By Holly Fraughton, Pique Newsmagazine

Leading up to and during the Olympics, Whistler's homegrown songstress, Ali Milner, was front and centre on many stages, including during the local opening ceremonies and the Paralympic closing show. While that was a busy time for this 20-year-old performer, things don't seem to have slowed down much since then.

"It's been pretty hectic, I guess," she reflected. "But awesome!"

Late last week, Milner was just catching her breath, coming down from a Canada Day concert that saw her taking the stage with legendary singers Sheryl Crow, Sarah McLachlan and others at Vancouver's Lilith Fair date.

"I grew up knowing they were kind of big stars, but it wasn't until recently where I was really looking them up and realizing what huge influences they had on the world," said Milner.

Milner had met McLachlan a few times through performances in Whistler and Vancouver. A few months ago, Milner received an e-mail from the singer's manager, asking if she'd like to be a part of the Vancouver Lilith Fair date. Milner jumped at the opportunity and was rewarded with an inspiring experience, meeting and working with some female powerhouses in the music industry.

"They're huge stars, but they're also real people, so it was kind of an interesting thing to meet them. It kind of makes it feel possible that I could have a career like that, as well," said Milner.

"It was incredible: so supportive, and you think when you're a young, upcoming artist playing on a bigger tour date like that, you think that maybe the huge artists might not be accessible or anything, but I got to speak with them at the press conference and backstage before the final number and they're all just so nice and real women, and they're just living their lives!"

Milner played a 35-minute set of almost all original tunes from her last album, I Dare You (she played one cover, Higher and Higher by Jackie Wilson, at the end to get everyone dancing), and received a "great" reaction from the audience.

"They seemed to be willing to discover new music and sit and listen; it was really great. There were people dancing at the front, and it was awesome."

At the end of the day, everyone got up on stage together to perform one final song, a lesser-known tune by Bruce Springsteen. Milner sings a few words and giggles, admitting she had never heard it before.

"It was a bit intimidating I guess, especially because it was televised. I don't really get nervous anymore, I just get excited. But the Paralympics, for some reason, televised gigs freak me out," she laughed.

"I remember just before I got up on stage at Lilith, I got kind of nervous," she admitted. "And not excited - nervous! Because who knows who's in the crowd?"

As it turns out, at least one member of the music industry was in the audience, watching Milner perform: Terry McBride, Sarah McLachlan's manager and co-founder of Lilith Fair.

"He said he really enjoyed my set, so that was really great."

Lilith was the icing on the cake, of sorts. The Olympic experience has definitely helped to open a lot of doors for this born and bred Whistlerite.

"Performing on a world stage was an incredible opportunity and it was great. I've gotten messages from people from Germany that were like, 'I saw you in Whistler Village!'

"I kind of just keep on chugging, I just keep working; it's been a great thing to add to my resume," she said.

Since the Games, Milner has played a lot of live shows and traveled to some "random" places, including festivals and shows in Utah and England to perform. Straight after the Games, she was off to London with her bass player and drummer to make her UK debut at the City Showcase Festival. There, she played a few shows and made great connections with other musicians and people in the industry.

"The organizers of the festival are starting an agent management company, so I'm talking about working with them, maybe going back to the UK, so it was a really successful trip in that way."

Whistler's singing and songwriting sweetheart released her self-titled debut album at the age of 14, and released her sophomore album, I Dare You, last fall, transitioning from straight-up jazz to a more pop-influenced sound.

"I've been honing my sound and getting more and more comfortable on stage and working with a band and playing shows that way, because it's very different from playing in hotels or something. It's a completely, completely different ball game."

Now, she's getting ready to start writing for her next album, a project that will explore a more soulful sound, reminiscent of the legendary Ray Charles.

"I'm ready for people to see where I'm at now."

ALI MILNER: "Can't Change This Girl"

So there you are carving the Upper Panorama run and looking pretty damned good, truth be told, when a boarder with screaming red hair goes flaming by you at Mach two. That was not Shaun White.

