as nineteen members, formed in 1999 by Kevin Drew and Brendan Canning. Most of its members currently play in various other groups and solo projects, mainly based around the city of Toronto...
, adding vocals to many tracks after being forbidden to play guitar by defacto bandleader Kevin Drew
Kevin Drew
Kevin Drew is a Canadian musician and songwriter who, together with Brendan Canning, founded the expansive Toronto baroque-pop collective Broken Social Scene...
. She subsequently recorded You Forgot It in People
You Forgot It in People
You Forgot It In People is a 2002 album by Broken Social Scene. It followed Feel Good Lost, and was the band's commercial breakthrough...
with the band. While on tour in Europe with Gonzales, they began recording new versions of her home recorded Red Demos, which would later become her major label debut Let It Die
Let It Die
-Personnel:* Gonzales – piano, various instruments* Feist – guitar, vocals* Julien Chirol – trombone* Frédéric Coudere – saxophone-Album:...
. Let It Die featured both original compositions and covers, and Feist has been noted both as a songwriter and as an innovative interpreter of other artists' songs.
After the recording of Let It Die, Feist moved to Paris. While in Europe, she collaborated with Norwegian duo Kings of Convenience
Kings of Convenience
Kings of Convenience are an indie folk-pop duo from Bergen, Norway. Consisting of Erlend Øye and Eirik Glambek Bøe, the musical group is known for their delicate tunes, calming voices, and intricate and subtle guitar melodies...
as co-writer and guest vocalist on their album Riot on an Empty Street, singing on "Know How," and "The Build Up." She also co-wrote and sang "The Simple Story" as a duet with Jane Birkin
Jane Birkin
Jane Mallory Birkin, OBE is an English-born actress and singer who lives in France. In recent years she has written her own album, directed a film and become an outspoken proponent of democracy in Burma.- Early life :...
on her album Rendezvous.
Feist toured during 2004, 2005 and 2006 through North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia supporting Let It Die
Let It Die
-Personnel:* Gonzales – piano, various instruments* Feist – guitar, vocals* Julien Chirol – trombone* Frédéric Coudere – saxophone-Album:...
. She won two Canadian Juno Award
Juno Award
The Juno Awards are presented annually to Canadian musical artists and bands to acknowledge their artistic and technical achievements in all aspects of music...
s for "Best New Artist" and "Best Alternative Rock Album" in 2004. Sales of Let It Die totaled 500,000 internationally, and she was awarded a platinum record in Canada, as well as a gold album in France. Fellow Canadian Buck 65
Buck 65
Richard Terfry , who uses the stage name Buck 65, is a Canadian experimental artist, MC and turntablist. Underpinned by an extensive background in abstract hip hop, his more recent music has extensively incorporated blues, country, rock, folk and avant garde influences.Terfry is also a radio host,...
appeared in the Feist-directed music video for "One Evening," which was also nominated for Video of the Year at the 2004 Juno Awards.
In 2005, Feist contributed to the UNICEF benefit song "Do They Know It's Hallowe'en?
Do They Know It's Hallowe'en?
"Do They Know It's Hallowe'en?" is a charity single inspired by "Do They Know It's Christmas?". It was released on October 11, 2005 in Canada on Vice Records by a cast of rock artists and other performers under the name "North American Hallowe'en Prevention Initiative"...
" The track "Mushaboom" was used in an advert for a Lacoste men's fragrance, as well as in the film 500 Days of Summer
500 Days of Summer
Days of Summer is a 2009 comedy drama film. It was written by Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber, directed by Marc Webb, produced by Mark Waters, and stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel. The film employs a nonlinear narrative structure, with the story based upon its male protagonist...
.
An album of remixes and collaborations, Open Season
Open Season (Feist album)
Open Season is a remix album by Canadian singer and songwriter Feist. Released in April 2006, it was rumored to be a Canadian-only release...
, was released on 18 April 2006.
Feist also lent her voice to the two tracks "La Même Histoire" and "We're All in the Dance" for the soundtrack to the 2006 film Paris, je t'aime
Paris, je t'aime
Paris, Je t'aime is a 2006 anthology film starring an ensemble cast of actors of various nationalities. The two-hour film consists of eighteen short films set in different arrondissements...
.
The Reminder
In early 2006, Feist returned to Europe to record a followup to Let It Die at LaFrette Studios with GonzalesGonzales (musician)
Gonzales, , is a Grammy-nominated Canadian musician currently residing in Paris, France. Though best known for his first MC and electro albums, he is also a pianist, producer, and songwriter....
