artist Amanda Cottreau

As haunting and striking as the sculpted inlet of the Bay of Fundy, Amanda's voice has begun to garner attention in the Ottawa music scene. This authentic, multi-dimensional singer/songwriter has a sincerity rarely heard in today's folk/dream/acoustic content. Her thoughtful phrasing and subtle guitar playing cause one to take pause. Her unconventional melodies and intuitive vocals have been deemed "achingly gorgeous, organically chilling and soulful."

Hailing from Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, Amanda has been slowly making her way to the nation's capital. She began singing lead and background vocals in a worship band from 1998-2003, in Kingston, Ontario, at NeXt Church. She schooled her voice and lyrical mind, singing the likes of Tori Amos, Jewel, Jann Arden, U2, Radiohead, Collective Soul, Coldplay, Sufjan Stevens. Not just your traditional "church" music. She was privileged enough to share the stage with some very talented local musicians in an arts based community. It was there she was first recorded on a compilation "Around 11" - Track 12 -I Will Arise. http://www.nextchurch.com 

In 2003, Amanda finally made her way to Ottawa. Only one year later, she picked up a guitar for the first time. She was working in the field of brain injury rehabilitation and it was one of her clients that taught Amanda her first few chords. The music became his therapy and the guitar became her appendage. As soon as she managed to pair her voice with the chords she had learned, she began writing and integrating the joy of music into her work with clients. 

It's hard to believe that, less than a year ago, this ethereal gem began her debut, playing for the love it, in concrete stairwells and transit station overpasses. She also braved impromptu acoustic sessions in random apartment complex lobbies, winning the hearts and attention of her immediate community. As fate would have it, she met and began collaborating with Ryan Potter, a seasoned Ottawa musician and closet producer. Amanda is now in the process of bringing a life-long dream to fruitionher first solo album "Universe in a Soft Shell".