Edwin (musician)

Edwin
Background information
Birth name	Edwin Ghazal
Born	September 9, 1968
Origin	Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Genres	Alternative, acoustic, pop
Occupation(s)	Musician
Instruments	Vocals, guitar
Years active	1990–present
Labels	Linus Entertainment, Universal Music Canada
Associated acts	I Mother Earth, Crash Karma, Victor

Edwin (born Edwin Ghazal) is a Canadian alternative rock singer from Toronto. He was the lead vocalist for successful Canadian rock band I Mother Earth from 1991 to 1997 and a solo artist from 1999 to 2006. He is currently the lead singer for the Canadian super group Crash Karma, as well as a bartender at Tattoo Rock Parlour in Toronto. In 2016, he reunited with I Mother Earth for a series of shows.

I Mother Earth

Edwin was the lead vocalist for I Mother Earth from 1991 to 1997. He performed on the band's first two albums, Dig and Scenery and Fish. He also performed on the majority of the songs on Victor, a 1996 side project with Alex Lifeson of Rush. He left IME in 1997. On March 1, 2016, it was announced on IME's website that the band would reunite with Edwin for a series of shows, performing the band's 1996 sophomore release Scenery and Fish in its entirety to celebrate its 20th Anniversary.^[1]

Solo career

After leaving IME in late 1997, Edwin disappeared from the public eye. Under his low profile, Edwin met with members of the recently dissolved Glueleg, most notably Ruben Huizenga. He also met with Sony Music, who signed him in 1998. That summer, Edwin finally reappeared in public, appearing as a surprise guest with The Tea Party at EdgeFest '98 on July 1 in Barrie, Ontario. Edwin contributed lead vocals in their Canada Day rendition of David Bowie's "I'm Afraid of Americans". Back in Toronto, Huizenga and company brought their instrumental talents to Edwin's debut solo album, as did several other session musicians (including IME percussionist Daniel Mansilla). Producer and ex-BTK member Matt DeMatteo did the bulk of the production (at times assisted by Huizenga) and also played instruments. Huizenga, DeMatteo, David Martin, and half a dozen other songwriters collaborated with Edwin, who claimed to have written 75% of the album. The end result was Another Spin Around the Sun, released in Spring 1999.

Edwin's first real foray into songwriting yielded his new musical direction – catchy, danceable, singalong pop-rock, complete with loops and samples and a much greater emphasis on Edwin's vocals than ever before. Initial singles "Trippin'" and "Hang Ten" focused on rock radio and became hits on that format, while third single "And You" was somewhat less successful. However, the fourth single "Alive" not only revived the album, but it changed its direction. The song managed to crack the mainstream Top 40 in Canada and became a staple on pop radio. Its video, directed by Rob Heydon, won a Juno Award in 2001 for Best Video and People's Choice Award at MuchMusic's MMVAs. A fifth single, "Rush", was released to capitalize on that success but was met with relatively little fanfare. All told, the album went Platinum in Canada, was nominated for a Juno in 2000 for Best Rock Album, and was released in the U.S. that year.

After the highly successful run, Edwin disappeared yet again, save for a cameo role in the indie film The Art of Woo. He resurfaced in late 2001 to report that a new album was "99 percent" finished. Furthermore, he had recruited a full-time backup band, named The Pressure. Its members were his previous touring/session bassist Kenny Cunningham and guitarist Ron Bechard, and newcomers Mike K. (guitar) and Sekou Lumumba (drums). However, they did not play on the actual album. Session musicians and songwriters played a role as before, and both Huizenga and Martin returned to make a few contributions, but overall the playing, collaboration, and production were dominated by Tawgs Salter, Steven Klasios, and Jeff "Diesel" Dalziel. Edwin himself played guitar on one track and programmed another, both firsts for him in the studio.

The album, titled Edwin & the Pressure, was released in Summer 2002. The album contained the catchy pop-rock of the previous album, but with a harder edge both musically and lyrically. The lead single written by Steven Klasios, "Superhoney", was given a lukewarm reception at first by the various rock media, but became a solid rock radio and video hit due to overwhelming support from the die-hard fan base. A second single, "Impossible", fared reasonably well on rock radio, but suffered from the lack of a supporting video. The third single, "Let's Dance", was backed by a video, but failed to receive any significant video or radio play. Eventually, due to poor record sales and creative disagreements, Edwin was dropped from Sony at his own request and disappeared yet again.

In 2005, Edwin signed with Linus Entertainment, at which time he began recording songs for a new release and a return to full solo status. Edwin's third album, Better Days, was released on October 10, 2006, featuring a softer sound and Edwin playing acoustic guitar on many of the tracks. The first single from the album, "Right Here", was well received but received limited radio airplay in major markets nationwide. Despite varying reports on the choice of a second single, one never materialized, and the album was abandoned after a short tour.

In 2008, Edwin announced that he, Mike Turner (Our Lady Peace) and Jeff Burrows (The Tea Party) planned to record an album together.^[2] The band, named Crash Karma, is rounded out by former Zygote bassist and lead singer Amir Epstein. Crash Karma released its debut album, produced by Turner, in March 2010 and released it on E1 Music Canada.

Edwin and the Pressure

Edwin & the Pressure is the second album by the Canadian alternative rock singer Edwin, released by Sony on April 2, 2002 in Canada. Though technically his second solo album, Edwin himself considered it a debut for his then-new band.

The album continued the pop-oriented, electronically flavored style of the previous album. However, the sound was heavier and more guitar-dominated, and the lyrics were more explicit than before.

Track listing

1. "Superhoney" – 3:01
2. "The One That Got Away" – 3:28
3. "Impossible" – 3:02
4. "High" – 4:07
5. "Firecracker" – 3:02
6. "Malibu Sunset" – 3:12
7. "Painkiller" – 2:48
8. "Let's Dance" – 3:27
9. "Surround Me" – 3:45
10. "Split The Atom" – 2:59
11. "Close Your Eyes" – 2:50

Note: The Pressure were prominently featured on and inside the album jacket, but did not actually play on the album.

Discography

• Another Spin Around the Sun (1999)
• Edwin & the Pressure (2002)
• Better Days (2006)

References

1. "Edwin Reunites with I Mother Earth for 'Scenery and Fish' 20th Anniversary Shows". Exclaim!. Retrieved March 1, 2016.
2. Morano, Jared (April 4, 2008). "Edwin Forms Band With Ex-Members of the Tea Party And Our Lady Peace". CHARTattack. Retrieved 2009-05-16.

External links

• MySpace profile
• Linus artist profile