, Mocky
Mocky
Mocky is a Somali-Canadian singer, music producer, multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and composer.-Biography:Mocky was born Dominic Salole in Saskatchewan, Canada. He later moved to Ottawa and Toronto, and then to London, Amsterdam and Berlin. His father is of Somali descent, but was born in...
, Jamie Lidell
Jamie Lidell
Jamie Lidell is an English musician and soul singer living in Nashville, United States...
, and Renaud Letang, as well as her touring band Bryden Baird, Jesse Baird, Julian Brown of Apostle of Hustle
Apostle of Hustle
Apostle of Hustle is a Canadian indie rock group, formed in 2001 by Andrew Whiteman.-History:The band is more or less the brainchild of Andrew Whiteman, who has been in such groups as Bourbon Tabernacle Choir and Que Vida. He released a solo effort titled Fear of Zen in 1995. He is also the lead...
, and Afie Jurvanen of Paso Mino.
Feist's third solo album, The Reminder
The Reminder
The Reminder is the third full-length album by indie artist Feist. It was released on April 23, 2007 in countries outside of North America, and May 1, 2007 in the United States and Canada....
, was released on 23 April 2007 in Europe, and on 1 May 2007 in Canada, the USA, and the rest of the world. She toured worldwide to promote the album. The album features "1234
1234 (song)
"1234" is a song from Feist's third studio album, The Reminder. It is Feist's most successful single to date. The song was co-written by Sally Seltmann, an Australian singer-songwriter who also recorded under the name New Buffalo, and Feist...
," a song co-written by New Buffalo's Sally Seltmann, that became a surprise hit after being featured in a commercial for the iPod nano
IPod nano
iPod Nano is a digital media player designed and marketed by Apple Inc.. The first generation of iPod Nano was introduced on September 7, 2005 as a replacement for iPod Mini. It uses flash memory for storage. iPod Nano has gone through six models, or generations, since its introduction...
, hitting #8 in the US, a rare feat for indie rock
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
musicians and even more notable since it hit the Top Ten on the strength of downloads alone. She has been lauded in the press and was featured on the cover of the New York Times arts section in June 2007. The Reminder
The Reminder
The Reminder is the third full-length album by indie artist Feist. It was released on April 23, 2007 in countries outside of North America, and May 1, 2007 in the United States and Canada....
had sold worldwide over 1,000,000 copies and is certified gold in the U.S. The album also won a 2008 Juno Award
Juno Awards of 2008
The Juno Awards of 2008 were held in Calgary, Alberta, Canada on the weekend ending 6 April 2008. These ceremonies honoured music industry achievements in Canada in the latter part of 2006 and in most of 2007....
for "Album of the Year"
Juno Award for Album of the Year
The Juno Award for "Album of the Year" has been awarded since 1975, as recognition each year for the best album in Canada. It was also known as Best Album , and Best Selling Album .-Best Album :...
on 6 April 2008 in Calgary, Alberta.
Videos for many of the singles were directed by Patrick Daughters
Patrick Daughters
Patrick Daughters is an American music video and commercial director currently signed to The Directors Bureau, after departing Black Dog Films in late 2006....
, who previously directed the video for "Mushaboom" and went on to direct "1234," "My Moon, My Man," and "I Feel It All." "1234" and "My Moon, My Man" were choreographed by the acclaimed choreographer & dancer Noemie Lafrance
Noémie Lafrance
Noémie Lafrance is a Canadian-born choreographer living and working in New York since 1994. She is known for making large-scale site-specific dance performances that uses the architecture of the city as settings for her work...
. The video for Honey, Honey features the work of avant-garde puppet troupe, The Old Trout Puppet Workshop
The Old Trout Puppet Workshop
The Old Trout Puppet Workshop is a puppet theatre company, founded on a ranch in southern Alberta in 1999. The company's first year of operation was an experience of intense collaborative isolation – the Trouts lived together, cooked together, and worked together. They collected eggs, fed the pigs,...
.
"I Feel It All
I Feel It All
"I Feel It All" is the third single from Feist's 2007 album, The Reminder.-Song information:The song is amongst the most critically acclaimed from her new album. The New Yorker praised its tight instrumental arrangement and Gonzales' subtle production...
" was featured in the UK teen comedy The Inbetweeners
The Inbetweeners
The Inbetweeners is a British sitcom which aired for three series from 2008 to 2010 on E4. Created and written by Damon Beesley and Iain Morris, the show follows the life of suburban teenager Will , and three of his friends at the fictional Rudge Park Comprehensive. The Inbetweeners Movie was...
and was used in the film The Accidental Husband
The Accidental Husband
The Accidental Husband is a 2008 American/Irish romantic comedy film directed by Griffin Dunne and starring Uma Thurman, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Colin Firth, Isabella Rossellini, and Sam Shepard. The film is written by Mimi Hare, Clare Naylor and Bonnie Sikowitz, and is produced by Jennifer Todd,...
