Janine Stoll writes clever songs, beautiful songs, and sad songs. Considered to be among Canada's finest songwriters, Stoll lives up to her membership in this exclusive club with an ever-increasing catalogue of acclaimed releases and a penchant for writing "the perfect song." With a voice both vulnerable and unwavering, Stoll can croon with the best of them.

Stoll's most recent full-length solo album, Melancholia, will be released in early 2009. With a decade plus of a well-documented heavy heart, the artist invites listeners into a private room filled with the fading photographs of burdensome memories. These songs are personal, beautiful, sorrowful, and somehow hopeful. Those looking for a pensive and intimate experience of music with evocative lyrics and stunning delivery need look no further than Melancholia. Note: A box of tissue or a shirtsleeve is recommended.

Produced in partnership with John MacLean of World Records, this album has been marinating for a year and is finally seeing daylight after so long in darkness. Providing backdrop to Stoll's stories are guitar arrangements composed and executed by Paul MacDougall, with appearances by bass players Brian Kobayakawa and Mike Milligan.

Melancholia takes up residence alongside Janine Stoll's other album releases How to have sex with Canadians (The DoneFors, 2009), This is where we bury it (solo, 2005), Live at The Orange Lounge (The Ladybird Sideshow, 2004), and everything you gave me (solo, 2001).

This is where we bury it (also produced by John MacLean) is a collection of songs merging Stoll's intimate brand of folk/pop with backing band Mr. Something Something's west-African flavour. This CD was welcomed by the CBC and made it onto many a show's play list. It also received consistently positive praise from other media outlets. Stoll's first release, Everything you gave me, was a stripped-down acoustic gem that introduced listeners to a songwriting and vocal force fairly new in the Canadian music scene. And it left them wanting more.

Throughout her musical career thus far, Stoll has had the pleasure of collaborating with many fine musicians. Most recently (and excitingly), Stoll has had the honour of working with The DoneFors. Paul MacDougall, Liam Smith, and Brian Lahaie round out this quartet, which describes its music as "Canadiana Vanguard." The debut CD, How to Have Sex With Canadians, was released in February 2009 to great review.

Songwriters Melissa McClelland, Lisa Winn, and Erin Smith joined Stoll to create the acclaimed quartet The Ladybird Sideshow. The four singer-songwriters' combined experience and talent, not to mention unique and distinct personalities, provided a rare, addcctive synergy both musically and personally. Live at the Orange Lounge was recorded in front of a live audience at Toronto's Orange Lounge studio by producer Daryn Barry. Seeing The 'Birds live in concert is a singular experience full of humour, storytelling, and breath-taking collaboration. And they're not hard on the eyes, either.

Stoll has also worked as a backing vocalist with Toronto's afro-funk superstars Mr. Something Something (live on stage, as well as on the self-titled debut album and the Juno-nominated The Edge). She has also lent her vocal talents to many recording projects and live performances by artists such as Melissa McClelland, Erin Smith, Lisa Winn, Ember Swift, Coco Love Alcorn, Emma-Lee, Brian MacMillan, Sarah Noni Metzner, and others.

For more info visit www.janinestoll.com.

