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Ember Swift

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Ember Swift
Also known as子玉
OriginToronto, Ontario, Canada
GenresSinger-songwriter, folk, jazz, world
Years active1996–present
LabelsFew'll Ignite Sound
Websitewww.emberswift.com

Ember Swift (born in Ontario, Canada) is a Canadian singer, songwriter and guitarist who has been writing songs since she was nine years old and performing since she was ten. In 1996, she released her first self-titled album.

After graduating from the University of Toronto with a degree in East Asian Studies in 1998, Swift and regular band member Lyndell Montgomery (electric violin & later bass guitar) began touring North America, Australia and later, New Caledonia. These live shows featured the additional talents of Toronto-based percussionist and drummer Cheryl Reid as of 1998. Later, the duo began working with Michelle Josef (also of Toronto) and finally, Adam Bowman (of Elmira, Ontario) on drums and percussion. Cheryl Reid continued to work with Swift and Montgomery until 2008 as a part-time player. She has continued to work directly with Swift from 2008 until the present when Swift returns to North America for tours.

In 2008, Ember Swift and Lyndell Montgomery, who were also life partners, went their separate ways and ceased their working relationship. Swift had always dreamed of going to China. She had visited in 2007 and had fallen in love with the country and culture there. In 2008, she moved to Beijing and continues to live and work part-time in Beijing, China and Toronto. In Beijing, she assembled a new band consisting of Zac Courtney of Australia on drums, Paplus Ntahombaye of Burundi (Africa) on bass, and China's Wang Ya Qi 王雅琪 on the traditional Chinese instrument, the erhu. All of the members were long-time residents of Beijing. The band changed forms many times over the years but now features Anthony Vanacore (USA) or Ray Diaz (Cuba) on drums, Darvel Chapman (Cuba) on bass, Orijinal Ray (Ghana) on keys, Gabriel Beaudoin (Canada) on guitar and, the longest remaining member, Wang Ya Qi 王雅琪 on the traditional Chinese instrument, the erhu. Swift's tours now include many stops throughout Asia as well as bi-annual European tours since 2017.

Ember Swift is also a writer, voice over artist and professional singer for commercial clients. She has published work in many magazines and literary quarterlies and her own memoir is scheduled to be released in 2022 through Oghma Creative Publishing. She was recently featured as a vocalist on the Mobile Legends video game song in May 2020 called Party Legends 515e. As of March 2021, that associated video has been viewed more than 22 millions times.

In 2021, Ember Swift released her most recent album entitled "Mid-March Meltdown," the title of which had nothing to do with the pandemic but refers to a March a few years prior, perhaps a foreshadowing of times to come! It is a collection of 13 songs in the pop-rock style with a few eclectic numbers including a jazz and reggae piece. This album was partially co-written alongside of Beijing-based band member Gabriel Beaudoin (Montreal, Canada) and then mixed and co-produced with Juno-award winning producer Tim Abraham of Secret Door Recording in Toronto, Canada. Three official music videos were released for the following tracks: "I Don't Love You," "Broken Thing," and "Cricket Heart."

Discography

Albums

  • Self-Titled (1996)[1]
  • InsectInside (1997)[2]
  • Can't Corner Me (1998)[3]
  • Permanent Marker (1999)[4]
  • The Wage Is the Stage (live) (2000)[5]
  • Snapshots (live EP) (2000)[6]
  • Stiltwalking (2002)[7]
  • Disarming (2004)[8]
  • Witness: Live in Australia (2005; DVD)[9]
  • The Dirty Pulse (2006)[10]
  • LENTIC (The new project by Ember Swift) (2009)[11]
  • 11:11 (2011)[12]
  • Sticks & Stones (2017)
  • Mid-March Meltdown (2021)

Awards

  • 2006: "Youth Role Model of the Year" – Jer's Version Foundation[13]
  • 2006: Best Band Website – Canadian Independent Music Award[14]

Personal life

Swift married Chinese musician Guo Jian (国囝), and gave birth to a daughter (Jan 2012) and a son (Dec 2013). She separated from Guo Jian in 2015 and was formally divorced in 2018. Swift continues to live in Beijing, China where she is a single mother who co-raises her two children alongside their paternal grandparents.

References

  1. ^ Swift, Ember. ""Self-Titled":Part 1". Ember Swift. Retrieved 17 October 2012.
  2. ^ Swift, Ember. ""InsectInside":Part 2". Ember Swift. Retrieved 17 October 2012.
  3. ^ Swift, Ember. ""Can't Corner Me": Part 3". Ember Swift. Retrieved 17 October 2012.
  4. ^ Swift, Ember. ""Permanent Marker":Part 4". Ember Swift. Retrieved 17 October 2012.
  5. ^ Swift, Ember. ""The Wage is the Stage" & "Snapshots": Part 5". Ember Swift. Retrieved 17 October 2012.
  6. ^ Swift, Ember. ""The Wage is the Stage" & "Snapshots": Part 5". Ember Swift. Retrieved 17 October 2012.
  7. ^ Swift, Ember. ""Stiltwalking": Part 6". Ember Swift. Retrieved 17 October 2012.
  8. ^ Swift, Ember. ""Disarming": Part 7". Ember Swift. Retrieved 17 October 2012.
  9. ^ Swift, Ember. ""Witness: Live in Australia 2005(DVD)": Part 8". Ember Swift. Retrieved 17 October 2012.
  10. ^ Swift, Ember. ""The Dirty Pulse": Part 9". Ember Swift. Retrieved 17 October 2012.
  11. ^ Swift, Ember. ""Lentic": Part 10". Ember Swift. Retrieved 17 October 2012.
  12. ^ Swift, Ember. "11:11: Part 11: The Final Chapter". Ember Swift. Retrieved 17 October 2012.
  13. ^ "The Jer's Vision Gala celebrates the transformation from a Scholarship into a National Charity". OttawaStart.com. 4 October 2006. Archived from the original on 22 October 2006. Retrieved 18 March 2012.
  14. ^ "CIRAA – Board of Directors – Ember Swift". Ciraa.ca. Archived from the original on 25 May 2012. Retrieved 18 March 2012.
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