. "Honey Honey" was featured in The L Word
The L Word
The L Word is an American co-production television drama series originally shown on Showtime portraying the lives of a group of lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people and their friends, family and lovers in the trendy Greater Los Angeles, California city of West Hollywood...
(episode 5.06, "Lights! Camera! Action!"). "I Feel It All" was featured in the 2008 film The Women
The Women (2008 film)
The Women is a 2008 American comedy film written, produced and directed by Diane English. The screenplay is an updated version of the George Cukor-directed 1939 film of the same name based on a 1936 play by Clare Boothe Luce....
. Popular German DJ Boys Noize
Boys Noize
Boys Noize is the stage name of Alexander Ridha, a German electronic music producer and DJ. It is similar to the name of Ridha's label, Boysnoize Records, which he established in 2005...
remixed "My Moon, My Man," which appears on his 2007 debut album Oi Oi Oi
Oi Oi Oi (album)
- Track listing :All tracks by Alex Ridha, except where noted.#"& Down" - 4:19#"Lava Lava " - 4:02#"The Battery" - 5:26#"Oh!" - 5:06#"Let's Buy Happiness" - 4:53#"Arcade Robot" - 4:14#"Deny Selected" - 3:36#"Shine Shine" - 5:59#"Vergiftet" - 4:48...
. The DJ has also been known to close sets with the remix. In January 2009, Bon Iver
Bon Iver
Bon Iver is a Grammy nominated folk band founded in 2007 by American indie folk singer-songwriter Justin Vernon. It includes Michael Noyce, Sean Carey, and Matthew McCaughan. Vernon released Bon Iver's debut album, For Emma, Forever Ago independently in July 2007. The majority of that album was...
played a cover of Feist's "The Park" from The Reminder on Australian radio's Triple J
Triple J
triple j is a nationally networked Australian radio station intended to appeal to listeners between the ages of 18 and 30. The government-funded station is a division of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation...
. The song Limit to Your Love was featured in season 2, episode 1 of British teen drama skins
Skins (TV series)
Skins is a BAFTA award-winning British teen drama that follows a group of teenagers in Bristol, South West England, through the two years of college. The controversial plot line explores issues such as dysfunctional families, mental illness , adolescent sexuality, substance abuse and death...
, and was used in the film The Accidental Husband
The Accidental Husband
The Accidental Husband is a 2008 American/Irish romantic comedy film directed by Griffin Dunne and starring Uma Thurman, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Colin Firth, Isabella Rossellini, and Sam Shepard. The film is written by Mimi Hare, Clare Naylor and Bonnie Sikowitz, and is produced by Jennifer Todd,...
.
"1234"
Prior to the airing of an Apple iPod nano commercial featuring this song, The Reminder was selling at approximately 6,000 copies per week, and "1234" at 2,000 downloads per week. Following the commercial, the song passed 73,000 total downloads and reached No. 7 on Hot Digital Songs and No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100; The Reminder jumped from No. 36 to No. 28 on the Billboard 200, with sales of 19,000. Following the television advertisement for the iPod nano in the UK, the single beat its original chart position of 102 to become number 8 in the UK charts. TimeTime (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
magazine named "1234" one of The 10 Best Songs of 2007, ranking it at #2. Writer Josh Tyrangiel
Josh Tyrangiel
Josh Tyrangiel is a journalist, and editor of Bloomberg Businessweek. He joined the magazine following its acquisition by Bloomberg L.P. in December 2009. Prior to joining Bloomberg Businessweek, Tyrangiel was deputy managing editor of TIME magazine and managing editor of TIME.com...
called the song a “masterpiece,” praising Feist for singing it "with a mixture of wisdom and exuberance that's all her own". On 6 April 2008, Feist won a Juno Award
Juno Awards of 2008
The Juno Awards of 2008 were held in Calgary, Alberta, Canada on the weekend ending 6 April 2008. These ceremonies honoured music industry achievements in Canada in the latter part of 2006 and in most of 2007....
for the single as "Single of the Year"
Juno Award for Single of the Year
The Juno Award for Single of the Year has been awarded since 1974 for the best single in Canada. It has also been known as Best Single and Best Selling Single.-Best Single :...
.
Feist performed an alternate version of "1234" on Sesame Street
Sesame Street
Sesame Street has undergone significant changes in its history. According to writer Michael Davis, by the mid-1970s the show had become "an American institution". The cast and crew expanded during this time, including the hiring of women in the crew and additional minorities in the cast. The...
during its 39th season, teaching children to count to the number four. She also sang with Elmo on the same episode. She said working with the Muppets was a career highlight.