"Maybe she'd get the Order of Canada someday, if she weren't so naughty. She's a poet man. She's the new Leonard Cohen, Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Lucinda and Victoria Williams.... She's got these amazing stories of love, sex, religion, wild youth, life on the streets of Toronto. Such creativity and imagination. I'm devastated."
- Spill Magazine
The Big Q&A
Q: If you were a bowl of soup what kind would you be?
A: A warm and spicy puree with some hunks of chocolate in it.
Q: Thongs, grannies, lace, La Senza cottons or boycott?
A: La Senza cottons
Q: Who is your role model?
A: Anyone who lives well without material possessions and manages to see the world while enriching their own and other people’s lives. Jessie Platz for her compassion, Jason Stoll for his bountiful determination and vision, the Ladybirds for their various talents, Ben Laurence for his ability to exist without pretense and Chris Wicke for being so challenging.
Q: Diet of choice?
A: 100% Raw Vegan… maybe someday I’ll get there.
Q: Earliest childhood memory?
A: Likely too scary and fuzzy to share here.
Q: Who would you most like to sing a duet with?
A: I would probably lose my shit if I ever got to sing with Patty Griffin.
Q: Do your hands smell like mustard or chocolate milk?
A: Chocolate milk… I guess.
Q: Are stuffed animals alive or just fuzz and fluff?
A: I still talk to mine and get offended if my friends make them masturbate.
Q: If you could play another instrument, which would you choose?
A: I would love to play cello and piano.
Q: If a major record label offered you a multi-million dollar contract to become a huge pop star, sing watered-down power ballads, wear skimpy clothes and do dance routines would you take the bait?
A: I would probably do the skimp (if they invested in a personal trainer for me) and dancing could be fun (if I didn’t have two left feet), but I think I would off myself if I had to sing shitty songs. The stress alone that someday people would discover that I’m a fraud would be enough to push me over the edge. So I think that they can keep their millions and I’ll kindly keep my soul. Besides, even if I did have a truckload of money I’m pretty sure I’d still go “furniture shopping” on the night before garbage day.
Q: If you were offered contracts to play the Casino circuit, would you do it?
A: I think it would be awesome money and funny, to boot! So hell yeah!
Q: Peanut butter or jam?
A: That’s tough. Jam. More variety of flavours.
Q: Which Spice Girl do you think you’re most like?
A: I once dressed up as a Spice Girl for Halloween. I taped Smarties to my nipples and went as Nipply Spice. That’s my choice.
Q: Which character from Sex and the City is most similar to you?
A: Even though I don’t have a keen fashion sense (someone probably has died in half the clothes that I own… second hand), nor do I have an obsession with shoes (I was born with impractically wide feet), I gotta say Carrie. She’s neat. I like to think that I’m more neat than I am neurotic.
Q: What would you do for immeasurable fame and fortune?
A: Wait.
Q: What was your favourite Ladybird gig to date?
A: When we played C’est What after we came off our Crotch-Canada tour. I felt like a total star that night.
Q: Reincarnation… which animal would you want to come back as?
A: A Wuzzle.
Q: Who is your favourite Ladybird fan?
A: Thom Fairley.
Q: What’s your favourite Ladybird song to perform these days?
A: I love performing My Attention because the ending makes people freak out. I also like singing our version of Hyper Ballad ‘cause it’s a slayer and makes me ache with sadness. Being sad is fun.
Q: Describe each of the Ladybirds using one word (including yourself)
A: Erin - Adorable, Melissa - fascinating, Lisa - selfless, Janine - bored
Q: Where is your favourite place to shop?
A: Dollarama...
Q: Any vices?
A: Chocolate. I can eat pounds of it and keep eating even when I start cramping up from lactose intolerance and the walls of my stomach start to split. I'm currently doing a no-chocolate challenge and I haven't had a bit of it for well over two weeks. I needed to see if I could live without it. Apparently I can, but I'm really sad....
Q: What is your favourite insect?
A: I dig caterpillars.
Q: If you were on the TV show Survivor, what would you bring as your one luxury item?
A: This is a tough call. I would say my guitar, but I'd worry terribly about the elements fucking it up. I'd like to bring my dictaphone, but the battery life wouldn't be long enough. So I think I'd have to bring my journal. Or a big, sharp knife.
Q: Who is your pretend boyfriend?
A: The cute boy who works at my neighbourhood video store.
Q: Who is your pretend girlfriend?
A: Donna from That '70s Show
Q: It's Friday night and you're dateless. What ever will you do?
A: Call my friend Chickenball and go out on the town looking for guys with ass tattoos and penile peircings, hitchhike on Queen Street, drink a bubba in the backseat of a rice rocket, dance with a tiny old Chinese man and a Michael Jackson look-alike (the one from the '80s) at a Polish discothèque and still have the photos to prove it.
Q: Who are your favourite bands/musicians to listen to these days?
A: Erin Smith, Feist, Mr. Something Something, Jack Breakfast, Martin Tielli, Zero 7.
Q: Do you have a freakish hidden talent?
A: The morning after a night of partying or performing I have the deepest, scariest man voice you'll likely ever hear coming out of a woman's mouth. I can ripple my tongue.
Q: Favourite record of all time?
A: Ella's Moods (Quiet Now series)
Q: What is the most vile thing that you've ever eaten?
A: I once tried cow tongue at an Italian wedding. Not really my thing. One time I had these antijitos that tasted exactly like stomach acid. Also not so pleasant.
Q: How cool is Melissa's yellow terry muumuu with the frog pocket?
A: Uber-excellent. I envy her ability to pull it off. And I also want one. But I don't think I'll ever be cool enough to make it look good.
Q: If Skee were a pair of pants, what kind would she be?
A: Flashy pink and red MC Hammer Pants with rainbow sequins and enough room to fit three of your closest friend in so you can all have a dance party together in Erinpants.
Q: If Lisa had a flavour, what flavour would she be?
A: Honey.
Q: If Janine asked to borrow your underpants or your toothbrush, would that be ok with you?
A: Ugh... she's fucking disgusting. I wouldn't lend her any of my shit.