Another side of Stephanie Mainville.

With her crystal clear voice and mastery of the fiddle, Stephanie Mainville has created a name for herself in Canada’s faith based music community. Her debut disc Family conveyed Mainville’s exploration of East Coast music as well as her relationship with God.

The disc, a blend of gentle gospel and traditional East Coast music earned her the 2006 ECMA for Gospel Recording of the Year as well as several national faith based music awards and recognitions.

Now preparing for her second full-length disc, Mainville is looking at a slight change in musical direction. She spoke with [here] on the eve of a trip to Toronto to record with her friend and internationally known producer/arranger Kevin Fox. Fox has worked with the likes of Feist, Celine, Dion, Gordie Sampson and others. Mainville says she chose Fox to work with not because she’s known him for some time, but because she knows he can help her find the new disc’s sound.

“When I asked Kevin to produce the record it wasn’t because he was my friend,” she says. “It was because I think he has the same ear. He’s a cellist and since I’m a fiddler I think we hear music the same. He’s gotten me really excited about recording the new songs. I was a bit trepidatious but he told me that if my voice is good when we record it’s going to be a lot of fun.” The disc is a slight departure from Mainville’s award-winning gospel talents and she’s hoping that she can win over a new audience while not alienating those who know her from her faith based works.

“I think this is more of a personal record. It’s more about my thoughts on life and on relationships.

My first record was really about who we are as East Coasters and where we are in God’s eyes. For this record I wrote from personal experiences more. It feels like I’m opening my diary a bit. I think these new songs are going to have a wider appeal. You can’t really label it gospel, but there’s my faith in my work. The real focus is on life stories.” The idea for the new disc sprung from a conversation Mainville was having with a friend from outside of her gospel music circle.

That conversation gave her the confidence to try something new.

“I had this great conversation with a friend of mine who told me she would never darken the door of a church or a gospel concert. But she told me that I had stories to tell and something to say other than what I had been doing. She encouraged me to write music that more people could relate to.” And so Stephanie Mainville set about writing a new batch of songs that cast a wider net.

She admits at first she was a bit self-conscious in writing more personal material, but is confident she has crafted a good batch of songs to take to Toronto to record in Canterbury Studios, a studio that has housed the likes of U2, Johnny Cash, Prince and others.

“It’s an honour to record there. I know the list of all the great musicians who have recorded there and I’m such a fan of so many of them.

It’s kind of weird and really exciting at the same time. We’re going to do something different when we record too. Kevin (Fox) wants us to record a lot of the songs live off the floor to give it a really relaxed feel and I think it’s going to work perfectly for these new songs. We’ll lay some beds down in Toronto and do the rest in Saint John.”

While working at one of the best studios in the world and with one of the best producers in the country would be a highlight of the year for any artist, Mainville says it’s only a start for the ambitious mother of four.

“We’ve got a lot going on for ECMA weekend in Fredericton too. I’m playing as part of the Soundwaves initiative and that’s really exciting for me.” Soundwaves is the ECMA programme that brings music to schoolchildren to promote musical education.

“I’m a mother of four and a supply teacher so I know what’s in store for me. That’s going to be the real challenge of the weekend.” Perhaps not.

Mainville has also landed a showcase opportunity at the Rising Star Showcase Saturday morning February 10 at 10:30 a.m. at Sweetwaters Pub.

While known primarily as a gospel artist, Mainville takes the venue all in stride.

“I think it’s going to be a kick playing at 10:30 a.m. in a bar! I’m inviting all of my church friends, it’ll be a lot of fun I’m sure.” It’s a big start to the year for Stephanie Mainville and she’s not showing any signs of letting up for the remainder of 2008. Among plans to finish recording her new disc set for an April release complete with splashy launch party, Mainville will once again head into the studio this coming summer to record an album of Christmas music at Tim Davidson’s Ripple Effect Studios in Saint John.

For more information on Stephanie Mainville and samples of her music visit www.stephaniemainville.com. If your N.B. based musical act or event would like to be featured in this column please contact the columnist at oneyearofnbmusic@yahoo.ca