1985 - Present
Contents
Instruments
Bands
- Vaya - Guitar / Vocals (2001-2004)
- Weenie Beenies - (one-off Foo Fighers cover band, 2004)
- Out Of Fashion- Guitar (one-off No Doubt cover band, 2005)
- Courtney And The Loves- Guitar (one-off Hole cover band, 2005)
- Black Letter Vendetta - Guitar / Vocals October 2005 - March 15th, 2006)
- The Prime Ministers- Guitar / Vocals (one-off POTUSA cover band, 2006)
- Gaelin Brown - Guitar / Vocals (2006)
- Night Safari - Guitar / Vocals (Summer of 2006 - Winter 2007)
- In Fear And Faith- Guitar / Backing Vocals (one-off, 2007)
- Sooth - (2002 - 2007 - Became Jean-Paul De Roover)
- Jean-Paul De Roover - Guitars / Loops / Vocals / Sound Effects / Theremin (2007 - present - formerly Sooth)
Biography
With an innovative approach to music, Jean-Paul De Roover is much more than a solo artist. Accompanied by live looping, guitars and a voice used as an instrument, this 'sonic architect' builds his songs from foundation to facade before your very eyes. Beginning with dead silence, his performance could lead anywhere: full a capella harmonies, rhythmic tribal beats, noise-layered worlds of ambient rock, campfire-folk, electro-ballads and anything in between. With lyrical content that can be brutally honest, or lovingly truthful, one thing is certain: the originality and creativity of his timeless performances shines through to every listener.
Jean-Paul was born in Thunder Bay, ON but was raised overseas in Africa, Asia and South America, before moving back to North America in 2001. At this time, he compiled all of his worldly experiences and began his serious musical endeavours.
As a multi-instrumentalist, Jean-Paul has been a member of several bands/groups and ensembles, such as Night Safari (Pop/Rock), Vaya (Rock), as well as others like the Thunder Bay Barbershop Chorus, to name a few. With these groups, he has been a part of many recording projects, including two full length studio albums, several EPs and countless live recordings. Over the course of his musical career, Jean-Paul has had the opportunity to share stages with many big names such as Simple Plan, Alexisonfire, Treblecharger, and more recently artists such as The Weakerthans, among countless others.
Since 2007 he's pursued a career as a solo musician, developing the "extraordinary talent of being a one man band without any of the clichés" (Blissdelamess). When asked about why he took this approach, Jean-Paul said "I wanted to create the sounds I hear in my head, delivering them in a way that engages with an audience while providing them with an interesting solo live show." With many achievements to date including the national release of his EP "Dichotomy", showcases at international music festivals like NXNE, Red Rock Folk Festival, Field Festival, and several Canadian tours, all of which demonstrate the drive of this young artist who writes, books, and promotes his music independently.
2009 marks the release of Windows and Doors, an ambitious CD/DVD/Art project (and subsequent national cross-Canada tour) that shows great promise for Jean-Paul's future.
Discography
- Sooth- 3-track live DVD, Mar 21 2007
- ...dichotomy...- 4-track EP, Nov 25 2007
- Windows and Doors 14-track CD + DVD, Sep 12 2009