Rebekah Hawker

Double Bill with Billie Zizi Doors 7pm Billie Zizi Combining the tasteful grooves of classic soul with the flair of contemporary R&B, Billie Zizi effortlessly binds avant-garde jazz subtlety to her guitar-driven melodies, creating a sound as approachable as it is experimental. Effusive and thoughtful, without pretense yet still above board, she carves a distinct path marked by sonic abandon and a wild spirit. Now on her third studio album, she continues to prove herself as an exciting emergent voice in modern music. Having accompanied her father on a number of overseas trips immersed in the traditions of Eastern Euro bands through the continental countryside, Zizi took these formative musical experiences and set out to make a statement as an original songwriter. Her early work as a solo artist included tightly arranged loops and sampled parts, building pieces live and in the moment. She added a rhythm section in preparation for her first LP, Gun Metal Dress (2015), a jazz-influenced collection that featured unconventional time signature shifts, straightforward yet studied guitar work, and classic, scat-inspired vocal performances. Her second full-length, Moon Of Honey (2016), showed a growing artist comfortable with taking risks, while maintaining a sharp pop sensibility in composition. Venturing into textural guitar parts that never strayed far from her intrinsic understanding of melody has been a trademark for Zizi’s growing confidence as an artist. After a brief hiatus from her solo career, JBZZ returns triumphantly with her most adventurous effort to date. Bolstered by her hard-earned original sound, Levitate (2024) draws new maps through familiar terrain with stunning results. Fans of musical alchemists akin to Khrunangbin or Glass Animals can expect melodic charms rife throughout the ten track run time. Newcomers will be drawn in by her tender, innovative approach, accented beautifully with Austin Parachoniak’s keen production sense. The album dances gently through illusions of kaleidoscopic colour with Zizi’s masterful vocal prowess in full bloom. Not merely content with artistic repetition, Zizi continues to prioritize growth and play above the safe and comfortable. Her dedication to the craft is undeniable and magnetic for long-time listeners and new fans alike. This spirited approach to songwriting and arrangement is a welcome sound unlike much else, and a true joy to bear witness to. Rebekah Hawker With roots in church choir harmonies and songwriting prowess built on a folk-rock adolescence, it’s not so surprising that Rebekah Hawker ultimately found herself at the intersection of country and folk, embracing the full spectrum the genres have to offer. Hawker’s single “Ticket” is a classic midtempo country song about two things that never go out of style, in any genre: broken hearts and broken dreams. She sings of bastards and radio play but flips the script in a canny way, declaring a positive outlook despite the rest. Rebekah's accolades include winning Folk Music Ontario's Songs from the Heart award in 2020, being a selected participant in the RBC Music Entrepreneurship Program in 2023, and winner of Mariposa Folk Festival’s Emerging Artist Showcase in 2024. Her music has been heard on The Strombo Show and other CBC Radio programming and her song “Ticket” can be heard on rotation at SiriusXM’s North Americana station.