But it could very well have been singer-songwriter Ali Milner, who is very comfortable up here in these hills because, you see, she grew up in Whistler. She's a Babe of the Blackburn, a Spawn of the Schuss. Incredibly, she doesn't have an Australian accent.

There were 350 kids in her high school and she had the same group in her graduating class she had in Grade 1. And grad wasn't that far back -- she turns 20 next month. But already she has her second album out and has scored random gigs from the Four Seasons in Whistler to work in Arizona, Tokyo and London.

There were also a couple of shows with the Olympic/ Paralympic activities. And to think it all started -- as good things in life always seem to -- with a trip to Costco.

"I was probably 10 or 11," says Milner. "I was with my mother at Costco and they have that little listening station where you can sample stuff and there was this CD called The Great Ladies and the Great Gents of Jazz and I just got really into it. I was really stoked on Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday."

Pretty alert for a kid that age but perhaps not too surprising considering she grew up in a home where musical tastes ranged from Stevie Ray Vaughn to Dave Brubeck to Garth Brooks. By 13, Milner was taking piano and, while she learned the great jazz standards that compilation CD inspired in her, today she's veering away from specializing in any one genre.

On her current I Dare You release, you can hear the jazzy inflections but there's a lot of contemporary pop in there.

Milner's free download this week is called "Can't Change This Girl," co-written with producer Don McLeod and singer-songwriter Sherry St. Germain.

"Me and Sherry were actually going through breakups at the same time," says Milner. "Pretty much our breakups inspired it. I think it says me, the singer, is a strong person and I'm not willing to change, you have to love me for who I am. I think it's important that you don't want to change someone. And you can't change anyone."

Download songs from these artists at theprovince.com/musicdownloadstoday and watch for more every Tuesday!

jpmac@gmx.net

Je m'explique : I Dare est un album qui est en phase avec l'âge encore tendre la demoiselle, ce qui signifie qu'il est davantage orienté vers des sonorités pop un peu faciles mais toujours séduisantes et pas trop étouffantes. L'album reste très frais et pourra aisément accompagné les premiers rayons de soleil du printemps qui se fait encore attendre. L'album s'ouvre sur quelques pistes mélodieuses telles que le catchy Crystal Clear, et le reggae insouciant, charmant mais un peu bancal de I Wanna Be Loved By You, mais rapidement l'album se fait plus subtil et intéressant avec le superbe morceau à connotation jazzy/pop Lost My Diamond, le tendrement soulful Somebody, ma piste préférées l'intimiste et poignant I Dare You, le pimpant et réjouissant up tempo vintage de Gonna Dance, le simple mais fort charmant déjà-vu I Can't Wait Forever ou encore le positif et lucide Can't Change This Girl.

On ressent, à travers ce premier disque, les premisses d'une artiste avec un grand potentiel. Une belle voix, des sonorités charmantes et quelques petits éclairs de pure beauté. Plus qu'encourageant.

Note Finale : A

The original blog post

Originally I was going to buzz off after Borealis' set, but earlier in the day I heard a couple of Milner's tunes on CIUT and I just had to stick around.  I'm really glad I did.  Milner's songs are pure pop gold, delivered with a jazzy posture.  On top of the solid songwriting, the Whistler-native possess an absolutely irresistible soulful voice.

Your music is very much a modern twist on the jazz sound. What made you gravitate towards a jazz sound growing up?
I listened to absolutely anything and everything growing up! Although, one day I ended up buying this Great Ladies and Great Gents of Jazz compilation CD from Costco, of all places, and just fell in love with it. I ended up going through a pretty heavy jazz phase, listening to lots of Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Louis Armstrong…and that led to me wanting to sing jazz music.

Well, that shows that music really was your calling if you can go into Costco and find a great jazz CD. I just buy big boxes of candy.
Dude, Costco has amazing compilation CDs! I’ve found so much great music at Costco, and at good prices of course. You just gotta keep your eyes open for ‘em!

