Zoe Thiessen

             Hello and thanks for visiting. Here's a bit about me and my music.  I grew up in Vancouver and started playing classical violin when I was small. Despite inevitable reluctance to practice, I always loved it. Violin was my introduction into music, but I think the seeds of wanting to sing and write songs were planted by the sounds of Emmylou Harris, my mom's favorite singer. Her songs constantly wafted through the house when I was young, her voice so beautiful and mournful and I think she's the reason I tend to have a country twang now. I learned to play guitar, and after a phase of hacking away at 'Purple Haze' riffs, I moved on to bluegrass/folk guitar and fiddle. 

           Over the years I've been drawn to all varieties of music, from Joni Mitchell to Etta James, and I incorporate these diverse influences into my own style of indie folk--a bluegrass fiddle reel will find it's home within a 90's chord progression, and a bossa nova rhythm might sit next to an alt-country tune. My diverse interests have led me to play in a variety of bands including the French Jazz trio Belleville Social, the funk band Pablo Discobar, and the country/folk group Cats With Manners.