"The Water"
In 2009, Feist appeared in a short film directed by Broken Social Scene bandmate Kevin Drew that focused on her song "The Water." Feist appears alongside Cillian MurphyCillian Murphy
Cillian Murphy is an Irish film and theatre actor. He is often noted by critics for his chameleonic performances in diverse roles and distinctive blue eyes and general sex appeal....
and David Fox in the silent role of "Mother." This film was streamed from Pitchfork.com for a week starting on 2 March 2009. In an interview with the site, Feist described the experience of being in this movie as "watching a movie while being in a movie."
Present
In 2007, Feist was placed #9 on Spinner.com's 2007 Women Who Rock Right Now. and named both SpinSpin (magazine)
Spin is a music magazine founded in 1985 by publisher Bob Guccione Jr.-History:In its early years, the magazine was noted for its broad music coverage with an emphasis on college-oriented rock music and on the ongoing emergence of hip-hop. The magazine was eclectic and bold, if sometimes haphazard...
’s and Blender
Blender (magazine)
Blender was an American music magazine that billed itself as "the ultimate guide to music and more". It was also known for sometimes steamy pictorials of celebrities....
’s Breakout Artist of the Year.
Feist was photographed by Annie Leibovitz
Annie Leibovitz
Anna-Lou "Annie" Leibovitz is an American portrait photographer.-Early life and education:Born in Waterbury, Connecticut, Leibovitz is the third of six children. She is a third-generation American whose great-grandparents were Jewish immigrants, from Central and Eastern Europe. Her father's...
for the November 2007 issue of Vanity Fair
Vanity Fair (magazine)
Vanity Fair is a magazine of pop culture, fashion, and current affairs published by Condé Nast. The present Vanity Fair has been published since 1983 and there have been editions for four European countries as well as the U.S. edition. This revived the title which had ceased publication in 1935...
as part of a photo essay on folk music. On 3 November that year, she performed "1234
1234 (song)
"1234" is a song from Feist's third studio album, The Reminder. It is Feist's most successful single to date. The song was co-written by Sally Seltmann, an Australian singer-songwriter who also recorded under the name New Buffalo, and Feist...
" and "I Feel It All
I Feel It All
"I Feel It All" is the third single from Feist's 2007 album, The Reminder.-Song information:The song is amongst the most critically acclaimed from her new album. The New Yorker praised its tight instrumental arrangement and Gonzales' subtle production...
" on Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
.
Feist was on the cover of the Spring 2008 edition of Naked Eye
Naked Eye (magazine)
Naked Eye Magazine was a Canadian entertainment and lifestyle publication distributed by Brand U Media on a quarterly basis and then biannual basis.-Overview:...
. On 28 April, Feist was interviewed by Stephen Colbert
Stephen Colbert
Stephen Tyrone Colbert is an American political satirist, writer, comedian, television host, and actor. He is the host of Comedy Central's The Colbert Report, a satirical news show in which Colbert portrays a caricatured version of conservative political pundits.Colbert originally studied to be an...
. At the end of the show she performed "I Feel It All," while Colbert donned Feist's blue, sequined, strapless jumpsuit from the "1234
1234 (song)
"1234" is a song from Feist's third studio album, The Reminder. It is Feist's most successful single to date. The song was co-written by Sally Seltmann, an Australian singer-songwriter who also recorded under the name New Buffalo, and Feist...
" video. Feist joined Colbert again on his first-ever Christmas special, A Colbert Christmas: The Greatest Gift of All!
A Colbert Christmas: The Greatest Gift of All!
A Colbert Christmas: The Greatest Gift of All! is a Grammy Award-winning Christmas special that debuted on Comedy Central on November 23, 2008....
, which first aired on 23 November 2008. She played an angel working for Heaven's overloaded phone (prayer) service. She also accompanied the Disko Bay Expedition of Cape Farewell
Cape Farewell, UK
Cape Farewell brings artists, scientists and communicators together to bring about long-term change in cultural attitudes towards climate change....
. On 20 October 2008, she told The Canadian Press that, following the success of her last album, The Reminder
The Reminder
The Reminder is the third full-length album by indie artist Feist. It was released on April 23, 2007 in countries outside of North America, and May 1, 2007 in the United States and Canada....
, she felt she needed to step away from the pressures of the music industry to consider her next career move and "rest for a minute".
In March 2009, it was announced that she would make a guest appearance on the track "You and I" on Wilco's
Wilco
Wilco is an American alternative rock band based in Chicago, Illinois. The band was formed in 1994 by the remaining members of alternative country group Uncle Tupelo following singer Jay Farrar's departure. Wilco's lineup has changed frequently, with only singer Jeff Tweedy and bassist John...
seventh album
Wilco (The Album)
Wilco is the seventh studio album by American alternative rock group Wilco which was released June 30, 2009. Prior to release, Wilco streamed the album on their website...
