Press

"Ollee Owens... please remember her name and get this disc! We can only hope that she will be able to come and visit us in the the lower 48. Our good neighbors to the north have pro­vided the United States with many excellent artists over the years, and she is no exception. You will love the voice, and the music. I can't wait to see where her career takes her from here. We should just hope that it's long, good, and includes many tours for us. Life has made sure that she lived it, and she not only survived it, but she's earned it. We're so lucky to have a soul/blues singer like her to be part of us. However/wherever you play your music, "Nowhere To Hide" is one that you will keep hitting "repeat" on no matter where you are. I already have, several times."

"NOWHERE TO HIDE might just be one of the strongest surprises of 2024. This is a singer who has been waiting to put together an album where every facet of the music is covered, and might open the doors to a new audience in the massive country to the south of her homeland. Ollee Owens has come through bringing it all home on the album she’s been dreaming of making for years. Dreams come true."

"For fans of powerful, soul-infused music, Nowhere to Hide is an album that cannot be missed. Its sophisticated soundscapes and relatable themes offer a perfect blend of celebration and introspection. As Owens continues to expand her audience, she solidifies her place in the Canadian music landscape — one marked by talent, passion, and an unwavering commitment to her art."

“Most often described as a “powerhouse singer,” Owens is much more than the grit and growl so often borrowed from the likes of Koko Taylor and Janis Joplin. It is the honesty of her voice that grabbed me from the start, and refused to let go. Warm, comforting, powerful, passionate, and straight from the heart, her voice goes directly to the heart of the listener. Her tunes deal with issues we all deal with on a regular basis and are not filled with cute little catchy phrases, gimmicks, and fluff. She makes the point that with love, faith, and the resilience of the human spirit, nothing can stand in our way.

Nowhere To Hide is one of those albums that should be in the collection of every lover of Blues and R&B. If you enjoy Etta James, Ollee Owens should be a great fit. It doesn’t get any better than this.”

"These eleven well-crafted songs are full of heart, celebrating love, resilience and the beauty of life’s journey, and her vocals are astounding, this is a powerful release, highly recommended."

“Calgary-based Ollee Owens isn’t just another highly talented, gritty, down-to-Earth blues-folk-rock and pop singer from western Canada who has inexplicably eluded many of us Americans. You can hear that something extra in the texture of her voice, the sense that she is a warm, heartfelt and genuine person as she performs the 11 songs on this new album of hers. She has a lot of character. Owens is a battle-tested singer who took 15 years off from the music business before making a successful comeback a decade ago and releasing her Cannot Be Unheard album in 2022.”

“It’s artists like Owens who can sometimes teach you to appreciate the artist who originally recorded a song. Such is the case when Ollee Owens performs Bob Dylan’s “Lord Protect My Child.” It is a song that Owens ladles with care and conviction, and it brings out the simmering emotion that is ready to boil over in the song. Another highlight is “Roots” (co-written by Ollee Owens and Kornelius Colyn), a seductive warning that turns into an instructive ode to survival. Ollee Owens has impeccable style. Sometimes you can just hear things like that. She also has stories to tell and insights to share. On Nowhere To Hide, she uses one to do the other. It’s a must-hear album."

“Ollee has the drive in her performance thrust that is conveyed through artists that are blues powerhouses like Bonnie Raitt, Karen Lawrence (‘Bring It On Home’ & ‘Once Again’ with 1994) and Tracy Nelson (“I Need Your Love So Bad’). It’s a delight to hear a voice that understands the genre and can project as strongly as Ollee does without pontificating and showboating. It takes expertise, practice and above all, a dedicated effort to the genre.”

“Ollee Owens ‘current offering will take its place alongside the best of this year’s soul/blues releases. The Calgary-based vocalist displays a firm grip on old-school sensibilities with highly-charged, convincing delivery on a string of infectious co-writes and a phenomenal set closing reading of Bob Dylan’s “Lord Protect My Child. Before that are found standouts including the just-beneath-the boiling point lead-off track, ‘Nowhere To Hide,” a sassy shuffle – ‘Solid Ground’ and a cordial ballad rocker, ‘Love You Better.’ Don’t miss it.”