Kellie Loder | |
|---|---|
 Kellie Loder at one of two freecoffeehouses inNewfoundland in December 2012 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | 1988 (age 37–38) |
| Origin | Badger, Newfoundland, Canada |
| Genres | |
| Occupations | Singer-songwriter, musician |
| Instruments |
|
| Years active | 2009–present |
| Website | kellieloder |
Kellie Loder (born 1988) is anindependent singer-songwriter fromNewfoundland who plays drums, guitar and piano. They have released three albums:The Way in 2009,Imperfections & Directions in 2010 andBenefit of the Doubt in 2018. With a voice thatSt. John's-based newspaperThe Telegram has described as "powerful yet serene and soulful", they received critical recognition from Canada, including a nomination at theJuno Awards.
Having written their first song at age 16 about a cousin who died in a traffic accident, Loder wasstudying nursing at theGrenfell Campus ofMemorial University of Newfoundland when they releasedThe Way in August 2009. Later that year, Loder won a talent-search contest hosted by YC Newfoundland, a Christian youth conference. As part of the award, Loder was given time withmusic industry and production professionals who helped them withImperfections & Directions, which was released at the 2010 YC Newfoundland. The album was nominated for Contemporary Christian/Gospel Album of the Year at the2012 Juno Awards. Loder is also a nominee of threeMusicNL awards, including Gospel Artist of the Year in 2011.
Loder's music career is unusual in that they chose to begin it in Contemporary Christian music (CCM); most young musicians choosemusic genres such ascountry and pop, which are generally considered more likely to bring commercial success. Loder has asserted that they chose CCM because it gives purpose to their music; however, they later shifted their focus toward mainstream pop and rock music, stating that they still write music from a spiritual perspective but want to be accessible to a wider audience.[1]
Loder usesgender neutral pronouns.[2]
Kellie Loder was born to Christina and Bob Loder in 1988,[3][4] and was raised inBadger, a town in the Canadian province ofNewfoundland and Labrador.[5] They consider their first introduction to music to have taken place before they were born; their mother frequently playedMichael W. Smith songs through headphones while they were still in the womb.[6] Loder claims to have "natural rhythm" and that they began emulating the drummer at theirPentecostal church by beating on apew with pencils at the age of two.[7][6] At age 10, Loder was placed in their church's drumming ensemble.[8]
Loder's younger brother taught them threeguitar chords when they were 14, and they received their first guitar later that year.[6][8] They began writing songs at age 16.[9] Their first song, which was about a cousin who had died in a traffic accident, used lyrics from a poem by one of their mutual friends. With encouragement from family, Loder concentrated on singing and songwriting, and performed this in addition to another song they subsequently wrote for a friend's graduation.[6]
Loder was raised as a Christian by their parents, and became serious about their faith in 2007, when they "started to accept [their] gifts for what they were... and just assumed it was [from] God."[6] After this experience, Loder began playing piano, and credited God with teaching them how to play.[10] Loder favours the piano, considering it the most beautiful of the instruments they play.[6] The first song they wrote after beginning the piano was "Giants", also for a graduating class; the song uses the story ofGoliath as its theme, generalizing the story to apply to each individual's internal struggles.[6][4] "Giants" eventually appeared on bothThe Way andImperfections & Directions.[10][6]
In 2008, while studying nursing at theGrenfell Campus ofMemorial University of Newfoundland through the Western Regional School of Nursing, Loder met Devin Robinson, a record producer.[11][8][10] The meeting led to him producing Loder's first album, an independent release calledThe Way, which was recorded at Sweet Music Studios.[5][10] Loder wrote all 11 songs on the album, which was released in August 2009.[10] The initial run of the album sold out, and Loder subsequently wentdoor-to-door in smallNewfoundland communities selling a second run of the album. On their most lucrative day selling albums in this manner, they made $1,000.[9] Loder later said that this manner of selling the album proved to be a good way to develop a fanbase; people invited them into their homes for meals, prayer, and discussions.[7] Also that year, they won a talent-search contest hosted by YC Newfoundland, a Christian youth conference,[12][6] where they performed "Giants".[12]
As part of the award, which was valued atC$20,000, Loder was given a membership for both theEast Coast Music andMusicNLtrade associations, and was given time at a recording studio and advice from the music industry and production professionals.[6][8] They also engaged in a featured performance slot at the following year's YC Newfoundland.[8] Loder later referred to the music professionals they met (including Scott Mansfield,Mark Peddle, and NewManiac Studios' Peter Newman) as "the top players" in themusic industry of Newfoundland and Labrador,[6] and the producers helped Loder withImperfections & Directions, their second album. They were particularly appreciative of Newman, who produced the album,[6]mixingImperfections & Directions with Tom Laune inNashville, Tennessee.[10] Loder originally conceived "Fearless" (one of the album's tracks) as atechno song, and believes that Newman was the one who made that techno feel a reality.[6]
