Norine Braun

SHORT BIO Discover singer-songwriter Norine Braun's 13th album, Songs For Trees, dedicated to the forests and the spirits within the trees. As we fight climate change, trees are the lungs of the planet. Her groove based roots, jazz and blues are blended with some rock and synthetic pop elements to create a textured and ambient soundtrack to nature. Songs For Trees is a narrative, with each song guiding us through a journey through the forest. A trip literally and metaphorically about the interconnectedness of all things.The Vancouver Sun names Songs For Trees as "one of 5 albums you need to hear!" "Songs For Trees" is unlike any other album I've ever heard. It's beautiful and genius.” Taylor Williams SubbaCultcha “Each song is beautifully tied together to create a music forest with a very important message." A.A. Christi NYC Broadway World The single The Burning charted on SiriusXM Indigenous Music Countdown reaching the Top 10.

LONG BIO

A Vancouver based singer-songwriter recording artist, Braun released her 13th album, the groove oriented Songs For Trees in 2022. Thanks to a Canada Council For the Arts Award and a First Peoples’ Cultural Council Award in 2021, Norine set her musings during the ongoing pandemic last year to focus on climate change and the healing power of trees.

Emotional, heartfelt and eclectic, Braun is an award-winning artist (Western Canadian Music Award nominee, Banff Centre Musician in Residence, Los Angeles Independent Music Awards, SIBL International Songwriting Competition). Songs For Trees album was produced by Adam Popowitz, who also played lead guitar and bass alongside Elliot Polsky on drums and percussion, Alice Fraser on keyboards, and Huggybear Leonard on blues harp, harmonica, ocarina and penny whistle, with Braun supplying rhythm guitar in addition to lead vocals. Songs For Trees is due out on May 4.

The first preview of the Canadian singer-songwriter’s 13th album Songs For Trees, is The Burning was truly a trial by fire. Written during the ongoing pandemic and while a heat dome and heat wave ravaged her British Columbia homeland, the powerfully heavy yet irresistibly flowing cut was recorded during the searing, out-of-control wildfires that devastated the province. Inspired by the need to save the ancient trees and to live sustainably — and using Dante’s Inferno and his descent through hell as inspiration for her potent lyrics — Braun ponders the times we are living in and takes you on journey through the forest filled with joy, wonder and movement.

Hot on the heels of The Burning, SEX IN THE FOREST is the second single from the upcoming Songs For Trees album. This chill house vibe tune was inspired by the reproductive cycle of the Coast Douglas Fir tree which are monoecious or hermaphroditic meaning it contains both the female and male cones necessary for reproduction to take place, all within the same plant. They are self sufficient in the continuity of their species how cool is that. Sex in the Forest like all the songs was written by Norine Braun and produced by Adam Popowitz who also played lead guitar, bass and programmed the drums, Alice Fraser on keyboards/synth with Norine’s vocals and rhythm guitar.

The third single Red Maple was inspired by a large maple tree that sits in front of Norine's living room facing south in a 3 story apartment. Through out the years Norine says she "watched a pair of crows raise their family on her branches, raccoons spending a night, squirrels, hummingbirds, robins and flickers resting or playing on the branches. The beautiful tree fills up our balcony in the summer giving us shade and privacy and beauty year round.Red Maple intends to capture their beauty and joy. In these challenging times it's good to be reminded of the simple sweetness of maple trees and just be."

The fourth single Mother Tree is in part a tribute to Norine's dear mother who passed away last year during the writing of the album and to the work of Dr. Suzanne Simard in discovering that trees interact with each other underground and form a kinship. Seedlings depend on these mother trees for survival in stressful conditions. Mother trees are the old ancient ones and keeping them intact helps regeneration and conserve carbon storage ultimately keeping the planet alive.

Norine Braun released her 12th full- length blues rock album December Falls December 4, 2020 "Vancouver-based blues-rock singer-songwriter Norine Braun has cooked up a Christmas album during her time in quarantine that offers up several swingin' new holiday-tinged tracks and peppers in her rowdy take on some old chestnuts. The veteran songstress' new tracks frame the season in a new way, shirking the traditional style much in the way rock n roll originally came in and rebranded the idea of Christmas by the likes of Brenda Lee and Elvis Presley. December Falls encapsulates the whole period of transition that comes with the new year, not just the day itself. God knows we're all ready for a transition!" Music Reviews. December Falls is described as "delicious alt-rock with bluesy country hues.” The Vancouver Sun Stuart Derdeyn named December Falls as 1 of 5 new seasonal releases worth putting under your tree for Christmas 2020.

