|
Veteran songwriter Annette Ducharme proves herself to be a Talented
Girl. By Keith Sharp
You could say there’s an autobiographical message
attached to the title of Annette Ducharme’s new album, Talented
Girl; a feeling of self-believe that keeps her motivated through
a career that has had its share of ups and downs.
After releasing five predominantly self-released albums,
Ducharme is still striving for a creative pinnacle she believes has
yet to be reached. The Vancouver native has had her moments in the spotlight.
She wrote ‘Sinking Like A Sunset’ for Tom Cochrane’s
million-selling Mad Mad World album. She also had the misfortune
of releasing her debut album, Blue Girl, for EMI the same week
that Alannah Myles’ high-profile debut was released by Warner.
A classic case of bad timing, even though Blue Girl sold respectably
and won her many fans.
Ducharme has shaped her musical chops by working with
paramour John Webster, former keyboardist for Stonebolt and Tom Cochrane
and a noted producer and session player for Aerosmith and other top
albums recorded at Vancouver’s Little Mountain Sound. “We
kind of worked together on parallel lines,” notes Ducharme. “We’re
not necessarily together in the studio but he’ll come in and help
out. We’ve learned a lot together.”
Her past three albums — Sanctuary, Bloom
and Tortured — have been released on a series of independent
labels with varied levels of success and exposure. Annette has found
some success on the Internet and even shortened her name to Anet for
Talented Girl as a play on words. “‘Anet on The Net’:
you laugh but I’ve sold a lot of albums on the Internet.”
Having hooked up with Jeff Burns’ Sextant Records
in Toronto (distributed by EMI), ‘Anet’ is set to take another
run with a record that she feels is reflective of a hard-driving, funky
beat that’s contemporary.
“Yeah, I’m taking some chances, but that’s
what I do,” notes Ducharme. “I’m a total torture to live
with. I live and breathe music, that’s all I do. It’s all
I can do. I cannot imagine being a real estate agent or Martha
Stewart. Music to me is all encompassing.”
Annette has shopped her new album in Europe and has
enough interest to warrant a tour later this year. She’s also had
a few nibbles from contemporary rock stations on her new single, ‘Talented
Girl’.
The original album title was Toilet Trained
and the album cover depicts a topless Ducharme sitting provocatively
on a toilet seat. “A bit naughty,” she laughs. “Jeff
(Burns) felt it might be a bit too touchy for Canadian tastes so we
changed the title. But I still might keep that for the European market.
They are a bit more broad-minded.”
A feisty individual with a never-say-die attitude,
Ducharme is determined to keep hacking away. Her music has been featured
on the soundtrack to the movie Urban Legend, on various episodes
of MTV Undressed, and she contributed the theme song to CBC’s
teen series Edgemont.
“I just need a break,” she laughs. “Any
kind of break will do. But if I put enough pokers in the fire one of
them will generate a spark. That’s all I can ask for.”
|
