Like the blueberries ripening on her family's Qualicum Beach farm, singer songwriter Hayley Sales' career is on the verge of a bountiful harvest.
With a lifetime steeped in music the pieces are falling into place and with her 20th birthday just around the corner, this career is poised for takeoff. She's headlining the Blueberry Fields Music Festival July 23 on the farm in Qualicum.
After I first saw her perform 18 months ago I wrote: "It blew my mind to hear this sort of soul pouring out of an 18 year old." Since then Sales has gained even more experience writing, recording, and playing live.
Acoustic rock with a dash of reggae, she's like a female version of Jack Johnson, with a vibe that's heavy on Norah Jones.
Strongest in the funk, soul, and jazz genres, this is where Sales can stand out and dodge the generic 91原创 singer-songwriter label.
Knowing how it's uphill for developing artists, it was important to get enthusiastic management so she recently signed on with 91原创 manager Frank Weipert because, "He could really focus on me," she says.
The entire team is easygoing and supportive. Artists and repertoire (A&R) rep for Universal Music David Porter was instrumental in signing Sales to a worldwide deal. "They actually came after me," she says.
The lines between business and personal can blur in the music industry, so Universal reps come to the Qualicum farm to help out; Porter's been known to shovel sawdust or drive the tractor.
"It's really exciting," Sales says of the Universal deal. Me, I love the idea of an A&R guy on a tractor.
Sales recently wrapped recording on her new album Sunseed at 91原创's Mushroom Studios and her home-based GlassWing Studios. The finished master sounds great, she says. The label is excited about the album, particularly in Australia and the U.K. "It's a little funkier, a lot softer," than Drifter (her first CD)," she says.
Sales is also excited about hosting the Blueberry Fields Music Festival next Sunday: "This area needs a lot more music. I just wanna gather people together and give them a musical experience."
And if that wasn't enough, there's the blueberries: These people grow some of the most luscious organic blueberries you've ever tasted. Go, eat, buy to eat at home.
Back to the music, Sales has assembled a new collection of musicians to work with: "This is the first show that my new band is going to do." Joining Sales will be Tim Brown (drums), David Marion (bass), and Richard (yes that's her dad and he rocks) Sales on guitar.
Also on the bill are Australian band Oka, who Sales is thrilled to have lured to B.C. to play. "They were a big hit last year when they came," she says of their last show.
The Dudes (Calgary) play an early acoustic rock set and then head down for an evening show headlining at the Queen's.
Tickets are $7 for adults and $5 for children and the festival goes from 4 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. on Sunday July 23. More on Sales' page at myspace.com or www.hayleysales.com.
You'll find the farm at 2795 Grafton Ave in Qualicum (up past Coombs market.) Call Joanne at 250-752-4816 for more information.
-- With over a decade in the trenches of the music industry, we're reasonably sure Alexandria knows what she's talking about: e-mail at [email protected].