Kathleen Margaret Edwards (born July 11, 1978
) is a Canadian singer-songwriter and musician. Her 2002 debut album, '' Failer'', contained the singles "Six O'Clock News" and "Hockey Skates". Her next two albums – '' Back to Me'' and '' Asking for Flowers'' – both made the ''Billboard'' 200 list and reached the top 10 of Billboard's

Top Heatseekers The Heatseekers charts were "Breaking and Entering" music charts issued weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine. The Heatseekers Albums and the Heatseekers Songs charts were introduced by ''Billboard'' in 1991 with the purpose of highlighting the sales b ...

chart. In 2012, Edwards' fourth studio album, '' Voyageur'', became Edwards' first album to crack the top 100 and top 40 in the U.S., peaking at #39 on the U.S. ''Billboard'' 200 and #2 in Canada. In 2012, Edwards' song "A Soft Place To Land" won the

SOCAN Songwriting Prize The Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada, SOCAN Songwriting Prize, formerly known as the ECHO Songwriting Prize, was an annual competition recognizing the best in Canadian emerging music, both anglophone and francophone, fro ...

, an annual competition that honours the best song written and released by 'emerging' songwriters over the past year, as voted by the public. Her musical sound has been compared to

Suzanne Vega Suzanne Nadine Vega ( Peck; born July 11, 1959) is an American singer-songwriter of Folk music, folk-inspired music. Vega's music career spans 40 years. In the mid-1980s and 1990s she released four singles that entered the Top 40 charts in the ...

meets

Neil Young Neil Percival Young (born November 12, 1945) is a Canadian and American singer-songwriter. After embarking on a music career in Winnipeg in the 1960s, Young moved to Los Angeles, forming the folk rock group Buffalo Springfield. Since the begi ...

Early life

Edwards, the daughter of a diplomat, spent portions of her youth in Korea and Switzerland. Her father is Leonard Edwards, former Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs. At age 5, Edwards began classical violin studies that continued for the next 12 years. As a teenager she lived overseas, where she spent much of her time listening to her brother's records of

and

Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan; born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Described as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture over his nearly 70-year ...

. Her brother also bought her her first record, a

Tom Petty Thomas Earl Petty (October 20, 1950October 2, 2017) was an American singer, songwriter, and musician. He was the leader and frontman of the Rock music, rock bands Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and Mudcrutch and a member of the late 1980s sup ...

album. After high school she decided not to attend post-secondary education, instead opting to play local clubs to pay the bills.

Music career

In 1999, Edwards recorded a six-song EP entitled ''Building 55'' and pressed 500 copies. By the fall of 2000, she was on tour across Canada managing her own gigs. In 2001, she wrote seven of the ten songs for her 2002 debut release ''Failer''. Edwards played at

SXSW South by Southwest (SXSW) is an annual conglomeration of parallel film, interactive media, and music festivals and Convention (meeting), conferences organized jointly that take place in mid-March in Austin, Texas. It began in 1987 and has conti ...

in 2002 and was signed to Rounder Records and MapleMusic shortly after. ''Failer'' was released in Canada in the fall of 2002 on MapleMusic Recordings. In January 2003 ''Failer'' was released by

Rounder Records Rounder Records is an independent record label founded in 1970 in Somerville, Massachusetts, by Marian Leighton Levy, Ken Irwin, and Bill Nowlin. Focused on American roots music, Rounder's catalogue of more than 3000 titles includes records by A ...

in the US and internationally. ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...

'' declared her one of year's most promising new acts and ''

Blender A blender (sometimes called a mixer (from Latin ''mixus, the PPP of miscere eng. to Mix)'' or liquidiser in British English) is a kitchen and laboratory appliance used to mix, crush, purée or emulsify food and other substances. A stationary ...

'' said that ''Failer'' songs possessed "an indefinable pull that makes you love the characters they describe, no matter how fucked up they are." ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' praised Edwards as a writer whose songs can "pare situations down to a few dozen words while they push country-rock towards its primal impulses of thump and twang." She made her television network debut on the ''

Late Show with David Letterman ''Late Show with David Letterman'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by David Letterman on CBS, the first iteration of the ''Late Show'' franchise. The show debuted on August 30, 1993, and was produced by Letterman's production com ...

