Ronley Teper is one of Canada's most unique and interesting musical artists. At once a storyteller, a performance artist, and a singer/songwriter, she combines these disciplines into provocative stage shows with the help of her musical collective, the Lipliners.
Ronley Teper's Lipliners began as a monthly residency at the legendary Tranzac club in Toronto. Teper invited some of Toronto’s finest musicians to publicly improvise around her storytelling and songwriting. Over the past six years this process has developed a body of work that listeners constantly compare to Tom Waits, Mary Margaret O’Hara and Nina Hagen.
Contributing musicians have included: Christine Bougie (Amy Millan, Good Lovelies); Jaron Freeman-Fox (The Opposite of Everything, Delhi2Dublin); Scott Maynard (Rock Plaza Central, Quiet Revolution); Reade Olivier (The Mark Inside); Roman Tome (New Country Rehab, Elvis Bossa Nova); Tim Posgate (Tim Posgate Hornband, Jane Bunnett); Caitlin Smith (Tiny Alligator Large Band); Nick Taylor (Steamboat, Dirty Hearts); Ben Bowen (Valery Gore, Great Aunt Ida), Chris Banks (Do Make Say Think); Caleb Hamilton (Al Tuck, Random Order); Joan Besen (Prairie Oyster); Josh Van Tassel (Kate Rogers, Stop Die Resuscitate); Stacey McLeod (Bob Wiseman, The I Love You Too's); Amy Laing (Hidden Cameras, Blue Rodeo); special guests Mary Margaret O'hara and many many more.
Ronley Teper was born in South Africa and grew up in Toronto. A self-taught musician, she has been an active composer and member of the Toronto arts scene for over a decade. She has toured extensively through the US, Europe, and Canada, and has been broadcast on numerous CBC, BBC and college and university radio programs. In early 2010, she was invited as a guest speaker at the first TEDx talks in Bangkok, Thailand. During this trip, alongside the conference, she organized vocal improvisation music workshops for middle school children in Bangkok International Schools, and performed throughout the country. She recently returned from a artist residency in Reykjavik, Iceland, where she also did solo performances. She is currently composing music in collaboration with the puppet company 'Quality Slippers Productions' which will unveil its latest show, “Exit, Pursuit By A Bear”, as part of the Summerworks Festival on Theatre Passe Muraille’s Main stage.
"An almost childlike fascination for experimentation." - The Ottawa Citizen
"Eclectic Nu-Freak Folk perfect for late night listening." - Americana UK
"If Joanna Newsom gave birth to Tom Waits' illegitimate daughter and then refused to breastfeed her, the girl might grow up sounding a lot like Toronto's Ronley Teper" - BlogTO