Ollee Owens
After returning to music a decade ago and releasing 2022’s Cannot Be Unheard, Calgary-based blues/rock singer Ollee Owens is better than ever with her latest dazzling, down-to-earth studio album Nowhere to Hide. It’s one teeming with stylish, sophisticated jewels mined from blues, rock and soul.
Nowhere to Hide, produced by Bobby Blazier, features eight co-writing credits by Owens and a few covers including Bob Dylan’s “Lord Protect My Child.” Whether it’s Owens’ confident delivery fueling the driving title track, the infectious “Some Days” or the deliciously well-crafted “Shivers And Butterflies,” Owens is as dynamic as the eleven-track album is flawless.
“I learned so much,” Owens says of the creative process, “especially, vocally, as there was real opportunity to dig deeper and embody the lyrics.”
Nowhere to Hide, recorded at Nashville’s Sweetbriar Studio and Gnome Studios, shines with help from a who’s who of acclaimed Nashville session musicians Blazier brought to the album. “Bobby has an incredible ability to bring people together,” Owens says of Blazier. “We all got in the studio together, gave it everything we got, and made some great music.”
That great music derives from Owens’ backstory in the farming community of New Bothwell, Manitoba. As a teen, she gravitated toward Dylan, delta blues, The Staple Singers, and Etta James. “When I came back to creating music, I really realized the depth and influence that particular style of music had on me,” Owens says of her early listening habits.
Owens and her husband started their family early and had three daughters, one of whom has a cognitive disability. After some soul-searching, and realizing her daughter had exceptional needs, she took a hiatus from music. “I focused on being present and engaged for my daughters,” she says.
As a result, “Lord Protect My Child” strikes an emotional chord as Owens pours her soul into it. “That song has really become close to my heart,” she says. “My daughter is twenty-three now, but there’s still a lot of vulnerability there. The desire for protecting and taking care of her will never go away.”
Far more than a vocal powerhouse, Ollee Owens blends grit and intensity with exquisite craftmanship. Her expansive range draws on a wealth of experience, both bad and good, acknowledging trials and trauma while never losing sight of what truly matters.
“Nowhere To Hide”, has gained critical acclaim in the U.S. and abroad. Up and coming, Ollee Owens is now shaking up the Blues Americana scene and garnering well-earned attention.
Check out Nowhere to Hide today where ever you stream your music!
The Music
“Ollee Owens’ current offering will take its place alongside the best of this year’s soul/blues releases.”
"Owens delivers her most compelling and heartfelt work to date"
“Leading a cast of expert musicians, Ollee creates a sound that encompasses soul, R&B, gospel and blues to establish herself as a true contender on the Canadian music scene.”
“If Ollee Owen’s vocals don’t make you fall in love, nothing else will”