Amanda Marshall is a happy wanderer

December 11, 1996

Amanda Marshall a happy

wanderer

By BEN RAYNER

Ottawa Sun

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It's been one of those whirlwind years for Toronto's Amanda Marshall.

Since her eponymous debut album arrived on shelves amid a torrent of major-label marketing a little more than a year ago, the husky-voiced singer has hit the road with such industry heavyweights as Tom Cochrane and Tears For Fears, had none other than Elton John rave about her on national television and amassed a million-strong following around the world.

Marshall arrives at Barrymore's tonight for the first of two sold-out Ottawa dates -- she returns on Dec. 16 -- that all but wrap up an extensive, cross-Canada headlining jaunt.

"It's really gratifying that the record's done as well as it has because it's allowed me to do what I love to do, which is touring," says Marshall, 24, calling from a date in North Bay.

"We've been on the road pretty solid for about 11 or 12 months ... We've been pretty much all the way from the North Pole to New Zealand. We've seen more of the world in the last year than I've seen in my entire life."

Marshall will likely visit what little remains to be seen of the world by the time she stops touring in support of the first record -- something she doesn't expect to do until at least May. In fact, following a brief holiday break in her home town, she and the band are off to play in Japan.

Apart from allowing her to see more of the planet than most human beings, Marshall says her still-brewing success has yet to spoil her.

"My own life has been pretty much the same," she says. "I'm not really home enough to revel in the celebrity or whatever."

Marshall's brief return home this autumn is giving many fans recruited over the past year or so their first chance to see her perform live.

And, as she would prefer to have it, live is where she shines. Marshall's gutsy, blues-leaning voice earned her a name on the club circuit and fans like Jeff Healey long before her album's radio-friendly stable of hits -- Birmingham, Let It Rain, Beautiful Goodbye -- brought her to radios across the continent.

"I'm incredibly happy when people tell me they find our live performances different," she says.

"I want people to walk away from our shows thinking that they got something out of the show that the audience the night before didn't get, and that the audience the next night won't get."


	December 11, 1996 Amanda Marshall a happy wanderer By BEN RAYNER Ottawa Sun ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ It's been one of those whirlwind years for Toronto's Amanda Marshall. Since her eponymous debut album arrived on shelves amid a torrent of major-label marketing a little more than a year ago, the husky-voiced singer has hit the road with such industry heavyweights as Tom Cochrane and Tears For Fears, had none other than Elton John rave about her on national television and amassed a million-strong following around the world. Marshall arrives at Barrymore's tonight for the first of two sold-out Ottawa dates -- she returns on Dec. 16 -- that all but wrap up an extensive, cross-Canada headlining jaunt. "It's really gratifying that the record's done as well as it has because it's allowed me to do what I love to do, which is touring," says Marshall, 24, calling from a date in North Bay. "We've been on the road pretty solid for about 11 or 12 months ... We've been pretty much all the way from the North Pole to New Zealand. We've seen more of the world in the last year than I've seen in my entire life." Marshall will likely visit what little remains to be seen of the world by the time she stops touring in support of the first record -- something she doesn't expect to do until at least May. In fact, following a brief holiday break in her home town, she and the band are off to play in Japan. Apart from allowing her to see more of the planet than most human beings, Marshall says her still-brewing success has yet to spoil her. "My own life has been pretty much the same," she says. "I'm not really home enough to revel in the celebrity or whatever." Marshall's brief return home this autumn is giving many fans recruited over the past year or so their first chance to see her perform live. And, as she would prefer to have it, live is where she shines. Marshall's gutsy, blues-leaning voice earned her a name on the club circuit and fans like Jeff Healey long before her album's radio-friendly stable of hits -- Birmingham, Let It Rain, Beautiful Goodbye -- brought her to radios across the continent. "I'm incredibly happy when people tell me they find our live performances different," she says. "I want people to walk away from our shows thinking that they got something out of the show that the audience the night before didn't get, and that the audience the next night won't get."