'' where she performed "Six O'Clock News." In 2005, Edwards released '' Back to Me'', which also garnered considerable critical acclaim, and led to the release of the singles "Back to Me" and "In State". The track "Summerlong" was also featured on the soundtrack of the movie '' Elizabethtown'' starring

Orlando Bloom Orlando Jonathan Blanchard Copeland Bloom (born 13 January 1977) is an English actor. He made his breakthrough as the character Legolas in The Lord of the Rings (film series), ''The Lord of the Rings'' film series (2001–03). He reprised his r ...

and

Kirsten Dunst Kirsten Caroline Dunst (; born April 30, 1982) is an American actress. She made her acting debut in the anthology film ''New York Stories'' (1989) and has since starred in several film and television productions. She has received several awar ...

. In 2008, Edwards released her third studio album, '' Asking for Flowers''. It was described by the '' San Francisco Bay Guardian'' as "her finest album to date", and was a shortlisted nominee for the 2008 Polaris Music Prize. In contrast with 2005's ''Back to Me'', on which Edwards relied on her working band, ''Asking for Flowers'' predominantly features session musicians. In fall 2010, Edwards began working on her fourth studio album in Wisconsin. '' Voyageur'' was released in January 2012. It includes the single "Change the Sheets," and was co-produced by

Justin Vernon Justin DeYarmond Edison Vernon (born April 30, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist. He is best-known as the primary songwriter and Lead vocalist, frontman of indie folk band Bon Iver. He is also a member o ...

Bon Iver Bon Iver ( ) is an American indie folk band founded in 2006 by singer-songwriter Justin Vernon in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Vernon had originally formed Bon Iver as a solo project, but it eventually became a band consisting of Vernon (vocals, guit ...

. She appeared on the ''

'' on January 17, 2012, singing "Change the Sheets" from her new album ''Voyageur''. In November 2019, Edwards released "It's Christmastime (Let's Just Survive)", her first new single since ''Voyageur'', on the

Dualtone Records Dualtone Records is an American record label specializing in folk, Americana, and indie rock. It was founded in 2001 by Scott Robinson and Dan Herrington. The company is run by Robinson and the label's president, Paul Roper. Albums are distribut ...

compilation album ''A Dualtone Christmas''. In May 2020, Edwards released the single "Options Open" and announced ''Total Freedom'', her first new album in eight years. The album was released on August 14, 2020.

Musical collaborations

In 2005, Edwards lent her vocals to the duet "The Plan", recorded with Matt Mays and El Torpedo for their self-titled album. In 2006, she was nominated for

Juno Awards The Juno Awards (stylized as JUNOS), or simply known as the Junos, are awards presented by the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences to recognize outstanding achievements in Canada's music industry. The Grammy Awards are the United S ...

for Songwriter of the Year and Adult Alternative Album of the Year for ''Back to Me''. In 2007, Edwards worked with

John Doe John Doe (male) and Jane Doe (female) are multiple-use placeholder names that are used in the British, Canadian, and American legal systems, when the true name of a person is unknown or is being intentionally concealed. In the context of law ...

, of the punk rock band X, on his solo album ''A Year in the Wilderness''. She sings on three tracks. In 2008 Edwards sang backup vocals on

Bryan Adams Bryan Guy Adams (born November 5, 1959) is a British and Canadian singer-songwriter, musician, record producer, and photographer. He is estimated to have sold between 75 million and more than 100 million album, records and Single (music), si ...

' album '' 11'', and supported one of his tours. In 2009, she joined Adams on stage to sing one of Adams' songs, "Walk on By". In 2011 Edwards contributed vocals on

Arkells Arkells is a Canadian rock band, formed in Hamilton, Ontario. In 2006, they signed with Dine Alone Records, and have since signed with Universal Music Canada. They have released nine albums: '' Jackson Square'' (2008), '' Michigan Left'' (2011) ...

' song "Agent Zero", off their second album '' Michigan Left''. "Soft Place to Land", one of two songs on Edwards' ''Voyageur'' album co-written with

The Long Winters The Long Winters are an American indie rock band based in Seattle, Washington. History Singer-songwriter John Roderick was born in Seattle, Washington, and grew up in Anchorage, Alaska. He later returned to Seattle, where he formed the Bun Fam ...

frontman John Roderick, won the 2012 SOCAN Echo Songwriting Prize. She co-wrote the song "Good Woman", from Maren Morris's 2019 album ''

Girl A girl is a young female human, usually a child or an adolescent. While the term ''girl'' has other meanings, including ''young woman'',Dictionary.com, "Girl"'' Retrieved January 2, 2008. '' daughter'' or '' girlfriend'' regardless of age ...

''.Jonathan Bernstein
"Kathleen Edwards Left Behind Roots-Music Stardom to Sell Coffee. Now She’s Back"
''

'', May 19, 2020.

