Just wanted to post this new bio that Keith Carman wrote for me. If you’d like Keith to write your bio please contact me and I will pass on his contact info. I thought he did a really great job 🙂

Billy The Kid

Life tends to give us what we want…but never how we expect it.

Witness phenomenal Vancouver, B.C. singer/songwriter Billy The Kid. Culled from the same passionate ambrosia that spawned musical greats such as Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Billy Bragg and Elvis Costello, this golden throat has been accosting the world of music for years with her refined craftsmanship, bold musical talent, extraordinary songs and overt beauty—aesthetically and aurally—epitomized on latest EP The Lost Cause (Lost Records).

As The Kid will admit however, while initial goals of success were envisioned as a collective, Life had other plans in store. Recognizing her innate abilities, it prodded her towards independence and therefore greatness.

“My parents put me in piano lessons at eight. I hated it,” she notes, admitting that despite a sour introduction to music compounded by her difficult early life as a foster child who left home at 12, creativity quickly took over her life. “I’ve been playing solo for as long as I can remember. I started learning to play guitar in the corridors of my high school and my first show was around 16 years old. I had a band but any time the band couldn’t show up, I’d still take the gig. Any chance to play, I’d take it.”

Grasping those opportunities eventually thrust Billy The Kid into many unexpected spotlights. From punk rocker to pianist, folk crooner and eventually label owner (founding Lost Records in order to support poignant underground music), all of these experiences culminate in the striking and powerful experience that is The Lost Cause, a call-to-arms for individual thinking, personal pride and refusal to relent.

“I’ve always liked all sorts of music and I’ve always played all sorts of music,” she notes about her musical diversity. “I grew up in punk but always loved roots and folk. Songs, really. Any song with a story or a life of it’s own were always my favourites. I’ll still put out rock music and write songs on pianos because at the end of the day, they’re all songs, aren’t they? That’s the thing about The Lost Cause and those whom adhere to it. It’s about finding your own way regardless of what others may think.”

Contextually, The Lost Cause is founded on The Kid’s desire to stay rooted, natural and sincere. Compelled by her struggles as a genuine artist constantly confronted by masked jackals both personally and professionally, The Kid never finds herself with a lack of inspiration, deeming The Lost Cause to be culled from one particular emotion:

“Honesty,” she declares bluntly. “I write a lot about hard times. There seems to be a lot of inspiration for that these days. There is a lot of music out there that is made to make money. It doesn’t really stand up for much. I strive to stand up for what I believe in; don’t really care about what musicians are ‘supposed to do’ in order to succeed.”

“My hope is that this thirst for honesty is what attracts our supporters,” she continues. “People are smart. They know they’re being advertised to and music is just the soundtrack to the pop star commodity which takes away all credibility. I’m independent through and through. I believe in throwing out the map and finding my own way.”

Considering that The Lost Cause was produced by Raine Maida (Our Lady Peace, Kelly Clarkson, Hillary Duff, Avril Lavigne) and boasts a vast array of legendary talent including pianist Garth Hudson (The Band, Bob Dylan), drummer Randy Cooke (Ringo Starr/Dave Stewart), guitarist Ben Peeler (Jacob Dylan/The Wallflowers) and harmonica player Stan Behrens (Ruth Brown, The Four Tops) it’s safe to say that Billy The Kid was never off course.

In fact, amassing accolades faster than one can keep count, The Lost Cause is becoming a blueprint of its own for heartfelt music: attaining the Number One position on Much Loud’s charts, The Kid being hand-picked to perform as a part of the legendary Warped Tour, featured Indie Spotlight/Folk Music Spotlight on iTunes Canada, an MSN Sympatico Indiscover Featured Artist, nominated for XM Radio’s The Verge Artist of the Year, holding the top two positions on Earshot’s college listings, radio and television support, winner of three Georgia Straight Reader’s Choice Awards and more. The Lost Cause has certainly found itself at the top of the musical Mecca.

Still, with The Kid’s congenital musicality, professionalism and spirit comes a healthy dose of humility. Gracious, she is thankful for The Lost Cause’s distinctions yet refuses to let them throw her off balance. Instead, they prompt her to sets sights even stronger on the ultimate goal: creating the music in whatever fashion Life has in store.

“The main goal always has been and always will be to just keep on keeping on,” she smiles. “I’m here to spread the Gospel of The Lost Cause; make music for whomever will lend their ears to listen.”

Got a great question from an old friend, thought I’d post it seeing as it’s something that comes up every now and again…

Hey there,
I just wanted to ask you something because I know that you’re vegan and I don’t know anyone else who is. The forums on the internet aren’t very helpful.
Anyway, I’ll just explain briefly … about 10 yrs ago, I became vegetarian for a couple of years. I was obviously doing something wrong because I became really scrawny and people were worried about me. Anyway, I started eating meat regularly again a couple years ago, but there was one day when I just couldn’t anymore. About a year ago, I thought it should be all or nothing – I should be part of the solution and not the problem. So, I’ve been trying to be vegan off an on for the past year, but it never lasts.
I’m a martial artist, and I’m always hungry … ALL the time – every two hours, I’m starving. Sometimes, I literally double what I eat and this will only sustain me for maybe half an hour longer than usual. I just hate being hungry all the time and I can’t eat all of the time because there is no time between the classes I teach or assist, or train in.
So basically, my question is, was there ever a time that you were always starving being vegan, and if so, what did you do to overcome this? Does it just go away eventually? I’m so sorry to bother you … I will go to a dietitian, but I thought I’d ask you first. I’d appreciate any advice.

Thanks!

Hi there! Great to hear from you 🙂 And happy for your questions! I feel like after being vegan for 14 years (and vegetarian for 16), I can help! Hehe. If you ever have any questions, please don’t hesitate.