We are increasingly seeing jazz influences turning up in the mainstream with artists like Norah Jones, and Canadians Michael Buble and Diana Krall. Being a similar young artist, does it make you excited that these artists are finding mainstream success with jazz-influenced music or are you feeling any pressure to make your sound more pop/top 40?
I don’t feel any pressure to make pop music because I’m a young artist… I think any artist might feel some sort of pressure to pen a hit, but I feel like you just can’t think of that. That’s just no fun, so I’m just doing what I’m doing, just being me and that’s what I’m going to stick to. Otherwise it becomes a “real” job!

You recorded your first album at age 14, and you released your new album I Dare You at age 19. How did you develop your song writing skills at such a young age?
That’s a tough question to answer.  I’m often asked how I’ve ended up doing the things I’ve done so far at this age, but I don’t know anything otherwise.  I’m just doing what I love to do and it’s taking me to some pretty cool places.

“Cool places” like Tokyo and London where you’ve performed.  How does this international experience enhance/develop your sound?
The international experiences have been spectacular and they’ve really added to who I am.  I think that traveling the world is important for any human being.  It’s expanded me as a person, and, in turn, has expanded my sound.  It’s given me more experiences which will give me more to write about. Therefore, hopefully, letting me grow as a songwriter.

In the list of strange experiences, performing on stage right after Jackie Chan in China has got to be pretty high up there. Can we expect a duet with him on the next album?
[Laughs] Yes, that was pretty weird! I find out I’m going to play a show in China and Jackie Chan ends up going right before me! Crazy times! Alas, I don’t think there will be any duets in the future…but I shouldn’t give up hope!

We spoke to Dan Mangan, also from BC, earlier this week about his Olympic experience…what was your experience of performing and seeing the transformation of Whistler during the Olympics?
Well, the Olympics were amazing!  I had an incredible time. I’ve certainly seen Whistler and Vancouver change over the past few years in preparation for the Olympics, Whistler in particular. Lots of building and construction. During the Olympics, the energy in Whistler was so positive.  Playing in my hometown for the Olympics was wonderful! There was such a warm reception from everyone. You’d think with the big crowds there would be some hostility between countries, but everyone was so happy to be there and so willing to co-exist with smiles. I’m sad that it’s over!

I had the chance to check out the peak to peak gondola when I was in Whistler a few weeks ago, but I never thought to perform a song with a band in it like you did. What brought that on? Can we expect a “Songs From The Gondola” album coming soon?
[Laughs] That’s a pretty neat idea…”Songs from the Gondola” album has a really nice ring to it. I wish I’d thought of doing the gondola thing, but what happened was that I got a call from a friend of mine asking me to do it as part of a 2010 Initiative [a youth based media project filmed during the Olympics to promote the province] and I said yes (of course).  They put together a number of videos that they shot around town.  For instance, They staged a musical during peak times in the Old Spaghetti Factory.

You’ve received a lot of praise already for your down-to-earth personality in the ego-driven music business. How do you stay grounded throughout your career?
Well, I have some pretty terrific people around me.  My Mom would never let my ego go anywhere but the ground (down-to-earth). I have to say though, it’s not tough to keep it there.  I live a really normal life with some interesting experiences thrown in here and there.

Why be part of Canadian Music Week?
Being a part of Canadian Music Week is a really cool opportunity to showcase your music and what you’ve been doing with the Canadian music industry. It’s great to see familiar faces and make new connections.

For someone who hasn’t heard your music yet, what’s your best sales pitch to get them to check you out?
I don’t know how to answer that, to be honest. I’m not much of a sales person! I’ll just leave it with the hope that my music and my performance speak for themselves and that people enjoy what I do.

Ali Milner, a promising young pop singer/writer based in Vancouver, BC, Canada, has won the March SingerUniverse “Best Vocalist Of The Month” Competition, for her performance of her song “I Dare You” (co-written by Don McLeod & Shawn Verreault). "I Dare You" is the title track of her latest album, which she released independently in October (2009).

