Official Biographies
The combined sound of the award-winning Sirens (Donna Creighton and Jo-Ann Lawton) captures audiences. Unlike sirens of folklore, however, Canada’s Sirens deliver story songs with rare emotional complexity and a genre-blending style that is as unexpected as their vocal harmonies. They’ve been called startling
, beautiful
and nothing less than Magic
. With evocative songs, bang-on vocals, down-home humour and two adventurous musical minds in the mix, Sirens’ performances are moving, tickling the funny bone one moment, drawing tears the next.
Based in London, Ontario, Sirens have built a fan base in southern and northern Ontario with journeys west and into the United States over the past seven years. After their 1997 independent CD debut, Sirens were signed to the prestigious acoustic-based Borealis Recording Company label. Their first release with Borealis, Smilin’ (2000), propelled the band into new territory on the road and in the studio with producer Bill Garrett, culminating in a live performance at the 2002 Canada Summer Games.
With appearances from coffeehouses and folk clubs to major folk festivals and soft-seat venues, Sirens are at ease on both sides of the 49th parallel. This year marked the release of Live at the Ugly Mug Café (2003) just as Sirens were selected as the Favourite Folk/World/Celtic Act at the London Music Awards. The debut of their latest collaboration, Borderlands, with Project Sing! was featured in a series of performances at the Wolf Performance Hall in London.
Sirens’ musical versatility continues to surprise audiences. What is certain about this brand of contemporary acoustic folk is the infusion of tight original harmonies and the unexpected swings from traditional sea shanties to ragtime melodies, from jazz chords to pop to country, interjected with a waltz, a lullaby or 1950s-style doo-wop. Sirens’ lyrics are drawn from life experience, backed by guitars, recorders, whistles and occasionally keyboards or percussion.
Donna Creighton
Donna Creighton, four-time winner of the London Music Award and two-time Jack Richardson Award winner with roots act Sirens, is well known for her pure voice and as an impressive multi-instrumentalist. A classically trained vocalist, and a veteran of the recorder, she has been performing since the age of 5. She is an accomplished, versatile singer of traditional music, and her approach to songwriting reflects both her candid take on life and remarkable agility with changing tempos, directions and styles. She has been described as a delightful stage personality who can steal your heart and openly hand you hers in return. Ms Creighton is an Honours graduate of The University of Western Ontario in English and Drama in addition to her B.Ed. She continues to enhance her skills through continued study with London-based conductor/composer Jeff Christmas and Boston-based Joey Blake, member of Voicestra and Associate Professor at Berklee College of Music.
Currently, Donna is the Assistant Producer for In Good Company, a month-long event featuring London women past and present who have made contributions to the arts in London (she will also perform), is a co-creator presenting painter Susan Boone’s body of work, can be found strutting the stage in the encore performance of Hearts Made Great with Orchestra London Nov. 11th, and is writing songs for a solo recording project. She continues to teach music, drama and English, lead songwriting workshops, and judge the finalists for the Western Fair Talent competition.
Over the past 10 years she has toured North America with Sirens sharing the stage with countless talented musicians, including Bruce Cockburn, Valdy, Bruce Guthro, Parachute Club, Fred J. Eaglesmith, Don Ross, Arrogant Worms, Georgette Fry, Moxy Früvous, Philosopher Kings and Lisa Loeb.
In her spare time, she can be found hanging around with her flat coat retriever Wig, being bucked off horses at full gallop, paddling a canoe in a Canadian lake, or renovating her house.
Jo-Ann Lawton
Jo-Ann Lawton, four-time winner of the London Music Award, and the two-time Jack Richardson Award-winning roots act Sirens, is Ottawa-born and Burlington raised. She holds a Fine Art Diploma from Fanshawe College in London. She is one of Canada’s most prolific song writers, a model of the 40s singing style and a consummate performer. She has had roles in every aspect of the music business from artistic director of Fire in the Field to the creator, co-producer and performer of Borderlands. Jo-Ann also performs at festivals and concerts across North America. Jo-Ann loves to celebrate the uncompromised creativity of people who are not afraid to come to their art form from unsuspecting directions and who take joy in their uniqueness. Signed with the all-Canadian folk label Borealis, she and Donna Creighton conceived Hearts Made Great and will perform the Premiere Performance with Orchestra London on Remembrance Day 2005.