Canadian Idol contestant starting new band

Times Reporter

 

Amber Dawn Fleury entertained patrons at the Co-op pancake breakfast during Heritage Days on July 30. This was not the first time Fleury has performed before a crowd, though this one was smaller than one of her previous gigs. Fleury was a contestant on Canadian Idol in 2005, during season three. 

“I mainly tried out just to get a professional opinion on my voice. I never thought I would make the top 10,” said Fleury. 

She made it to eighth place before she was eliminated from the show. Currently Fleury works as a paralegal in Calgary, but she hasn’t given up her musical dream even though she did take a small hiatus.  When she was 13-years-old Fleury took part in a country music competition in Edmonton. She won the competition and the prize was to record a CD and a music video. 

Fleury was 26 when she was on Canadian Idol and said it was a great experience. 

“It’s just a really great experience for singers who are trying to expand their musical knowledge and just build their knowledge when it comes to the industry itself,” said Fleury. 

She made a lot of contacts by being on the show and making it so far into the season. About a year after season three ended Fleury, Ashley Leitao and Casey LeBlanc, who were also on the show, were approached by the piano player on the show. The piano player was a producer and has his own studio and thought the girls would work as a trio. In 2006 all three girls moved to Ontario to record and promote their CD.  

“Unfortunately about a year after that the group disbanded just due to personal reasons. Since then we’ve just kind of gone our separate ways,” said Fleury.  

Fleury wrote a few songs with one former band mate and when she met a member of her back up band, Pistol Noon, for the pancake breakfast, they began writing songs together. 

“We’re planning to take these songs into the studio probably in September, just to make a really good demo and then hopefully shop the songs and see what kind of feedback we can generate,” said Fleury. 

“It’s a tough industry to crack into and it helps if you have money behind you as well, which I don’t. Any little bit that we want to do we have to save up for it and that makes it kind of hard.”

Fluery is working on putting a full time band together. She said she has the players and now it’s just a matter of getting together and figuring things out. While she has always had a country background Fluery has noticed she’s begun gearing towards classic rock, and said Sheryl Crow is one artist she admires. 

Suzi Rawn was one of Fleury’s closest friends on the show. Rawn made it to the top four before being cut, and Fleury said they still keep in touch occasionally.  

Canadian Idol has been cancelled for the past two years due to the economy, but even if it were to come back Fleury won’t take part again. She doesn’t think after making it to the top 10 she would be able to. Anyone who has missed hearing her voice will have to wait until her CD is released or catch her at her next gig.