“I Dare You” is a new song which recalls the classic '60s-style sound of hit ballads such as "Unchained Melody." This song has an understated arrangement (mainly acoustic guitar and strings) which is presented very well, and it provides an ideal setting to showcase Milner's clear, powerful vocals. Her vocals come in right as the song begins, and her singing remains compelling throughout the song. "I Dare You" was expertly produced by Don McLeod, who also plays guitar on this recording.

Milner (who is 19) was born in Toronto, and she moved with her family to Whistler, BC (a mountain resort north of Vancouver) at a young age. She learned to play piano at age 13, and started writing songs a year later. Interestingly, Milner grew up listening to and being inspired by such classic artists as Ray Charles, Sam Cooke and Dolly Parton. "My parents always played the older songs, and I connected with these classic songs more easily," recalled Milner.

When she was 14, Milner released her first album (self-titled Ali Milner), which was a collection of jazz songs that she recorded with a jazz trio in Toronto. It was also during this period that Milner performed in several music theater productions, and she had a regular gig performing at the Four Seasons Hotel. Milner has also performed shows live in Tokyo and London, which were set up by the Canadian embassy.

In March 2009, Milner began recording her album I Dare You, which consists of 13 songs mostly written by her (with Don McLeod). The album was recorded in a more traditional and organic way. "It was recorded live off the studio floor--it was recorded organically, onto tape," she explained.

Now with the release of I Dare You, Milner is continuing to gain exposure and land more gigs. She performed in Whistler when the Olympic torch passed through the city, and she recently opened a show for popular rock band Barenaked Ladies. "I just want to keep working hard promoting my album, do more shows, and build a strong online presence," she said. "I also want to continue to develop relations with record labels, managers and the music industry."

"I Dare You." Performed by Ali Milner of Vancouver, BC, Canada. Written by Ali Milner, Don McLeod & Shaun Verreault.

1. MATISYAHU (FEB. 14, 4:10 P.M.)

Like an extraordinary number of acts appearing under the Cultural Olympiad banner, Matisyahu erases the boundaries separating all music. The catch when he started was that Matisyahu blended his Jewish lore with reggae, which was interesting but proved limiting. He since has branched out to take in other contemporary rhythms and riffs.

2. ALI MILNER (FEB. 17, 2:45 P.M.)

MILNER SLOWLY BUT STEADILY HAS been making an impression. She veers from Motown exuberance to more reflective pop balladry with elements of jazz also popping up. There also is an appealing sassiness that makes her one to watch.

3. WINTERSLEEP (FEB. 26 4:30 P.M.)

THIS HALIFAX BAND SEEMS TO BE everywhere in the coming weeks so the show at Whistler won't be the only chance to see it. Melodic and appealing, Wintersleep has been establishing itself as one more of the country's diverse but substantial new bands, which has garnered a lot of international recognition. Wintersleep opened for Paul McCartney last summer.

Posted by Li Robbins on Friday February 5, 2010 at 3:00 AM Comments2|Recommend3

You might remember Next! from last year -- an excellent series profiling some of Canada's up and coming musicians across several genres of music. You can view the line up at Next!

Today Canada Live kicks off Next! 2010 with a concert by 19-year-old Ali Milner, recorded in Vancouver.

Someone at CBC (not sure who) is on record as saying Ali Milner is "the next Joni Mitchell," but she's also been compared to Fiona Apple, Sara Bareilles and Estelle, and been called a "female Sam Cooke." No pressure there!

Maybe all the comparisons are because Milner is a very flexible vocalist -- she cites her own influences as ranging "from Puccini to Ella, and of course Zeppelin to Queen."

As for the Cooke comparison, for sure that comes from songs like this, I Dare You.

At YouTube one listener says "I'm a Metalhead, but, this rocks my world. It's PERFECT."

Certainly a perfect person to kick off Next! -- a boatload of talent, and at the beginning of her career.

At the Chan Centre: Ali Milner

Talent is timeless

by Steven Chua
contributor

Sunday, October 4th, 2009