.
In 2009, Feist was featured in the CTV
CTV television network
CTV Television Network is a Canadian English language television network and is owned by Bell Media. It is Canada's largest privately-owned network, and has consistently placed as Canada's top-rated network in total viewers and in key demographics since 2002, after several years trailing the rival...
television film "My Musical Brain" with neuroscientist and writer Daniel Levitin
Daniel Levitin
Professor Daniel J. Levitin, Ph.D. is a prominent American cognitive psychologist, neuroscientist, record producer, musician, and writer...
, based on Levitin's bestselling book This Is Your Brain On Music
This Is Your Brain On Music
This Is Your Brain On Music is a popular science book written by the McGill University neuroscientist Daniel J. Levitin, and first published by Dutton Books in the U.S. and Canada in 2006, and updated and released in paperback by Plume/Penguin in 2007...
.
Feist collaborated with Brooklyn band Grizzly Bear
Grizzly Bear (band)
Grizzly Bear is a Brooklyn-based indie rock band, composed of Edward Droste , Daniel Rossen , Chris Taylor and Christopher Bear . The band employs traditional and electronic instruments...
on the song "Service Bell" for the AIDS charity the Red Hot Organization
Red Hot Organization
Red Hot Organization is a not-for-profit, 501 3, international organization dedicated to fighting AIDS through pop culture.Since its inception in 1989, over 400 artists, producers and directors have contributed to over 15 compilation albums, related television programs and media events to raise...
. This song appears on Red Hot's album Dark Was the Night
Dark Was the Night
Dark Was the Night is the twentieth compilation release benefiting the Red Hot Organization, an international charity dedicated to raising funds and awareness for HIV and AIDS...
, and she joined the band in June 2009 during their Toronto show to sing this song and contribute backing vocals to the song "Two Weeks." She also collaborated with Ben Gibbard
Ben Gibbard
Benjamin "Ben" Gibbard is an American musician known as a member of several successful indie rock bands. He is the lead singer of Death Cab for Cutie and The Postal Service, and is also known for his project ¡All-Time Quarterback! and his first band, Pinwheel.-Personal life and career:Gibbard was...
on a cover of Vashti Bunyan
Vashti Bunyan
Vashti Bunyan is an English singer-songwriter. In 1970, Bunyan released her first album, Just Another Diamond Day. The album sold very few copies, and Bunyan, discouraged, abandoned her musical career...
's "Train Song" for the same Dark Was the Night
Dark Was the Night
Dark Was the Night is the twentieth compilation release benefiting the Red Hot Organization, an international charity dedicated to raising funds and awareness for HIV and AIDS...
album.
In June 2009, she re-joined Broken Social Scene
Broken Social Scene
Broken Social Scene is a Canadian indie rock band, a musical collective including as few as six and as many as nineteen members, formed in 1999 by Kevin Drew and Brendan Canning. Most of its members currently play in various other groups and solo projects, mainly based around the city of Toronto...
at a North by Northeast
North by Northeast
North by Northeast is an annual five-day live music and film festival and music conference in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, held each June....
performance celebrating the launch of the band's biography entitled This Book Is Broken
This Book Is Broken
This Book Is Broken is a book written by Eye Weekly editor Stuart Berman about the Toronto indie rock band Broken Social Scene, from its inception to its critical acclaim....
, in which she is prominently featured. This contradicted various rumors saying that it was unlikely Feist would ever play with the band again; this was the first of several appearances with BSS. She performed with Broken Social Scene during their 11 July 2009 concert at Toronto's Harbourfront Centre, singing and playing guitar through most of the concert, as well as performing a medley of her solo songs with Kevin Drew and his solo songs. The concert was filmed by director Bruce Macdonald and released as This Movie Is Broken
This Movie Is Broken
This Movie Is Broken is a film by Canadian director Bruce McDonald, released in 2010. A cross between a romantic comedy and a concert film, the film stars Greg Calderone as Bruno, a young man hoping to convince his longtime crush Caroline to become his girlfriend by taking her to a Broken Social...
. She sings on Broken Social Scene's most recent album Forgiveness Rock Record
Forgiveness Rock Record
Forgiveness Rock Record is the fourth studio album by Canadian indie rock musical collective Broken Social Scene, released by the Arts & Crafts record label on May 4, 2010...
. She performed with the band again in June 2010 on Olympic Island, and at the Sound Academy in Toronto on 9 and 10 December 2010.