Much like yourself, I consider myself an “active” person (well, when I’m not stuck in a van on tour lol). My absolute hero is a guy named Brendan Brazier who started the line of Vega supplements, bars and oils. The fact that you’re always hungry is a good thing. There have been times when my body literally *is* starving, from a literal lack of sustenance. A couple things I would recommend after being a sickly vegan, an unhealthy vegan, a fat vegan and finally, an aware vegan:

Get some Vega protein powder. I like the berry one…I just throw it in water and shake and it helps with achy muscles/recovery as well as delivers 100-150 per cent of your daily recommended vitamins and minerals AND MORE. Awesome right? It’s also great in smoothies with frozen berries, maybe a banana…whatever you like!
Then I’d pick up the vega omega oil (or any comparable brand). It’s an oil filled with anti-oxidants, omega 3, 6 and 9s and more. I put it on salad, stir fry, in soup….everything!!! You can even take it by itself. It’s not awesome on it’s own but basically there is zero places a vegan gets healthy brain skin and hair fat so this stuff is kinda it!

Another thing I do is use coconut oil to cook in. You’ll be amazed. Did you know olive oil, which most people use for cooking, actually turns in to a carcinogen when heated??? It also has the lowest burn temperature. Cooking with coconut oil Is a sincere treat.

Other than that I would say just focus on eating some type of protein (nuts, tofu, seitan, fake meat, edamame, leafy greens like spinach) and some type of healthy fat (uncooked olive oil, coconut oil, nuts, avocado) as often as you can and it should help. Protein and fat give you that “full” feeling…otherwise you’re just eating fruit and veggies and wasting away lol.

For recipe ideas I follow a lot of Vegans on Twitter and try my best to eat a balance of hearty, healthy food. One good thing about being Vegan is the massive quantity of food we have to eat to equal what a normal person would scarf down in a single burger 😉

I also have a lot of recipe books filled with ideas that I’ve been relying on for over a decade. How It All Vegan was one of the first I ever got and I still go back to it.
Good luck you little ninja! 😀

Hey there.

Haven’t written in awhile. I feel as if i have less and less to say haha. I mean, not to sound like a chump, but my life is pretty boring. How is it I can be in a different city every night and it feels routine??? There’s something wrong with me…

Every day starts the same: Wake up, get coffee. Then, drive for 1 to ten hours. This is where the boring comes in. I forgot my iPod this leg of the tour so I have been living off the kindness of others…got a mixed CD made for me by Matt Brenner (who also so kindly let me borrow his guitar for the Edge Nu Music Night at the Horseshoe and a radio thing at York University…thank you Matt!) My manager Todd Arkell from Cool Planet Management made me a mixed CD too (what manager does that? Mine! He also bought me Road Crackers, aka Crackers For The Road). Blair, the guitar player in my band for some of the Ontario dates donated, by far, my favourite CD of LIFE.

It’s Bob Dylan, at 20 years old, on an hour long radio program. Not only is it amazing to hear this talented young man at the age of 20 years old speaking of his 6 years traveling with a carnival (What!?!?!) and hanging out with Woody Guthrie, among others, but it’s also entirely endearing because the host has a huge crush on him! It is hilarious. I’ve listened to it so many times I have almost burned a hole in it. At one point the interviewer asks: “Are you still going to wear that hat when you’re rich and famous?” and Bob Dylan Says “I’m never going to be rich and famous”.

Yesterday I had a day off and turned in to a slug. I left my hotel room once, to get coffee. I think my body is programmed to get up, get coffee, and drive, but when there is no where to drive I just slump back in to bed and go: “Oh…”

So ya. I was a waste of a human all day. It gave the snot in my head an opportunity to start leaking out. (ewwwww)

There’s a bunch of fun videos that people have been posting on youtube so I’ve been favouriting them at http://www.youtube.com/billythekidofficial. If you have any of your own please let me know. Also did an interview with http://www.spinner.com yesterday amidst my “No Where To Drive” Depression. It’s not up yet but if you want to know when it is I normally post those kinds of things over at http://www.twitter.com/billypettinger (not to mention a surplus of daily silliness).

I’m in Ottawa right now. I’m contemplating drinking way too much coffee for the second day in a row, mainly cause I have a whole day to kill. I’m still not ready to talk to people though lol…glad I have a few more hours haha! Yesterday was a good enough break that I actually was looking forward to seeing another human. Conversation, though….that will have to wait 😉

I realized yesterday that, given the opportunity, I could totally be one of those people who just wastes away in their hotel room. I could never understand that, up until now. You’d try to get ahold of me, I’d just ignore you…until finally someone would have to come and drag me out of bed and throw me in to a shower with all my clothes on, waking me from my stupor and shocking me back to the fold.

8 hours drive tomorrow. Then it’s a constant state of doing stuff (whether it be playing, recording or writing sessions) until South By South West. Did I mention I’m playing 5 times? I never even applied for this thing cause I figured I’d never get accepted. And if I did, probably no one would care. But ya…5 times. So weird.

Alright well I think I figured out the key to blogging…if you just don’t talk to anyone for like a whole day you actually have quite a bit to say haha. I feel like I do nothing but talk sometimes so the idea of telling the same stories but in writing gets daunting. (Hence, my disappearing for the past few weeks). Oh also I’ve traveled many a mile in the last month and it is starting to feel routine, and just feeling that makes me feel like a jerk. And I don’t want anyone to know I’m a jerk haha. From Vancouver to Winnipeg to Courtenay to L.A. to Ontario and now on to Texas and back then over to Newfoundland. Just another day. Just another jerk-y batch of stories…
Signing off, for now,
Jerky McJerkerton