Tuesday June 24, 2008

Since Bill Isles returned to performing in 2000, he has become one of the most well known and highly respected singer/songwriters in the Midwest and has begun to headline shows nationally.  

His songs are poetic reflections of life experiences and often explore adventurous spiritual courses. Admittedly a romantic, many of his lyrics describe emotional and sensual encounters.  Just when you conclude that a song is about Michelangelo’s first visit to scope out the project at the Sistine Chapel, you start to realize that, perhaps, this is also Isles' perception of entering the “chapel” of his audience. But thSince Bill Isles returned to performing in 2000, he has become one of the most well known and highly respected singer/songwriters in the Midwest and has begun to headline shows nationally.  

His songs are poetic reflections of life experiences and often explore adventurous spiritual courses. Admittedly a romantic, many of his lyrics describe emotional and sensual encounters.  Just when you conclude that a song is about Michelangelo’s first visit to scope out the project at the Sistine Chapel, you start to realize that, perhaps, this is also Isles' perception of entering the “chapel” of his audience. But then, again, it also hints at the intimate interaction of lovers. It is this multi-layering that has drawn fans to listen over and over again.

His love of life has strong roots in his childhood, but his impetus to tell these stories comes from an experience in 1993, when, with just enough warning to drive himself to the hospital, his heart stopped beating. He arrived with just ten minutes to spare. After being defibrillated, and before the doctors had time to detect and open a blocked artery in his heart, he made a commitment to himself that, if he survived, he would begin to write again. Those paddles restarted more than his heart…

Highlights…

2001 - Winner of the 2001 Minnesota Folk Festival New Folk Songwriting Contest

2002 – Nominee for the 2002 Minnesota Music Awards Song of the Year for “I Can’t Take You Home” a duet with Becky Schlegel (From “Weightless” 2001)

2003 – Nominee for the 2003 Minnesota Music Awards Acoustic/Folk Recording of the Year for “The Threshold” (June, 2003)  

2004 - Semi-Finalist - Budweiser True Music Band Contest (Only solo artist from field of 25 bands)

2004 - Finalist - KRCL-Radio Songwriting Contest, Salt Lake City, UT

 

He has shared the stage with David Francey, Buddy Mondlock and Carol Elliott, John Gorka, Lucy Kaplansky, Lynn Miles, Vance Gilbert, Christine Lavin, Rod Picott, Stacey Earle and Mark Stuart, Pieta Brown and Bo Ramsey, Christopher Williams, Laurie McClain, Cosy Sheridan, Claudia Schmidt.

 

His first studio album, “Weightless”, was released in December, 2001. This was followed in 2003 by “The Threshold” featuring guest performances by Andy Dee, Noah Levy & Jeff Victor (Honey Dogs), Michelle Kinney (Natalie Merchant & Sheryl Crow) and others. In 2004, his critically acclaimed third album, "The Calling" was release, featuring Dee and Kinney, Dan Newton, Gordy Johnson, Tom Shaeffer, and Isles' wife, Kate Isles, on vocals. It includes the song "Hobos in the Roundhouse" a song Isles wrote in "first-person Grandpa" for his grandfather who, when working for the DWP railroad during the depression on Minnesota's Iron Range, risked his job by allowing the hobos to sleep in the roundhouse while he was on duty as the night foreman. He had two rules for them, 1) no drinking, and 2) they had to be out by sunrise.

 

Isles has also developed a workshop called “The Creative Imagination” which explores the emotional and creative responses to the “worlds” that artists create.en, again, it also hints at the intimate interaction of lovers. It is this multi-layering that has drawn fans to listen over and over again.

His love of life has strong roots in his childhood, but his impetus to tell these stories comes from an experience in 1993, when, with just enough warning to drive himself to the hospital, his heart stopped beating. He arrived with just ten minutes to spare. After being defibrillated, and before the doctors had time to detect and open a blocked artery in his heart, he made a commitment to himself that, if he survived, he would begin to write again. Those paddles restarted more than his heart…

Highlights…

2001 - Winner of the 2001 Minnesota Folk Festival New Folk Songwriting Contest

2002 – Nominee for the 2002 Minnesota Music Awards Song of the Year for “I Can’t Take You Home” a duet with Becky Schlegel (From “Weightless” 2001)

2003 – Nominee for the 2003 Minnesota Music Awards Acoustic/Folk Recording of the Year for “The Threshold” (June, 2003)  

2004 - Semi-Finalist - Budweiser True Music Band Contest (Only solo artist from field of 25 bands)

2004 - Finalist - KRCL-Radio Songwriting Contest, Salt Lake City, UT

 

He has shared the stage with David Francey, Buddy Mondlock and Carol Elliott, John Gorka, Lucy Kaplansky, Lynn Miles, Vance Gilbert, Christine Lavin, Rod Picott, Stacey Earle and Mark Stuart, Pieta Brown and Bo Ramsey, Christopher Williams, Laurie McClain, Cosy Sheridan, Claudia Schmidt.

 

His first studio album, “Weightless”, was released in December, 2001. This was followed in 2003 by “The Threshold” featuring guest performances by Andy Dee, Noah Levy & Jeff Victor (Honey Dogs), Michelle Kinney (Natalie Merchant & Sheryl Crow) and others. In 2004, his critically acclaimed third album, "The Calling" was release, featuring Dee and Kinney, Dan Newton, Gordy Johnson, Tom Shaeffer, and Isles' wife, Kate Isles, on vocals. It includes the song "Hobos in the Roundhouse" a song Isles wrote in "first-person Grandpa" for his grandfather who, when working for the DWP railroad during the depression on Minnesota's Iron Range, risked his job by allowing the hobos to sleep in the roundhouse while he was on duty as the night foreman. He had two rules for them, 1) no drinking, and 2) they had to be out by sunrise.

 

Isles has also developed a workshop called “The Creative Imagination” which explores the emotional and creative responses to the “worlds” that artists create.