Feist joined Beck
Beck
Beck Hansen is an American musician, singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, known by the stage name Beck...
, Wilco, Jamie Lidell
Jamie Lidell
Jamie Lidell is an English musician and soul singer living in Nashville, United States...
and James Gadson
James Gadson
James Gadson is an American drummer and session musician. Beginning his career in the late 1960s, Gadson has since become one of the most-recorded drummers in the history of R&B music....
in a Los Angeles studio covering Skip Spence
Skip Spence
Alexander Lee "Skip" Spence was a Canadian-born musician and singer-songwriter. He was co-founder of Moby Grape, and played guitar with them until 1969. He released one solo album, 1969's Oar, and then largely withdrew from the music industry...
's Oar
Oar (Skip Spence album)
Oar is a 1969 album by the late Skip Spence. It is Spence's only solo album, recorded over seven days in Nashville, on which Spence plays all of the instruments.- History :...
as part of Beck's Record Club series, with videos appearing on Beck's website beginning November 2009.
She also contributed vocals on Constant Companion the second album from Canadian songwriter Doug Paisley
Doug Paisley
Doug Paisley is a Canadian alternative country artist with record label No Quarter Records. He was born in Toronto. Paisley's "What About Us?" was featured in Mojo magazine as part of a complimentary CD entitled New Harvest. Paisley has previously toured with Bonnie Prince Billy under the name Dark...
. Feist sings on the tracks "What I Saw" and the duet "Don't Make Me Wait". The album was released 12 October 2010.
Her song "Limit to Your Love
Limit to Your Love
"Limit to Your Love" is a single by British musician James Blake, released on his self-titled debut album. It is a cover version of a song by Canadian musician Feist, originally appearing on her 2007 album The Reminder, and written by Leslie Feist and Gonzales...
" was covered by British pop artist James Blake
James Blake (musician)
James Blake is a British electronic music producer and singer-songwriter from London, UK. On 6 January 2011, Blake was announced as runner-up in BBC's Sound of 2011 poll...
and later remixed as a Dubstep track by Benny Bennassi and played to high acclaim at the 2011 Ultra Music Festival.
On 7 July 2011, Feist with Radiohead
Radiohead
Radiohead are an English rock band from Abingdon, Oxfordshire, formed in 1985. The band consists of Thom Yorke , Jonny Greenwood , Ed O'Brien , Colin Greenwood and Phil Selway .Radiohead released their debut single "Creep" in 1992...
's Colin Greenwood
Colin Greenwood
Colin Charles Greenwood , is an English musician and composer, best known as the bassist of the rock band Radiohead. Apart from bass, Colin plays keyboards, synthesizers and works on sampling on the electronic side of Radiohead...
, Air's Nicolas Godin, The Hotrats and Soap&Skin
Soap&Skin
Soap&Skin is the experimental musical project of Austrian artist Anja Plaschg .- Life :Anja Plaschg grew up in a small village called Gnas in south east Styria, where her parents have a farm. She has played piano since she was six. At the age of 14 she began violin studies and developed an interest...
performed The Velvet Underground
The Velvet Underground
The Velvet Underground was an American rock band formed in New York City. First active from 1964 to 1973, their best-known members were Lou Reed and John Cale, who both went on to find success as solo artists. Although experiencing little commercial success while together, the band is often cited...
and Nico
Nico
Nico was a German singer, lyricist, composer, musician, fashion model, and actress, who initially rose to fame as a Warhol Superstar in the 1960s...
's Femme Fatale
Femme fatale
A femme fatale is a mysterious and seductive woman whose charms ensnare her lovers in bonds of irresistible desire, often leading them into compromising, dangerous, and deadly situations. She is an archetype of literature and art...
at an all-star gig "The Velvet Underground Revisited" which took place in Cité de la Musique
Cité de la Musique
The Cité de la Musique is a group of institutions dedicated to music and situated in the La Villette quarter, 19th arrondissement, Paris, France. It was designed by the architect Christian de Portzamparc and opened in 1995...
, Paris.
Her album Metals
Metals (album)
-Track listing:-Tour:Metals Tour -Charts, sales and procession:Metals debuted on the U.S. Billboard 200 at number 7, selling about 38,000 copies in its first week. The album earned Feist's best sales week and her first top 10 chart in US.-Charts:-Release history:...
was released on 30 September 2011. Collaborators include Valgeir Sigurðsson
Valgeir Sigurðsson
Valgeir Sigurðsson is an Icelandic record producer, mixer, composer, engineer and musician.-Biography:Coming from a musical background Valgeir's fascination with recording technology lead to a job in a small recording studio at the age of 16. He studied classical guitar and graduated with a...
