Arlene Bishop’s new project Coping Mechanism tells an uplifting life changing story with dramatic instrumental music and moving pictures. More details are available at Patreon, where the multi-part project is being developed and shared in a safe creative space. Release Est Summer 2024
Between songs Arlene Bishop’s funny and dark monologues are the result of letting loose an obsessively busy and creative mind. The songs themselves are personal, poetic, and passionate and her gigs are populated by songwriters, artists and interesting characters.
In 2017 Bishop released a groundbreaking live album titled Together Tonight: Arlene Bishop Live with the Spirit of Adventure. Recorded live in concert with a 30-person vocal ensemble and a band she jointly calls The Spirit of Adventure, the album documents a roller coaster of a set, with instantly memorable songs and funny between-song banter. Listening to the album is like sitting amoung the vorchestra ‘being there’ in the concert venue. It was during this concert recording that Arlene learned of a bootleg recording captured from the soundboard in 1992.
Why release an ancient bootleg? Arlene Bishop’s motives for the humbling 1992 board tape are rooted in her gratitude and love for the talent booker Jimmy Scopes at Toronto’s legendary Spadina Hotel’s Cabana Room. Arlene shared the album release date with 26 other Toronto bands from back in the day. While Jimmy had since passed, the Scopes family was in attendance at the two-night party, and muso after muso shared a funny story about the universally loved Jimmy Scopes. Thank You Jimmy Scopes, The Cabana Room Bootleg 1992 is a blast from the past snapped and a shout-out to the person Arlene credits with beginning her performance career. Starting out at Toronto’s legendary Cabana Room Arlene’s weekly show featured emerging artists like Ron Sexsmith and the Barenaked Ladies and resulted in the EP Pinky in 1995 (recorded three years after the bootleg).
In 2014 Arlene Bishop produced a compelling album called Twenty Four (Is Twelve Songs Twice) wherin recordings of twelve solo acoustic performances are remixed and reinterpreted by twelve producers.
Following more concerts with icons Brad Roberts (Crash Test Dummies), Colin James, Ani Difanco and Dar Williams, the album Cut a Man’s Heart Out was produced in 2004.
After a series of short small venue concerts (Louden Wainwright III, Beach Boys, 54:40, Burton Cummings among the headliners), she and Blair Packham (The Jitters) produced a second CD, with the press-review inspired title Snarky Girlpop (from which 98 Points found its way to the film New Waterford Girl).
And the EP Pinky is home to the song I Can’t Stand it of which Warren Zevon whispered in Arlene’s ear “Cool song, Arlene” when they both performed live on CBC Radio. It’s also home to Spin Another One, which has landed in a couple neat films.
Arlene Bishop is the grateful recipient of a number of awards including the original garageband.com; Toronto Independent Music Awards, Independent Acoustic Music Awards, and a Galaxy Award.