Personal life

In 2004, Edwards married guitarist and collaborator Colin Cripps. They divorced in 2011. Edwards was later in a relationship with

, Wisconsin-born singer/songwriter and front-man of the band

. Edwards and Vernon separated in 2012. In 2020, Edwards married property developer Sean McAdam. The couple now make their home in St. Petersburg, Florida. Edwards stepped back from the music scene in 2014, launching a coffee house in

Stittsville Stittsville is a suburban community, part of the Canadian capital of Ottawa, Ontario. It is within the former Goulbourn Township. A part of the National Capital Region, Stittsville is immediately to the southwest of Kanata, adjacent to Ric ...

called Quitters along with Rick Tremblay (who was her manager when she worked in a downtown Starbucks in the 1990s). She insisted that she is not leaving music but just taking a break, and that the name Quitters is "kind of tongue-in-cheek". Quitters closed on March 6, 2022 after Edwards sold the business, so that she could return to her music career. As of 2018, Edwards continued to perform sporadically, including a number of new songs. In August 2019, following the suicide of American singer-songwriter

Neal Casal Neal Graeme Casal (November 2, 1968 – August 26, 2019) ...

, Edwards opened up on Twitter about the struggle with depression that led her to take time away from her music career.Corey Atad
"Canadian Singer Kathleen Edwards Opens Up About Mental Health Struggles Following Death Of Neal Casal"
. ''

ET Canada ''Entertainment Tonight Canada'' (commonly shortened to ''ET Canada'') is a Canadian entertainment news television series that aired on the Global Television Network from 2005 to 2023. Its branding and format were based on the American entertainm ...

'', August 28, 2019.

Discography

Studio albums

Extended plays

* 1999: '' Building 55'' * 2003: '' Live from the Bowery Ballroom'' * 2008: ''Live Session EP (iTunes Exclusive)'' * 2022: ''Dogs and Alcohol'' * 2025: ''Covers EP''

Singles

Guest singles

Music videos

Contributed as primary artist

* 2003: VA - ''Cities 97 Sampler: Live from the Cities 97's Studio C - 15th Anniversary'' (KTCZ) rack 3 - "Six O'Clock News" (live)* 2003: VA - ''City Folk Live VI: More Exclusive, Live Performances from the Studios of WFUV in New York City.'' (WFUV) rack 7 - "6 O'Clock News" (sic) (live)* 2003: VA - ''Greetings from Area Code: Maine 207 Volume 4 - 98.9 WCLZ'' (WCLZ) isc 2, track 8 - "Hockey Skates" (live)* 2003: VA - ''Madison's Progressive Radio: 105.5 Triple M - Live from Studio M Volume 3'' (WMMM) rack 12 - "Six O'Clock News" (live)* 2003: VA - ''92.9 WBOS: Live from the Archives Volume 1 - Studio 7'' (WBOS) rack 14 - "Six O'Clock News" (live)* 2003: VA - ''107.1 KGSR Radio Austin: Broadcasts Vol. 11'' (KGSR) isc 2, track ''-'' 6 "Six O'Clock News" (live)* 2004: VA - ''Sweetheart: Love Songs - Our Favorite Artists Cover Their Favorite Love Songs.'' [track 4 - "A Face in the Crowd" (

cover)] * 2005: VA - ''Live At The World Cafe (radio program), World Cafe XX: V. Twenty - WXPN 88.5'' (WXPN) [track 4 - "Back To Me" (live)] * 2005: VA - 92.9 WBOS: Studio 7 - Live from the Archives 3 (WBOS) rack 14 - "Back to Me" (live)* 2005: VA - ''102.1 KPRI: Rock Without Rules! - Live Tracks Volume 3'' (KPRI) rack 2 - "Back to Me" (live)* 2005: VA - ''107.1 KGSR Radio Austin: Broadcasts Vol. 13'' (KGSR) isc 2, track 1 - "Back To Me" (live)* 2006: VA - ''107.1 KGSR Radio Austin: Broadcasts Vol. 14'' (KGSR) [disc 1, track 9 - "Unknown Legend" (live) (

cover)] * 2007: VA - ''91.3 FM KXCI Presents: Live from Studio 2A Volume VII'' (KXCI) [track 7 - "Back to Me" (live)] * 2009: VA - ''FUV Live 12: More Exclusive, Live Performances from the Studios of WFUV in New York City - 90.7 wfuv.org'' (WFUV) [track 10 - "The Golden State" (live) (with

)] * 2009: VA - ''Live & Direct 11: 91.3 FM - WYEP'' (WYEP) [track 1 - "Asking for Flowers" (live)] * 2011: VA - ''

National Parks Project The National Parks Project is a Canadian music and film project. Released in 2011 to mark the 100th anniversary of the creation of the National Parks of Canada system,Matt Mays Matt Mays (born August 10, 1979) is a Canadian indie rock singer-songwriter and was the lead singer of Matt Mays & El Torpedo, a rock music group based in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, and New York City. Previously, Mays was a member of a Canadian i ...

