Jesse Labelle Explained

Jesse Labelle
Birth Place:Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Birth Date:12 February 1982
Instrument:Vocals, Guitar, Mandolin, Piano, Banjo
Genre:Country
Occupation:Singer-songwriter, musician
Years Active:2001–present
Associated Acts:Keith Urban, Brad Paisley, Florida Georgia Line, Easton Corbin, Autumn Hill

Jesse Labelle is a Country and Christian singer-songwriter. With a career spanning decades and genres, he has been the recipient of both Gold and Platinum records, and various Radio Music Awards. In June 2008, Labelle signed to Wax Records and began working on his debut album, Perfect Accident, which would be released April 27, 2010.[1] His second album, Two, was released August 7, 2013.[2] He is best known for his singles "Easier", "Heartbreak Coverup", and "One Last Night". In 2015, Jesse moved to Nashville TN and become a staple and a songwriting force in Music City. He has opened for Garth Brooks on his 2019 stadium tour, and been the only independent artist ever invited to play the main stage at the Stagecoach Festival, the largest and most prestigious country music festival in the world. After a car accident, tornado, cancer, and a violent shooting which left Jesse wounded, his story of finding God has taken his life’s path in a new direction, which can be reflected and heard in his music.

Early life

Born February 12, 1982 in Toronto, Ontario, Labelle first learned the guitar in his pre-teens, and played in a number of rock bands throughout high school. After graduation, Labelle discovered he had a knack for "picking apart songs" and began pursuing a career as a songwriter. Through the next couple of years, he wrote for local bands in Toronto, New York City, and Nashville as well as penning material for himself.[3] A performance on Citytv's Speaker's Corner programme caught the attention of up-and-coming singer Fefe Dobson, who invited Labelle to write with her and perform in her band.[4] None of these collaborations made it onto any of Dobson's studio albums, however this experience did bring Labelle into contact with songwriter/producer Jay Levine and ultimately led to a development deal with Arista Records.[5] Sometime in the mid-2000s, talent scouts for Wax Records attended a showcase of Labelle's at a Toronto café, resulting in Labelle signing with the label in 2009.[3]

2001 – 2002 : Identically Different (I.D)

Identically Different, simply known as I.D, was a Canadian boyband that reached mild popularity in Canada throughout 2001. They released their self-titled debut album the same year with the lead single, "Busted" followed by "Let's Play" which both gained popularity on YTV's Hitlist and local FM radio stations. They split in 2002, as the boy band craze faded. Jesse Labelle was a member of the group alongside Gary Laranja, Joe Abbruscatto, Mark Ghezzo and Darryl Snider. They never released another album.

2014 – Present : Nashville

Labelle was released from his recording commitments to Wax Records citing creative differences. Labelle had been pushing to move his musical vision south to Nashville to explore the town that he had made a second home over the years. Jesse fell into a writing circle with Casey Marshall, who had been responsible for the career development and songwriting for Tim Hicks, Three Days Grace, and My Darkest Days. Casey introduced Jesse to Neil Sanderson of Three Days Grace and the three began writing in Nashville. The resulting material from sessions with various co writers including Craig Wiseman, Chris Wallin, Phil Barton will serve as Jesses 3rd commercial release, currently titled "EP" slated for release in 2015.[6]

Tours

Labelle participated in MuchMusic's 2010 SodaPop Tour alongside Emily Osment and labelmate Alyssa Reid.[7] In 2012, Labelle toured the United Kingdom with Reid,[8] and also opened for Jordan Knight (of NKOTB) on the Canadian leg of Knight's "Live and Unfinished" Tour.[9] In July 2014, Jesse joined Keith Urban on Canadian dates of his Raise 'Em Up Tour including the memorable performance at the Scotiabank Saddledome during the Calgary Stampede.[10] In The Summer of 2015, Jesse will be appearing at the Boots & Hearts Music Festival in Ontario.

