Colleen and Paul merges the multi-faceted talents of two highly respected members of the Toronto music community, Colleen Hixenbaugh and Paul Linklater. The creative chemistry between the duo dates back to a first encounter five years ago. Colleen was then touring internationally and recording as guitarist in Canadian indie rock icons By Divine Right while Paul was beginning to get noticed on the Toronto scene via his acclaimed band The Scribbled Out Man (also featuring Don Kerr, of Rheostatics and Ron Sexsmith fame). A mutual respect and instantaneous rapport lead to the formation of their first musical partnership, the recording and touring rockband Jackandginger. Their respective other commitments then took over and the outfit disbanded, but the strength of the creative bond between Colleen and Paul kept the writing partnership alive.

Almost effortless, Colleen and Paul’s approach to songwriting is in perfect balance, with the pair excelling in completing songs the other has started. Comfortable in these complementary strengths, Colleen and Paul freely challenge each other in other aspects of their creative partnership. For Colleen, it is her acceptance to harnesses the full power of her lush voice, while Paul is continually inspired by Colleen’s lyrical honesty and searches to refine and clarify his own approach. Together, the whole is even greater than the sum of the strong
individual parts.

About Colleen

Family friend, the late Johnny Cash, once toasted Colleen describing her “a star among us with the voice of an angel”. No doubt the legendary singer/songwriter saw a kindred spirit in Colleen, long before even she herself felt the music calling.

Music found Colleen, not the other way around. Growing up in a largely academic home, musical influences were scarce, but the ever intuitive Colleen found music in every other form. Birds in flight, the thunderous call of the California surf, and in a radiant smile on her sisters face all signal her first visceral experience of music. Her first foray was elementary exposure to flute and later guitar but it was not until her mid-twenties that the blossoming poet sought the guitar as a means to orchestrate her poetry. An artist first and foremost, Colleen lives art by “living a life well and to its fullest”. She has traveled the globe and draws inspiration from the many experiences, places and people she has encountered.

With an unwavering spirit and capacity for joy, Colleen set about chasing all her dreams–earning a spot on the junior Olympics in volleyball, commanding the waves as a amateur surfer and learning to spin a basketball à la the Harlem Globetrotters. And, while her artistic expression also takes form in her photography, visual, textile, and literary art; it is music that fills her dreams and dreams that infuse her music with many of her lyrics being captured, verbatim from her often lucid dreams.

About Paul

A sick day from school changed Paul Linklater’s life. Bored and looking for something to entertain himself, the 11-year old snuck downstairs to practice chords on his mother’s Yamaha steel string guitar. It was a skill that, at first, didn’t come easy for Paul. Over the years, struggling to perfect his technique, Paul spent a lifetime building momentum, growing in confidence, and honing a musical dexterity that is now as equally precise as it is improvisational. This evolution allows the singer/songwriter to fully realize the endless melodies and snatches of lyrics he continually feels around and within him.

Like many kids of his generation, Paul’s early musical influences were found in the energy, tempo and electricity exploding around the Beatles. Though his first memory of music is of hearing “All my loving”, the true break through came when, after earning the Grade 3 prize for Best Attendance, Paul used his impressive $30 dollar winnings to purchase Abbey Road, a recording that still has a profound affect on
his songwriting.

Music continues to perforate everything in Paul’s life with sparks of inspiration finding form in every genre from classical, to folk, to indie-rock. His performance chops include stints with outfits such as Goodbye Elvis, the Halifax based Pinecones, the [Dave] Bidini Band, and ScribbledOutMan, which also featured Don Kerr and Doug Friesen. Often regarded as a rebel to musical traditions and expectations, Paul’s approach has many industry insiders whispering “prodigy” when speaking about his guitar prowess and recording skills. He is currently producing projects for Gay Serenades and Billie Hollies, all, no doubt, in preparation for the recording he surely one day will record alongside one of his greatest musical influences, cult-hero Daniel Lanois.