On November 14, 2009, Loder opened for theNewfoundland-basedChristian rock bandAnyday, which was launching its debut album,Got Extraordinary, at abenefit concert atSpringdale's Indian River High School.[12][5] This concert, which was Loder's first performance in Springdale and their first time performing with Anyday, raised $675 to support David Willis and his family in Willis's battle withlymphoma at Daffodil House inSt. John's, with more than 100 people in attendance. Loder and Anyday were scheduled to perform together again on November 28 atDorset Collegiate onPilley's Island.[5]
Loder moved to St. John's in January 2010, and performed alongsideStarfield and Roy Martin later that year at theExploits Valley Salmon Festivalgospel concert inGrand Falls-Windsor.[8][13] They also performed at the 2010 One Worship Festival in Springdale, and officially releasedImperfections & Directions, another independent release, at YC Newfoundland that October.[10][6] Loder's nursing studies hampered their ability to showcase this album by touring.[6] A reporter forThe Telegram newspaper wrote thatImperfections & Directions "demonstrates how Loder wears [their] faith and love of God on [their] sleeve."[4] Loder was nominated as Female Artist of the Year at the 2010 MusicNL awards withMary Barry;Teresa Ennis;Irene Bridger; andAmelia Curran, the eventual winner.[14] Loder was nominated for another MusicNL award the following year, this time in the Gospel Artist of the Year category; this nomination was, in part, due toImperfections & Directions.[8]
In early 2012, Loder made a music video for "Your Love Alone", one of the album's tracks, which was uploaded toYouTube. They later said they had written the song during a difficult phase in their life, and the song's lyrics revolve around the idea that thegrace andmercy of God can be found in the most difficult situations. Through their experience, they became convinced that knowing God is all-important, expressing this concept in the chorus: "Your love alone is sufficient. It needs no company."[6] They stated that they wrote the song "One Name Away" after having watchedThe Tyra Banks Show. The episode featured an interview with a girl who had beenforced into prostitution at a young age; despite smiling on screen, the girl hopelessly declared that she would probably die before she turned 22.[4]
Imperfections & Directions was nominated as Contemporary Christian/Gospel Album of the Year at the2012 Juno Awards, Canada's top music awards.[15][4] Loder said the nomination was a surprise; they learned about it in a text message from Newman after missing a call from him.[4] Their fellow nominees in the Contemporary Christian/Gospel Album category wereJon Bauer'sForevermore,downhere'sOn the Altar of Love, Sky Terminal'sDon't Close Your Eyes andHawk Nelson'sCrazy Love.[11] Loder travelled toOttawa, Ontario on March 28 to attend the awards ceremony, hosted byWilliam Shatner atScotiabank Place on April 1.[6][4] Their album was one of three Newfoundland nominees at theJuno Awards that year; the other two were rock bandHey Rosetta! andThe Once'sfolk album,Row Upon Row of the People We Know.[16] Loder said that "on a scale of 1 to 10", their excitement about the Juno nomination was "probably a 10."[6]
Although Loder lost the Juno Award to downhere, analternative rock band, they said they enjoyed walking down thered carpet and would never forget meeting major Canadian musicians such asBlue Rodeo andSam Roberts; Loder had an opportunity to sing and play guitar with Blue Rodeo'sJim Cuddy at the Junos.[17][18] Loder competed in the 2012Juno Cup hockey game, in which, at 5 feet 4 inches (1.63 m), they were considerably shorter than most of the other players. Playing for the Rockers team of Juno nominees against the Greats team of formerNational Hockey League players, they were awarded apenalty shot after afight withTroy Crowder. The Greats threw theirsticks in Loder's way as Loder took the shot, which was stopped with ease bygoaltenderDavid Francey, a Juno nominee who had been traded to the Greats.[19] Loder returned to Newfoundland on April 2; the following month, they performed atGros Morne National Park's Trails, Tails & Tunes Festival withDave Paddon.[6][20] In that July, Loder performed alongside Nick Hamlyn atCorner Brook's Downtown Days festival.[21] In December 2012, they held two freecoffeehouses in Newfoundland: at the Stavanger DriveSecond Cup on the 15th and at Cornerstone Ministry Centre on the 21st.[22]
Over the subsequent months into the middle of 2013, Loder performed on a monthly basis at the Stavanger Drive Second Cup, which is owned by Newman. They also performed at the Majestic Theatre and the Fat Cat Blues Bar in St. John's.[7] In 2013, they were named a showcase winner by the Christian Women in Media Association (CWIMA) and were selected to perform at the organization's national conference.[23] Loder performed six songs live as part of an interview onCBC Radio in April 2013. They had written five of these songs, and four of them had not been previously released. The unreleased songs were "Playground", "Nursing a Broken Heart", "Like a Flower", and "One Girl", and the fourth song was "On This Drive", which had appeared onImperfections & Directions. The fifth song was acover version ofJohnny Cash's "Folsom Prison Blues". They were inspired to write the song "Nursing a Broken Heart" after watchingGeorge Stroumboulopoulos Tonight, on whichHugh Jackman uttered the phrase "nursing a broken heart" as part of an interview. They wrote "Like a Flower" after a friend challenged them to write a song directed at themself as a child.[7]