The former bluesy roots rock album Through Trains Windows was inspired by Braun’s cross Canada Riding the Rails tour as Artist On Board with her partner Alice Fraser in 2018. Travelling over 6000 kilometres from Vancouver to Toronto, Ottawa, Quebec City, Montreal and Halifax, Norine absorbed the ever changing vast and beautiful panoramas from the Rocky Mountains to endless prairie sunsets, boreal forests and the Atlantic ocean. With no wifi and time to reflect on nature and the paradoxes of life, Norine met and communed with the diversity of fellow sojourners from all over Canada and around the world. Following the tour, as a Musician in Residence at Banff Centre for the Arts and Creativity, Norine wrote most of these compelling songs in her studio facing Sleeping Buffalo Mountain. So climb aboard, sit back and close your eyes let the rhythm of the train soothe and inspire while conjuring up feelings of nostalgia and dreams on Through Train Windows..

Her previous album received a Canada Council of the Arts award to compose the concept album which is a masterful body of creative work titled "Gone To The Spirits" based on the engaging and dramatic life story of Ququnak Paǂkiy who was a Two Spirit, Kootenay prophet, messenger, chief and guide who lived in the early and mid-19th century and written about in numerous explorer's journals including land geographer and fur trader David Thompson (Koo Koo Sint). Norine is of mixed ancestry Metis and Ukrainian and self identifies as Two Spirit. Norine was nominated for the 2018 Western Canadian Music Awards as Spiritual Artist of the Year for this album.

Norine Braun thrives on live performance and connecting with audiences worldwide. From New York City to Quebec City to Tokyo and beyond, Braun has performed at the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Games, at theatres, festivals, coffeehouses, casinos and clubs with appearances on the main stages of numerous festivals including the Vancouver Pride festival and Indigifest Victoria.

Norine also edits and creates her many of her music videos including the latest Going To The Forest and Overstory. She wrote, directed and produced her music videos Crosses and Sweetgrass thanks to a First Peoples' Cultural Council award and Sleeping Buffalo thanks to a CreativeBC grant both from the album Through Train Windows.

Discography

1996 Modern Anguish

1999 Miles To Go

2000 Crow

2001 Norine Braun and the Mood Swings

2003 Now and Zen

2007 Evolution of the Blood Star

2008 Acoustically Inclined

2010 Lost Tracks Bootleg Digital EP/I Believe You Single

2011 No. 8

2013 Conventus The Eye of the Heart

2015 Kind of Jazz Digital Album Compilation of Norine's Jazz compositions from various albums

2016 Gone To The Spirits

2017 Kind of Blues Compilation of Norine's Blues compositions from various albums

2019 Through Train Windows

2020 December Falls

2021 2020 Reprise (Single)

2022 Songs For Trees

Film/Television Music Credits

2000 Wings Over Canada (TV)
2001 Internecine (short film)
2010 Behind the Eight Ball (feature film)
2015 Inspire (documentary)

2018 The Snot That Ate Port Harry (animated feature)

Awards/Grants/Residencies:

2023 First Peoples Cultural Council Award

2023 FACTOR Advertising, Marketing and Radio Grant

2023 DOCS BLUES AWARDS Blues Compilation of the Year 2022 SevernFM UK Norine Braun Kind Of Blues Collected Works

2021 First Peoples Cultural Council Award

2021 Canada Council For the Arts Award

2020 ShowcaseBC Songwriting Grant CreativeBC

2019 First Peoples' Cultural Council and BC Arts Council's Aboriginal Arts Development Award for music video Crosses and Sweetgrass

2018/19 CreativeBC Amplify BC Program Awarded 2 Grants one for recording the album Through Train Windows the second for music video Sleeping Buffalo

2018 Western Canadian Music Award Nominee Spiritual Artist of the Year for Gone To The Spirits

2017 The Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity Musician in Residence

2017 Finalist in the national Canadian Songwriting Competition for the song Coyote from Gone To The Spirits

2014 Canada Council For the Arts Award Professional Musicians Grant for Gone To The Spirits album composition

2010 FACTOR Showcase Grant for Kansai International Music Conference Showcase Performer Osaka Japan and Tokyo Showcase

2008 Winner Los Angeles Independent International Music Awards Female Singer-Songwriter of The Year Jazz Category for song Crystallize

2006 Winner Artists For Literacy Songs Inspired By Literature International Songwriting Competition for song Conformity 451. This SIBL collection was released in 2015.