& Sam Roberts) & track D5 - "On the Tundra - MB" (with Matt Mays & Sam Roberts)] * 2012: VA - KINK Live 15 (KINK) rack 3 - "Change the Sheets" (live)* 2012: VA - ''Live at the World Cafe Volume 34: WXPN'' (WXPN) rack 16 - "Change the Sheets" (live)* 2013: VA - '' The Music Is You: A Tribute to John Denver'' ( ATO) rack 3 - "All Of My Memories"

Appears on

* 1999: Wooden Stars - ''The Moon'' (Matlock) rack 1 - "Outlaws" & track 2 - "Rebel Radios"* 2003: Oh Susanna - ''Oh Susanna'' (

Nettwerk Nettwerk Music Group is an independent record label founded in 1984. The Vancouver-based company was created by principals Terry McBride and Mark Jowett as a record label to distribute recordings by the band Moev, but the label expanded in Ca ...

) * 2004: Paul Reddick - ''Villanelle'' (Northern Blues) rack 3 - "Villanelle"* 2004: Liam Titcomb - ''Liam Titcomb'' rack 10 - "Rose of Jericho"* 2005: Colin Linden - ''Southern Jumbo'' rack 10 - Test Song* 2005:

Matt Mays Matt Mays (born August 10, 1979) is a Canadian indie rock singer-songwriter and was the lead singer of Matt Mays & El Torpedo, a rock music group based in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, and New York City. Previously, Mays was a member of a Canadian i ...

+ El Torpedo - '' Matt Mays + El Torpedo'' (Sonic /

Warner Music Canada Warner Music Canada is the Canadian division of Warner Music Group. The label previously operated as WEA Music of Canada, Ltd. (French: ''WEA Musique du Canada, Ltée''), often shortened to WEA Canada, the Canadian subsidiary of WEA Internationa ...

) rack 4 - "The Plan"* 2006:

Jim Cuddy James Gordon Cuddy, (born December 2, 1955) is a Canadian singer-songwriter primarily associated with the band Blue Rodeo. Early life and education Cuddy was born in Toronto, Ontario. His mother Jean Cuddy was an English teacher at Monarch P ...

- '' The Light That Guides You Home'' (5 Corners Productions) rack 4 - "Married Again"* 2007:

- ''A Year In The Wilderness'' (

Yep Roc Yep Roc Records is an American independent record label based in Hillsborough, North Carolina, and owned by Redeye Distribution. Since 1997, the label has released albums from North Carolina and international artists, including Fountains of Wayne ...

) rack 3 - "The Golden State", track 5 - "A Little More Time" & track 8 - "Lean Out Yr Window""The Golden State" also appears on & * 2008:

- '' 11'' rack 7 - "Somethin' to Believe In"* 2008: Collin Herring - ''Past Life Crashing'' rack 2 - "Beside", track 5 - "Sidekick" & track 9 - "Punches"* 2009:

Rose Cousins Rosanne Millicent "Rose" Cousins (born April 21, 1977) is a Canadian folk-pop singer-songwriter. Born and raised in Prince Edward Island, she is currently based in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Career Cousins released two EPs prior to her full-length ...

- ''The Send Off'' rack 7 - "All the Time It Takes to Wait" & track 9 - "Celebrate"* 2009: John Doe and

The Sadies The Sadies are a Canadian rock and roll / country and western band from Toronto, Ontario. The band consists of Travis Good, Sean Dean and Mike Belitsky. Dallas Good, a founding member, died in 2022. Dallas and Travis are the sons of Margaret a ...

- ''Country Club'' (Yep Roc) rack 4 - "It Just Dawned on Me" & track 13 - "Are the Good Times Really Over for Good"* 2010:

Andrew Cole Andrew Alexander Cole (born 15 October 1971) is an English former professional footballer who played as a striker. His professional career lasted from 1988 to 2008, and is mostly remembered for his time with Manchester United, who paid a Bri ...