, Chilly Gonzales, and Mocky
Mocky
Mocky is a Somali-Canadian singer, music producer, multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and composer.-Biography:Mocky was born Dominic Salole in Saskatchewan, Canada. He later moved to Ottawa and Toronto, and then to London, Amsterdam and Berlin. His father is of Somali descent, but was born in...
. Metals
Metals (album)
-Track listing:-Tour:Metals Tour -Charts, sales and procession:Metals debuted on the U.S. Billboard 200 at number 7, selling about 38,000 copies in its first week. The album earned Feist's best sales week and her first top 10 chart in US.-Charts:-Release history:...
also includes duets with Vanessa Carlton
Vanessa Carlton
Vanessa Lee Carlton is an American singer-songwriter and musician. Upon completion of her education at the School of American Ballet, Carlton chose to pursue singing instead, performing in New York bars and clubs while attending university. Three months after recording a demo with producer Peter...
, and Marina & The Diamonds
Marina & the Diamonds
Marina Lambrini Diamandis , better known by her stage name Marina and the Diamonds , is a Welsh singer-songwriter. She rose to fame after reaching number two on the BBC Sound of 2010 poll list, coming second to Ellie Goulding...
. The album received widespread acclaim from music critic
Music criticism
See also Music journalism for reporting on classical and popular music in the media.The Oxford Companion to Music defines music criticism as 'the intellectual activity of formulating judgments on the value and degree of excellence of individual works of music, or whole groups or genres'. In this...
s. It achieved an overall rating of 7.6/10 at AnyDecentMusic?
AnyDecentMusic?
AnyDecentMusic? is a website that collates reviews of contemporary music albums, covering rock, pop, electronic, dance, folk, country, roots and urban...
based on 32 reviews.
In 2012, Feist plans to cover a song from the progressive metal band Mastodon
Mastodon (band)
Mastodon is an American heavy metal band from Atlanta, Georgia, formed in 1999. The band is composed of bassist/vocalist Troy Sanders, guitarist/vocalist Brent Hinds, guitarist Bill Kelliher and drummer/vocalist Brann Dailor...
, with Mastodon also covering Feist, and release both songs on a split 7" on Record Store Day
Record Store Day
Record Store Day is an internationally celebrated day observed the third Saturday of April each year. Its purpose, as conceived by independent record store employee Chris Brown, is to celebrate the art of music...
.
Look at What the Light Did Now
In September 2010, Feist announced through her website the release of a documentary film about the creative process of making of The Reminder, called Look at What the Light Did Now. It was directed by Canadian film director Anthony Seck and was shot on Super 8 mm filmSuper 8 mm film
Super 8 mm film is a motion picture film format released in 1965 by Eastman Kodak as an improvement of the older "Double" or "Regular" 8 mm home movie format....
. The film was released on DVD in December 2010, and a limited series of screenings were conducted including a Toronto screening at the Royal Ontario Museum, which featured a post-film interview of Feist by George Stroumboulopouloses.
The film focuses on the recording of The Reminder as well as the development of the tour through puppetry and projection. The film includes interviews with band member Afie Jurvanen; producer Chilly Gonzales; Broken Social Scene bandmates Kevin Drew and Andrew Whiteman; and video director Patrick Daughters.
Bonus materials on the DVD include "This One Jam", an early performance of Feist with Gonzales at Trash Club; live performances from the Reminder tour; and two short films: "The Water" starring Feist and "Departures" starring Kevin Drew and based on an idea by Feist. A CD is also included that contains the documentary soundtrack (tracks from the Reminder re-interpreted and performed by Gonzales), live performances by Feist, as well as two versions of the title track, "Look at What the Light Did Now", one of which was recorded as a duet with the song's writer, American musician Kyle Field
Kyle Field (musician)
Kyle Field is the artist behind the band Little Wings.Field was born in Alabama, the son of a college football coach, but his family quickly moved to California where he grew up to love surfing.-Music:...
.
Discography
- 1999: Monarch (Lay Your Jewelled Head Down)Monarch (Lay Your Jewelled Head Down)Monarch is a 1999 album by Feist. It was recorded in Toronto and mixed at Hamilton's Catherine North Studio. Sold primarily at shows, Monarch became an underground hit, even generating a music video from the single "It's Cool To Love Your Family", featuring a band composed of Canadian musicians...
- 2004: Let It DieLet It Die-Personnel:* Gonzales – piano, various instruments* Feist – guitar, vocals* Julien Chirol – trombone* Frédéric Coudere – saxophone-Album:...
- 2006: Open SeasonOpen Season (Feist album)Open Season is a remix album by Canadian singer and songwriter Feist. Released in April 2006, it was rumored to be a Canadian-only release...