Discography

Studio albums

I.D (Identically Different)

Solo artist
TitleYear
Perfect Accident
Two[11]

Singles

YearTitlePeak chart positionsCertificationsAlbum
CAN
[13]
CAN
AC
[14]
CAN
CHR
[15]
CAN
HAC
[16]
2009"Perfect Accident"[17] Perfect Accident
2010"Easier"8 42
"Last Christmas"[18] 6
2011"Lost"Perfect Accident
2012"Heartbreak Coverup" (featuring Alyssa Reid)46 13 44 12
  • MC : Gold
Two
"One Last Night" (featuring Nixon)83 17 33
2013"How Long"[19]
"Tell the World"28
2015"You Left Me"[20] rowspan="2"
2017"Another You"[21]
"—" denotes a title that did not chart.

Awards

!Award!Year!Nominee/Work!Category!Result
Canadian Radio Music Awards2013"Heartbreak Coverup"Best New Group or Solo Artist: Hot ACWon[22]
International Acoustic Music Awards2019"Two Hearts And A Diamond"Best Male ArtistWon[23]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Perfect Accident by Jesse Labelle. iTunes. January 2010. Apple Inc.. October 19, 2013.
  2. Web site: Two by Jesse Labelle. iTunes. August 7, 2012. Apple Inc.. October 19, 2013.
  3. Web site: Jesse Labelle Heartbreak Coverup. Verve Girl. October 19, 2013.
  4. "Jesse Labelle isn't in love, but he sure likes to sing about it". Vancouver Sun, June 5, 2010.
  5. Web site: Jesse Labelle on CBC Music . . . October 22, 2013 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20160301002442/http://music.cbc.ca/#!/blogs/2013/6/Rear-view-Mirror-Who-was-Suzanne-and-why-did-Leonard-Cohen-make-her-famous . March 1, 2016 .
  6. Web site: Hurst. Jesica. Feature: Jesse Labelle. OTM Zine. June 13, 2014.
  7. Web site: Cam . Emily Osment to headline the SodaPOP tour . . . June 13, 2014 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20140812203447/http://blog.muchmusic.com/emily-osment-to-headline-the-sodapop-tour/ . August 12, 2014 .
  8. Web site: Grey Goose . Grey Goose Notable: Jesse Labelle . Notable Nationwide . Notable TV Corp. . June 13, 2014 . Grey Goose (vodka) . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20140812223430/http://notable.ca/nationwide/grey-goose/Grey-Goose-Notable-Jesse-Labelle/ . August 12, 2014 .
  9. Web site: Live & "Still" Unfinished News Blast!. Jordan Knight official site. October 20, 2013.
  10. Web site: Concert review: Nice-guy Keith Urban returns to Calgary with fiery set. Calgary Herald official site. January 31, 2015.
  11. Web site: Two by Jesse Labelle (Re-Issue). iTunes. January 2013. Apple Inc.. October 19, 2013.
  12. Web site: Jesse Labelle's 'Perfect Accident' EP Debuted at #20 on iTunes. Audio Blood.
  13. Jesse Labelle Chart History (Canadian Hot 100) . Billboard. January 2, 2013. October 16, 2017.
  14. Jesse Labelle Chart History (Canada AC) . Billboard. October 16, 2017.
  15. Jesse Labelle Chart History (Canada CHR/Top 40) . Billboard. March 6, 2013. October 16, 2017.
  16. Jesse Labelle Chart History (Canada Hot AC) . Billboard. October 16, 2017.
  17. Web site: Jesse Labelle. New Canadian Music. October 16, 2017. "Perfect Accident" the aptly named first single from Toronto native Jesse Labelle's debut outing.
  18. Web site: Last Christmas – Single by Jesse Labelle. iTunes Store. January 2010. Apple Inc. June 13, 2014.
  19. Web site: How Long - Jesse Labelle Songs, Reviews, Credits. AllMusic. October 16, 2017.
  20. Web site: Amazon.com: You Left Me: Jesse Labelle: MP3 Downloads. Amazon. October 16, 2017.
  21. Web site: Amazon.com: Another You: Jesse Labelle: MP3 Downloads. Amazon. October 16, 2017.
  22. Web site: 2013-03-21. Canadian Radio Music Award Winners, 2013. 2021-06-04. Canadian Music Blog. en.
  23. Web site: 2019-06-14. 15th Annual IAMA Results. live. 2021-06-04. https://web.archive.org/web/20190614000828/https://inacoustic.com/winners/. June 14, 2019.