Jill Paquette
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2004-04-17 - Canadian-born Christian music singer-songwriter Jill Paquette was recently the recipient of the JUNO Award for Best New Gospel/Christian Album of the Year. Presented by the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS), the award was given for her self-titled debut album. 'It's very humbling to be recognized for something that is so personal to me,' noted Paquette. 'This album is a reflection of several phases of my life and it’s a privilege to be honored for something so close to my heart.' In other award news, Paquette's 'Free (Take My Life)' is currently nominated for a Dove Award for the Inspirational Recorded Song of the Year.
CCM: Growing up in Canada, did you visit the United States often? Jill: I think the one time I had been to the States, I was in grade 10 maybe, and we went to Jesus Northwest in Vancouver, Washington. But touring [with Matt Brouwer] was really the first time I had been in the States. We went [as far south as] San Diego. It’s beautiful down there; that place has so much vibe. CCM: Did you learn to surf? Jill: Uh, no. I’m so scared of sharks. They would come for me, I am convinced. CCM: Are you shark bait? Jill: (laughing) Yeah, I’ve got "shark bait" written all over me. CCM: What is the strangest question you’ve been asked about being Canadian? Jill: Somebody asked me if we had Christmas up in Canada. I didn’t have anything witty to say, so I just gave them a blank look and tried to be nice. Yeah, we do have Christmas. We live closer to Santa anyway (laughs)! I don’t know why they were thinking we don’t have Christmas. CCM: I know you love the outdoors, so is there any place you are dying to visit? Jill: I would love to go farther north in Canada, like maybe the Northwest Territories. And I really want to go to Iceland. I figure if Björk is from there, it’s something to see. I’ve heard it’s beautiful. I’m really quite partial to cold, mountain places. CCM: What has been your favorite experience since getting signed and moving to Nashville? Jill: Working with Phil Madeira. He produced a couple of tracks on my album. He’s just a great musician. I also went to a really cool Patty Griffith concert at the Ryman, and Phil was there, playing with Buddy and Julie Miller. They’re fantastic, and it was so cool to see him just vibing with some of my favorite musicians. I was like, "No way! I know that guy!" CCM: What message do you hope your record conveys overall? Jill: I really hope it drives people to be honest with themselves. These songs continually challenge me to dig deeper and almost be afraid not to be honest. My passion is so much for others to get started toward God’s love—I don’t want to be in the way; I just want to be honest about where I’m at. Provided by CCM Magazine
Jill Paquette: Jill Paquette, Reunion, 2003. Jill Paquette Based on this debut, Christianity Today called Jill Paquette "an amazing young talent, sure to earn acclaim as one of the year's breakthrough artists in Christian music." Paquette grew up in Houston, B.C. in a family which fueled her love of music. At the age of three, she began studying piano; as a teenager, her stereo was - more often than not - playing classical music. You may ask how this classically trained girl from a small town in northern B.C. wound up signing a record contract with Reunion Records - and, at age 23, has also moved to Music City. BCCN recently spoke with Paquette by phone, first asking about the transition to her new home in Nashville. "I have been so blessed moving in with a family here that are so great; but I just came back here after visiting with my family back home, and nothing is better that that sense of home and security." She had just completed a promotional tour for her debut album, hopping from one major market radio station to another in Columbus, Chicago, Colorado Springs and Dallas. An outdoor event in Texas had to be moved out of town, as Hurricane Claudette moved across the state. Paquette laughed, saying "I had never experienced a hurricane and this was quite an adventure." Her life has been non-stop since leaving home at 17 to pursue ethnomusicology at Alberta's Prairie Bible College. There, she was soon discovered by classmate Matt Brouwer - who asked her to join his worship band. Singing on Brouwer's Imagerical, and touring with him around North America, she said, "have really prepared me for this - although this is the first time I am out on stage alone. Those experiences have really helped me grow as a performer." Just before leaving for Bible college, she decided to pick up the guitar - and has not put it down since. I asked what her instrument of choice was while writing songs for this project. "Most were written on the guitar," she responded. "It still feels novel to me, and I enjoy playing it so much." Paquette wrote the majority of the songs on her CD, and her vocal maturity and lyrical depth far exceed her years. Her album offers a folk/pop sound that combines influences of Jennifer Knapp, Sara Groves, Ginny Owens and Sara McLachlan. One selection, 'Katie-Lynn,' is a gentle folk song which was written as a letter of response to her pregnant teenage cousin. I asked her how it was growing up in a small-town frequently dealing first hand with teen pregnancy, suicide, drugs and alcohol. "At times I felt like I was living in a Petrie dish of human suffering. I have accepted the fact that anyone is capable of anything. I have learnt when it is best to speak and when it is better not to say anything. There are times when people don't want to hear the pat answers." I asked her which song means the most to her. "'One of These Days.' I can't believe it made the album because it just came out of an intimate time with God. I was yearning to not just speaks words that are comfortable to other Christians. I can't wait until the day I mean what I say in my life and God truly knows my heart." Asked how life has been different there and what she has learned, Paquette responded: "I have begun to appreciate how normal we all are. It was a dream meeting Gordon Kennedy when he came into the studio to play on the record but he is just an average guy who can just play the guitar really well. I live beside Wynona Judd, and I play with her kids; it's just a small world." As we closed she told me what was on her heart: "I am finding in my prayer life [that] I am lifting up Western Canada. I realize how laid back we are, and when we need to stand up for our faith most of us are just too easy going and don't bother."
ill Paquette took home the 2004 Juno Award for best Contemporary Christian/Gospel Album yesterday in Edmonton, Alberta. The Juno Awards are the Canadian equivalent of the Grammy Awards in the United States. Paquette, who released her freshman, self-titled album last year on Reunion Records, has also been nominated for two Dove Awards this year. She was competing against Bec Abbot, Jody Cross, downhere, and Jim Witter in the Contemporary Christian/Gospel category . Sam Roberts, Sarah McLachlan, Nickelback, Michael Buble, and Shania Twain were the big winners of the event in the major categories. Alanis Morissette, hosted.
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