- ''Why We Wonder'' rack 2 - "Dead Roses" & track 7 - "Just You Care"* 2010: Ladies Of The Canyon - '' Haunted Woman'' (Kindling Music) rack 8 - "Poet"* 2010:

Young Artists for Haiti Young Artists for Haiti was a movement to engage Canada's young musicians to continue to inspire an ongoing effort and contribution to Canadian charities for their work to help the people of Haiti overcome the devastation from the 7.1 magnitude e ...

- "

Wavin' Flag "Wavin' Flag" is a song by Somali Canadians, Somali-Canadian artist K'naan from his album ''Troubadour (K'naan album), Troubadour'' (2009). The song was originally written for Somalia and aspirations of its people for freedom. The original sing ...

" (single) * 2011:

- '' Michigan Left'' (

Universal Music Canada Universal Music Group (UMG) owns, or has a joint share in, many of the record labels listed here. According to the UMG official website, the main labels are Abbey Road Studios, Capitol Music Group, Decca Records, Def Jam Recordings, Deutsche Gra ...

) rack 10 - "Agent Zero"* 2013: What Made Milwaukee Famous - ''

You Can't Fall Off the Floor What Made Milwaukee Famous (WMMF) is an American indie rock band from Austin, Texas, United States. In 2005, the band performed for Austin City Limits with Franz Ferdinand (band), Franz Ferdinand, making them one of the only unsigned bands to ...

'' (self-released) rack 4 - "Rosewood"* 2014: Caitlin Harnett - ''The River Runs North'' rack 9 - "Bad Man"* 2014: Oh Susanna - ''Namedropper'' (

Sonic Unyon Sonic Unyon is an independent record label based in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The label has put out releases by bands including Tristan Psionic, Sianspheric, Shallow North Dakota, Eric's Trip, Hayden, Chore, Frank Black and the Catholics, ...

) rack 4 - "Cottonseed", track 6 - "Mozart for the Cat" & track 10 - "1955"* 2016:

Jim Bryson James “Jim” Paul Sean Bryson (born April 30, 1969) is a Canadian singer-songwriter. Briefly a founding member of the band Punchbuggy (band), Punchbuggy, he moved to a musical life under his own name with the release of his debut album, ''Th ...

- ''Somewhere We Will Find Our Place'' ( MapleMusic Recordings)

DVD

* 2004: ''Return To Sin City: A Tribute To

Gram Parsons Ingram Cecil Connor III (November 5, 1946 – September 19, 1973), known professionally as Gram Parsons, was an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, and pianist. He recorded with the International Submarine Band, the Byrds, and the Flying Bu ...

'' (

Image Entertainment RLJ Entertainment (formerly Image Entertainment) is an American film production company and home video distributor, distributing film and television productions in North America, with approximately 3,200 exclusive DVD titles and approximately 34 ...

) ["We'll Sweep Out The Ashes In The Morning" (with

) (live)] * 2004: ''Molson Canadian Rocks for Toronto, Toronto Rocks'' (TGA DVD) ["One More Song the Radio Won't Like" (live), "Mercury" (live) & "6 O'Clock News" (sic) (live)] * 2004: ''A Zoe / Rounder Video Compilation: Watch This!'' (Zoe Vision) Six O'Clock News" (music video)* 2005: ''

Farm Aid Farm Aid is an annual benefit concert held for American farmers. History On July 13, 1985, before performing "When The Ship Comes In" with Keith Richards and Ron Wood at the Live Aid benefit concert for the 1983–1985 Ethiopian famine, B ...

: 20th Anniversary Concert'' (Image Entertainment) Independent Thief" (live)* 2010: ''NPP:

National Parks Project The National Parks Project is a Canadian music and film project. Released in 2011 to mark the 100th anniversary of the creation of the National Parks of Canada system,Amanda Palmer Amanda MacKinnon Palmer (born April 30, 1976) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and performance artist who is the lead vocalist, pianist, and lyricist of the duo the Dresden Dolls. She performs as a solo artist and was also a memb ...

- ''You Got Me Singing'' (8 ft. Records) rack 9 - "Pink Emerson Radio"

In TV

* 2019: ''The Order'' (episode 10) - Netflix

Awards and nominations

References

External links

Kathleen Edwards
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Edwards, Kathleen 1978 births Living people Canadian alternative country singers Canadian women country singers Canadian country singer-songwriters Canadian pop guitarists Singers from Ottawa MapleMusic Recordings artists Zoë Records artists Canadian women pop singers 21st-century Canadian women singers 20th-century Canadian women singers 21st-century Canadian guitarists Canadian women singer-songwriters Rounder Records artists Dualtone Records artists 21st-century Canadian women guitarists 20th-century Canadian singer-songwriters 21st-century Canadian singer-songwriters