Timitrius' Miranda Stone Page

Like a mole digging underground, beneath big city streets and your grandma's flower garden... That's the grassroots word-of-mouth surrounding singer-songwriter-guitarist Miranda Stone, the 24 year-old artist/entrepreneur behind Earthdress Productions, one of Canada's tiniest indie labels with a mission to move some mud. Bolstered by the strength of miranda's intimate stage presence and a steady tour schedule, the album "brave", which was released about a year-and-a-half ago, has made the way for some considerable exposure in the festival and coffeehouse circuits, as well as clubs everywhere from Chicago to Buffalo, and the "tough nut to crack" Toronto scene. The key to all of this is resilience, passion for your art, and a love for the audience, and Miranda is successfully tunneling all three.

A pretty typical beginning of music lessons at an early age, coupled with a very odd childhood in the rose fields of her father's horticultural farm, planted the seeds for an unusual combination of visual awareness and the musical arts. Incorporating both has been the result; at 17, Miranda headed to Art school to become a book illustrator, and found herself writing music AND attending life-drawing classes, translating different artistic experiences into different languages. It's this joining of languages that brings some of the unusual and distinctive spark into her musical voice- a more holistic and grassroots way of showcasing the intrinsic qualities of an artist all the way from the office, the promotional material, and the merchandise.

Most of all though, it's the music that people keep coming back to hear. The Grassroots Army (the affectionate pet name for the Miranda Stone fan-base) has grown since the release of "brave", and continues to expand as the mole hills emerge. The much anticipated second release, a full-length live album, is on the verge of being completed, and will be ready for this spring. The "brave" CD, featuring the gusty Spanish-inspired "Nevertheless the Dog" is continuing to receive some healthy radio support from college and community stations on both sides of the border. Pigeon-holing the music is a challenge . Though coy phrases such as "gentle-folk-punk" have been used to describe the dynamic of Miranda's music, they often neglect to convey the accessible pop sensibilities that come along for the ride. With an intelligent mix of poetry and a little tactful frankness, it's easy to understand why the college/university crowd has been so enthusiastic. Working as a solo act and also with a strong backing band (Marty Gast on bass, Matt Lear on drums and percussion, and Tim Abraham on violin, mandolin, accordion and electric guitar); each concert has a flavor of it's own...you have to see a live show to understand what the fuss is about. "Silverlined", the last song on the "brave" album is a sensitive "dysfunctional lovesong" which showcases Miranda's talents on her own, and it's a good representation of what to expect during one of the "quieter" moments during one of her solo concerts... a warning for the inexperienced: never underestimate the passion of folk-singer who loves sub-bass and a little action.

In true grassroots fashion, the "brave" CD is available at concerts and through Earthdress Productions mail order distribution, as well as private carriers and some retail locations in southern Ontario. For a list of these indie friendly stores, contact the Earthdress office.

earthdress productions box 137 virgil ontario LOS lTO ph. 905 468 1097 fax 905 468 5246