Listeners unfamiliar withcontemporary Christian music (CCM) often assume that Loder singshymn-style music. Their career is unusual in that it began in CCM; most young musicians choosemusic genres such ascountry and pop, which are generally considered more likely to bring commercial success.[18] Loder has asserted that they chose CCM because it gives purpose to their music; many of their songs are about God, but they may also be interpreted as being about other subjects.[18][6] In 2013, Loder said that they were starting to write and perform songs in other genres, and hoped that they would be able to transition out of CCM asKaty Perry,Lifehouse, andCreed had done previously. In transitioning out of CCM, they wished to assure the public that they had "definitely not turned [their] back on [their] faith."[7]
Loder believes everything that they sing is for God, regardless of the song's subject. They see their music as aChristian ministry, the goal of which is to inspire people to live happier, better lives.[6] A reporter forThe Telegram called Loder's voice "powerful yet serene and soulful".[4] Their songs have been played regularly onRogers TV and CBC Radio.[9][24] Specifically, their song "Raise You Higher" was selected for several song countdowns and was played across Canada by bothsecular andChristian radio stations.[25] A CBC Radio reviewer called Loder "amazingly talented", their music "gorgeous" and their song "Playground" in particular "absolutely beautiful".[7] In 2012, Loder worked as aChild and Youth Worker at a company called Blue Sky.[7] In April, they were undecided on a career in music or medicine,[18] but later confirmed that music was their focus, and was considering a move to Toronto for more career opportunities.[7]
In 2015, Loder took part inBell Media's songwriting challenge, a two-day workshop in Newfoundland for songwriters to showcase their new work. They called the experience "life-changing", and it gave them the opportunity to work with producer Justin Gray, a collaborator ofMariah Carey,John Legend, among others.[26] After two years in production, Loder released the albumBenefit of the Doubt in 2018.[1] The album is a combination of folk and pop,[27] and marks an effort to appeal to a mainstream audience; Loder co-produced 10 of the original tracks.[28] "I still write music that's spiritual, I just want it to be more relatable to everybody," they said.[1] Two of the album's tracks, "Molded Like a Monster" and "Boxes", had music videos. They said that the inspiration for "Molded Like a Monster" came from their own family's strict Christian views, where they had to hide their sexuality from other church peers but "felt guilty a lot of the time for just doing what made me happy".[29] At the MusicNL awards, Loder received two nominations for the album: Female Artist of the Year, and Music Video of the Year (for "Boxes").[30][31]
In January 2019, Loder released the single "Fearless"; the song was positively received and used in anIMAX trailer forSuperpower Dogs, a documentary narrated byChris Evans.[29][32] In October of that year, they performed "Fearless" at The East Coast Music Hour, a series of concerts inspired by the themes of courage, transformation and longing.[33] They also appeared twice on CBC'sParkway Sessions, performing "Falling Out of Love" and "Hate Loves Hate".[34][35] In 2020, Loder was due to accompanyJoel Plaskett's music tour, but it was rescheduled due to theCOVID-19 pandemic. During the summer, they recorded new music including a song called "Afterglow".[36] Throughout the same year, Loder hosted virtual songwriting events onFacebook to connect with fans.[29]
In 2022, Loder auditioned forseason 2 ofCanada's Got Talent. Their performance was shown in the fourth episode of the season. Kardinal called Loder a "megastar" after their authenticity shone through in their unique rendition of "To Make You Feel My Love". All four judges said yes and they advanced to the next round, and eventually making it to the finale.[37] Loder placed second in the competition, behind winnerJeanick Fournier.[38]
Loder won twoEast Coast Music Awards in 2023, for Songwriter of the Year and Fan's Choice Entertainer of the Year.[39] In the same year, Loder released a cover of "Sonny's Dream" on theRon Hynes tribute albumSonny Don't Go Away.[40]
| Year | Title | Ref. |
|---|---|---|
| 2009 | The Way | [5][8] |
| 2010 | Imperfections & Directions | [8] |
| 2018 | Benefit of the Doubt | [1] |
| 2024 | Transitions | [41] |
| Year | Organisation | Award | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | YC Newfoundland | Talent Search Contest | Won | [8] |
| 2010 | MusicNL | Female Artist of the Year | Nominated | [14] |
| 2011 | Gospel Artist of the Year | Nominated | [8] | |
| 2017 | Music Video of the Year ("Boxes") | Nominated | [31] | |
| 2018 | Female Artist of the Year | Nominated | [30] | |
| 2012 | Juno Awards | Contemporary Christian/Gospel Album of the Year | Nominated | [15] |
| 2013 | CWIMA National Conference | National Musical Showcase | Won | [23] |
| 2018 | Canadian Folk Music Awards | Contemporary Singer of the Year | Nominated | [42] |
