Shaye

by Margaret RegesCanadians Damhnait Doyle, Tara MacLean, and Kim Stockwood came together as the earthy alt-rock trio Shaye in the early 2000s. The members were already well established on the Canadian music scene before embarking on the project. Stockwood, for example, had already established herself on the alt-rock front with her 1999 effort, 12 Years Old. MacLean, meanwhile, had scooped up a record deal with Capitol and had made an appearance at SXSW, and Doyle had collected numerous Juno nominations for her first album, Shadows Wake Me. Shaye began when Doyle, MacLean, and Stockwood teamed up to record one track together, "Beauty." They were so happy with the result that they decided to record a whole album together. After successfully lassoing producer Jay Joyce into the project, Shaye released their first album, The Bridge, in 2003. The album's first single, "Happy Baby," went on to snag a SOCAN Award, a Canadian Radio Music Award, and a Juno nomination, and the second single, "Beauty," managed to climb into the Top 20 on the A/C charts. Three years of touring and writing later, Doyle, MacLean, and Stockwood headed back into the studio in 2006 to record their second album, Lake of Fire. The title track hit number 13 on the Canadian charts shortly before the album was released in early 2007.