Not all teens listen to Britney Spears or ‘N Sync. And why should they. Rock & Roll has edge, grit, angst, aggression. Rock has protested wars, fought injustices, and supported good causes around the world. Rock is based on the ability of free thinking people to display their beliefs, no matter if it's about driving in a car on a sunny day or a bomb that can end the world. It's cathartic not only for the people who perform it but also for the people who hear it and relate to it. Rock is about voicing what's on your mind when others are afraid to say it. Rock can be about sex, drugs, anti-sex, anti-drugs, or rock can just be about rock and roll itself.
LiveonRelease is comprised of 4 teen girls, 15 - 16 years of age and all 2nd generation Rock Music kids who have grown up hearing strains of Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, The Clash, The Sex Pistols, Metallica, Bon Jovi, and a thousand other albums and cd's. Their parents cranked up the tunes while the children complained in the back seat of the car. But early on the kids were schooled in rock. Now as young teens and armed with Marshalls, they are kicking out aggressive rock and relating to experiences that are as important to them as religion is to the Pope.
In early 1997 Brittin Karroll had already been pre-destined as a professional musician having co-written a track on Bif Naked's "I Bificus" album "Violence" the international Stop The Violence theme song at 10 years of age. She started out at 8 years of age on the bass guitar then moved to guitar when she was 12. Brittin learned what life was like on the road when at an early age she remembers her and her sister sleeping in the back of rental cars driving between shows in the USA and Canada travelling with her rock manager father Peter Karroll. Trips to the Orient for music conventions, working the main stage at Canada's Edgefest in 1998 as a roadie, selling merchandise and running a 200 thousand watt concert lighting rig on tour have all been a part of Brittin's job resume despite her young age. Adding to her accomplishments, Brittin is an "A" team basketball player ~ where the name "LiveonRelease" was taken from a basketball term, and she is a 3rd degree black belt trained in a combination martial art of (TaeKwondo, Aikido, Hapkido).
Colette Trudeau has been performing on stage since she was 9 years of age. By the time she performed her first show she already had 4 years of operatic vocal training and years of piano lessons under her belt. Colette performed country songs and covered Celine Dion hits dazzling audiences in and around Vancouver, BC. Performing shows all over the lower mainland from the Cloverdale Rodeo, weddings, funerals, anywhere she could get a gig Colette would sing. She heard that a schoolmate Brittin Karroll was looking to form a rock band so she gave her a demo tape. Brittin had heard that Colette could sing but did not realize how well until she listened to the tape. The two immediately got together and started placing ads in The Georgia Straight, a Vancouver weekly entertainment paper to complete the lineup for LiveonRelease.
Foxx (Felicity) Herst, as a bratty eleven year old, used to sneak into the band-room and haul out a long-forgotten, beat-up bass guitar after school until she was finally allowed to audition for the high school jazz band, becoming its youngest member. Armed with a mission, Foxx sold almost everything she owned to buy her own bass and amp to practice at home. Previously trained in piano and guitar, she immediately began to write her own material obsessively. Soon her parents were paying for double bass lessons and Foxx was thrown into playing in various jazz groups and orchestras but classical music just couldn't quench her thirst to rock.
One day Foxx saw an ad in The Georgia Straight asking for a 14 year old girl bass player to join a band. The ad kept appearing for weeks until finally she picked up the phone and called. She met Brittin and Colette over sushi and hit it off like a house on fire. Jamming at a sleep-over solidified their direction but they still needed a drummer. Once again an ad was placed but this time it looked like they were out of luck in finding a young teen female drummer.
Leah Emmott, a competitive swimmer, and always interested in skateboarding and pretty much any sport, had grown tired of her piano and guitar lessons, she was just bored of it all. Her father had a drum kit and Leah suddenly took a strong interest in pounding on them making a lot of racket so sure enough she was put into lessons. Leah is a firm believer in lessons, her female drum teacher has taught Leah to play loud and proud and has been a strong influence and positive role model. Leah likes to improve with lessons, combined with weekly jazz combo jams, vocal choir, practicing on the sax and in her spare time she writes songs on the guitar.
Her work ethic is apparent and her motto is "preparation meets opportunity" …and she is certainly prepared. Meeting Foxx backstage at a school talent show proved to be the final piece of the puzzle. Both were playing acoustic guitar in the show and Foxx commiserated that she really would rather be playing the bass … Leah agreed except her heart lay with the drums. The rest is about to become musical history.
Riley Karroll, the band's then 18-year-old manager and older sister to Brittin, was working during breaks at University as Bif Naked's tour manager. She convinced Bif to check out the band at an afternoon show in New Westminster, B.C. The show was outdoors and 11 bands had already played by the time LiveonRelease even arrived. The crowd was tired and hot from being out in the sun all day. LiveonRelease hit the stage and people seemed to come from all directions. "The sound system was total crap", says Riley about the show. “I was worried that they would not be represented in the best light, but a tight 6 song set of fast paced rockers had the entire audience on their feet and Bif Naked talking about putting out LiveonRelease on her label ‘Her Royal Majesty's Records’.”
More shows and visits to the practice place and they soon realized that LiveonRelease was not only an exciting live act but had pure songwriting talent with an ability to translate teenage to a language that even adults can understand. Their indie single "I'm Afraid of Britney Spears" has started the notoriety across North America, after being a key track in the movie and soundtrack for "Dude, Where's My Car?". They have just completed their debut album 11 tracks of pure rock for release at the end of April entitled "seeing red". While finishing the 10th grade, the girls continue to have a rigorous practice schedule, performing half a dozen local shows in January, 2001. LiveonRelease is definitely LIVE. Catch them on tour and perhaps they will help you re-live the feelings you had when you first got in the music business.
