| Performer / Band Name |
Coles Whalen
Acoustic Guitar, Piano, Vocals |
| Original / Cover Material |
90% Original Material |
| Musical Influences |
Eva Cassidy, Joni Mitchell, Fiona Apple, Indigo Girls, Ben Harper, Stevie Wonder |
| History of Performer / Band |
Coles Whalen is a female singer/songwriter whose music is “the perfect mix of John Mayer and Norah Jones” - Efi Rodik, Stars Cast Corp. - New York, NY.
After releasing her debut CD, EP, in April of 2004 she gave up her apartment, bought a truck and a camper and committed herself to a rigorous solo tour throughout the Western US. The tour spanned 10 states, hundreds of cities and over 150 venues.
“Her voice has more than enough power to carry a rock anthem, but she prefers to use that power to sustain her gentler, more pensive moments. Her pitch and articulation - vocal and instrumental - are flawless” wrote Malcolm McCollum of The Independent in Denver, CO. This distinctive display of raw talent helped Whalen sell over 2,000 copies of her first CD out of the back of her truck.
Riding on that success, Whalen recorded a second album, Gee Baby, in February of 2005 and hit the road again. During the spring and summer of 2005 she played 100+ shows, crisscrossing the west from San Diego to Seattle and traversing the Rocky Mountains twice. Whalen’s new album is acclaimed by CD Baby’s reviewer as “remarkably vulnerable and transparent trembling with determination and conviction, matching the popular appeal of female folk pop with the harmonic and emotional nuances of jazz.”
With 11 original songs, Gee Baby has sold over 1,100 copies in five months, gaining national and international recognition. Whalen keeps an aggressive performance schedule playing an average of 4-5 shows per week and traveling by camper an average of 4,200 miles a month. Her reputation continues to skyrocket as a by product of her nonstop touring and her aggressive street and web marketing.
“I look forward to my next tour through the fall and winter of 2005 – 2006” says Whalen. “The tour will start in San Diego traveling up the Western coast to Seattle, then east to Colorado and down to Texas returning through the Southwest to California.” Over 150 shows are currently planned for her and a continuous scheduling effort ensures that even more will be added before the tour is actualized.
Whether performing for a crowd of 50 or 5,000 Whalen is passionate and vibrant. Her guitar drives and her piano commands attention. Her lyrics touch each person’s experience and her “enchanting voice is soulful, powerful and straight from the heart.” Monica Younge, Indie Music Reviews. Concert participants come back twice and three times because they know the performance will be consistently inspirational and provocative. The enthusiasm of fans is Whalen’s best advertising as her musical audience continues to expand venue by venue. |
| Press Reviews / Credits |
"It's true that these days, female singer/songwriters are a dime a dozen- and it's difficult to find one that really says something unusual with their music. But when you do find that artist who grabs you by the shirt collar, it's all the more satisfying. With that remarkably vulnerable and transparent voice trembling with determination and conviction, Coles Whalen has matched the popular appeal of female folk pop with the harmonic and emotional nuances of jazz. In a nutshell, she could easily be the next Norah Jones."—CD Baby Editor's Picks
Wow. Sometimes you hear a new artist and they blow you away. Coles Whalen is one of those. From the mournful but defiant "Why I cry" too the jazzy Beatles-isms of "Picking up the pieces" she shows such strength and confidence in her music. Her voice can be powerful like Jewel's in the early days. The jazzy "Hollow Railroad" shows her to be the equal of any young jazz diva you could mention. Very strong stuff."—The Ectophiles Guide
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| Albums / Where Available |
EP (2004)
Available from CDBaby.com |
= Music samples available for download