Meet Amy Thiessen
We are very excited to be hosting Amy Thiessen from Calgary for BLOOM 2015. When looking for musicians, speakers and artists to share at BLOOM its always such a tough job picking from the thousands of incredible humans out there. For us, Amy brings together yoga and music as a way of being, she has been teaching yoga for over 10 years and she is from Alberta so we had to invite her out to join us and we think you are going to love it!
The groundedness that comes with the yogini’s life, and the ease with which it allows practitioners to reach deep within themselves and “share their souls” freely and joyfully, are clearly audible in Amy’s songs and performances. Her music is a rare combination of light, catchy and accessible and thoughtful, heartfelt and evocative.
The artsy, vegetarian offspring of a conservative Alberta farming family who was championed by a free-spirited older sister who died of cancer impossibly young, Amy Thiessen has devoted her life to both the creative and the healing arts. Those worlds fuse subtly on her sophomore album, In Between Goodbyes, in the form of captivating folk-pop songs that showcase a seemingly-effortless authenticity and an ease with exploring the depths of one’s spiritual and emotional life.
Amy’s calling card is her powerful, versatile pop voice, which defies easy comparison to other artists but that at times recalls many: the dreaminess of Dido, the jazzy sophistication of Joni Mitchell, and the raw fragility of Basia Bulat, to name but a few. Her arrangements straddle the divide between indie folk and pop. And her song-writing, sparklingly original and free of clichés, is reminiscent of the mature, sophisticated pop song-craft of artists such as Jann Arden …only with decidedly rootsier production.
“Crumbling Walls” describes the process of renewing a childhood friendship that has become strained by the friends’ outdated perceptions of each other. “Shooting Arrows” is a snapshot of a troubled phase of a relationship during which Amy could only stand by and watch a loved one endure his own personal trials.
Russell Bowers of the CBC wrote that “an Amy Thiessen performance is an hypnotic blend of words and music that is at once, spiritual and fun.” FFWD wrote, “It’s rare that a musician will push the limits of their respective genre while stile promoting a relaxed atmosphere.” CFUV, Victoria called Give Up the Fight, “a rare treasure” and said, “the album honors the diversity of the human existence, from the anguish of “Wrong” to the “insightful lyrics reminiscent of mystic poets such as Rumi and Hafez.” The Calgary Herald described it as a “lush, dewy folk-pop record.”
While pursuing her music career, Amy has also become a certified yoga instructor and teacher trainer, and attacher trainer who travels frequently to hold workshops and retreats.
(Amy performing live here at Prana Yoga Studio in Edmonton)