- 2007: The ReminderThe ReminderThe Reminder is the third full-length album by indie artist Feist. It was released on April 23, 2007 in countries outside of North America, and May 1, 2007 in the United States and Canada....
- 2011: MetalsMetals (album)-Track listing:-Tour:Metals Tour -Charts, sales and procession:Metals debuted on the U.S. Billboard 200 at number 7, selling about 38,000 copies in its first week. The album earned Feist's best sales week and her first top 10 chart in US.-Charts:-Release history:...
Filmography
| Film | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
| 2007 | Departures | Herself | Is in the process of filming the video for "My Moon My Man My Moon My Man "My Moon My Man" is the first single off Feist's album The Reminder.-Song information:"My Moon My Man" is the third song on the album. The song's ending segues into track four, "The Park."... "; does not speak |
| 2009 | The Water The Water (short film) The Water is a short film directed by Kevin Drew starring Cillian Murphy, David Fox and Drew's Broken Social Scene bandmate, Leslie Feist.-Synopsis:... |
The Mother | Short film directed by Kevin Drew Kevin Drew Kevin Drew is a Canadian musician and songwriter who, together with Brendan Canning, founded the expansive Toronto baroque-pop collective Broken Social Scene... |
| 2010 | Ivory Tower Ivory Tower (2010 film) Ivory Tower is a 2010 Canadian feature film and the directorial debut of Adam Traynor, a musician from the German-based hip-hop group Puppetmastaz. The film was co-written by Canadian pianist and rapper Gonzales and French director and screenwriter Céline Sciamma... |
Unknown | Co-stars with Gonzales Gonzales (musician) Gonzales, , is a Grammy-nominated Canadian musician currently residing in Paris, France. Though best known for his first MC and electro albums, he is also a pianist, producer, and songwriter.... , Peaches Peaches (musician) Merrill Beth Nisker , better known by her stage name Peaches, is a Canadian electronic musician and performance artist who lives in Berlin, Germany. Her songs are noted for disregarding traditional gender norms and their use of sexually explicit lyrics... and Tiga Tiga (musician) Tiga is the stage name of Montreal-born DJ/producer Tiga James Sontag . His album Sexor won the 2007 Juno Award for Dance Recording of the Year.-Career:He graduated from Selwyn House School, a prestigious school in Westmount... |
| 2010 | Look At What The Light Did Now | Herself | Documentary film directed by Anthony Seck about the creative process of "The Reminder" |
| 2011 | The Muppets The Muppets (film) The Muppets is a 2011 American musical and comedy film, and the first Muppets theatrical release in 12 years, as well as the first Disney-produced Muppets film since 1996's Muppet Treasure Island... |
Smalltown USA resident | Performs "Life's A Happy Song" with Jason Segel Jason Segel Jason Jordan Segel is an American television and film actor, screenwriter, composer, puppeteer and musician, known for his work with producer Judd Apatow on the short-lived television series Freaks and Geeks and Undeclared, the films Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Knocked Up, I Love You, Man,... , Amy Adams Amy Adams Amy Lou Adams is an American actress and singer. Adams began her performing career on stage in dinner theaters before making her screen debut in the 1999 black comedy film Drop Dead Gorgeous... , "Walter" (Peter Linz Peter Linz Peter Linz is an American puppeteer. He is perhaps best known as the voice of Snook in It's a Big Big World and Theo Lion in Between the Lions.... ), and Mickey Rooney Mickey Rooney Mickey Rooney is an American film actor and entertainer whose film, television, and stage appearances span nearly his entire lifetime. He has won multiple awards, including an Honorary Academy Award, a Golden Globe and an Emmy Award... |
| Television | |||
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2008 | A Colbert Christmas: The Greatest Gift of All! A Colbert Christmas: The Greatest Gift of All! A Colbert Christmas: The Greatest Gift of All! is a Grammy Award-winning Christmas special that debuted on Comedy Central on November 23, 2008.... |
Angel | |
See also
- Music of CanadaMusic of CanadaThe music of Canada has influences that have shaped the country. Aboriginals, the British, and the French have all made unique contributions to the musical heritage of Canada. The music has subsequently been heavily influenced by American culture because of its proximity and migration between...
- Canadian rockCanadian rockCanadian rock describes a wide and diverse variety of music produced by Canadians, beginning with American style rock 'n' roll in the mid-20th century. Since then Canada has had a considerable impact on the development of the modern popular music called rock...
- List of Canadian musicians
- List of bands from Canada
- :Category:Canadian musical groups
- Mononymous personsMononymous personsA mononymous person is an individual who is known and addressed by a mononym, or "single name". In some cases, that name has been selected by the individual, who may have originally been given a polynym...