Partial list of Venues Played:

Outside In Festival New Westminster 2023

Songs in the Snow Steveston Historical Society and Richmond Arts Coalition 2022

Our Children Our Way Spring Into Fall Gala Vancouver Convention Centre 2022

PNE Pacific National Exhibition Metrovancouver Stage Vancouver 2022

2nd Floor Gastown Vancouver 2022

Sounds Like Summer City of Burnaby 2022

Richmond Maritime Festival Richmond BC 2022

The Roxy 2022

Khatsahlano Street Festival Vancouver 2022

Indigenous Summer Stage Talking Stick Festival Vancouver 2022

Taiwanese Canadian Cultural Festival Vancouver 2022

Summer Stages City of Burnaby 2021

Music on the Wharf Maple Ridge Historical Society 2021

Massey Theatre New Westminster Open Space Concert Series 2021

Kitsilano Showboat Virtual Festival 2021

City of Burnaby Celebrate the Season Virtual Festival Shadbolt Centre For the Arts 2020

Richmond Maritime Virtual Festival 2020

Kitsilano Showboat Virtual Festival 2020

West End Car Free Full Circle Stage Virtual Festival 2020

Langley City Virtual Canada Day Celebration 2020

Performance Works Granville Island Groundswell Social Venture Showcase 2020

Shadbolt Centre for the Arts - Deer Lake Craft Festival 2019
5 Corners Busking and Comedy Festival White Rock 2019
Pîkiskwe-speak Art & Film Installation Opening Vancouver Central Library 2019
Word Vancouver 2019
Indigifest 2019 Victoria
Richmond Maritime Festival 2019
Trout Lake Concert Series 2019
National Indigenous Peoples Day Celebration Gulf of Georgia Cannery National Historic Site 2018
Talking Stick Festival 2018
The Carleton Halifax NS 2017
Via Rail Artist On Board Vancouver to Toronto and Montreal to Halifax October 2017
CKRL Live at Le Sacrilege Bar Quebec City 2017
Fou-Bar Quebec City 2017
Avante-garde Bar Ottawa 2017
Junction City Music Hall Toronto 2017
Gabriola Island Music Festival 2017
Desert Daze Music Festival 2017
Music at the Cannery Concert Series 2017
Davie Street Party 2017
Poco Summer In the City Concert Series 2017
National Aboriginal Day Trout Lake 2017
Kanata Festival 2017
Vancouver Pride Main stage 2016
Music By The River Pier Park Festival Stage 2016
Kaleidoscope Festival 2016
Columbia StrEAT Festival 2016
Studio Records Vancouver 2016
Envision Financial Concert in the Park 2015 Abbotsford
Summer In the City POCO Concert Series 2015
The Summer Music Lounge The Village Park Royal 2015
National Aboriginal Day Trout Lake 2015
Nikkei Matsuri Festival Nikkei National Museum & Cultural Centre 2014
1st Annual International Blues Music Day Vancouver Fan Club 2014
Gallery Vertigo Vernon BC 2014
Wednesday on the Wharf Concert Series Salmon Arm 2014
Surrey Pride 2014
Cafe Koi Calgary AB 2014
Hyack Festival Uptown Street Festival New Westminster 2014
Char's Landing Port Alberni 2014
Copper Owl Victoria 2014
Party in the Park 2013 Mainstage Chilliwack
Concert in the Park 2013 North Van -MetroVancouver Park
Music on the Wharf 2013 Maple Ridge Historical Society
2012 International Blues Challenge- A Night of Vancouver’s Best Blues Bands
Cultus Lake Live at the Gazebo Music Series
Richmond Concerts in the Park Series
The Railway Club
Cates Park Concert Series
Out in the Woods Festival Greenwich NY
Edgewater Casino WAVS Benefit Vancouver
Beatniq Jazz and Social Club Calgary
Jlounge
SHE BOOM CFRO benefit concert.
Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics
Roundhouse Performance Centre
Cellar Jazz Club
Cafe Chaos Montreal
The Triad NYC
Shibuya Home Tokyo
Seattle Rockrgrl Music Conference Showcase Performer
Kansai International Music Conference Showcase Performer Osaka Japan
The Backstage Lounge Arts Club Theatre
Capones Restaurant and Live Jazz Club
Duncan Garage Showroom
Davie Day TD Canada Trust Festival Stage
Breakfast Television

INFLUENCES:
Tash Sultana, Amy Winehouse, kd lang, Earth Wind and Fire, Colin James, SRV, Ray LaMontagne, Stevie Wonder, Elvis, Jeff Buckley, Esthero, Johnny Cash, Prince, Bette Midler, Björk, Radiohead, Led Zeppelin, Portishead, Madonna, George Michaels, Aretha Franklin, Anita O'Day, Diana Krall, Nat King Cole, Natalie Cole, Stevie Nicks, Connie Francis, City and Colour, Debussy, Madeleine Peyroux, Norah Jones, Sade, George Benson, AC/DC, Tears For Fears, St. Germain, Final Fantasy, The Pretenders, Blondie, Dolly Parton, Suzanne Vega and Patsy Cline to name a few.