Stay Awhile by Paula Toledo

“Paula’s music finds its way into your soul and never leaves. Her beautiful and rich voice adds a layer of complexity to the original lyrics and playing...” Accident Hash, U-Turn Café.

Stay Awhile is the follow up to Paula’s five song self-titled EP (2003), which received success in film and television placements - credits include 'Missing’ (LifetimeTV), 'Secret Lives’ (LifetimeTV & feature film release in Asia & Europe), '15/Love’ (YTV & France2) and 'Renegadepress.com’ (Global). Renegadepress.com has already licensed two songs from Stay Awhile with 'Tell Me A Lie’ written into the script of a scene where the main characters drive and sing along to the song as it plays on the radio. North American-wide magazine coverage also ensued when Paula’s EP found its way into the hands of Creative Director for Larrivée Guitars. Impressed by her songwriting, he asked Paula to appear in a Larrivée Guitar ad and featured her in a double-page spread, titled 'Art’. The ad ran in several music magazines, spawning a run of on-line purchases for her EP.

Growing up in Montreal, as the second to youngest of six children, at the age of ten when Paula’s parents told her they couldn’t afford guitar lessons, she struck a deal with her musical older sister '" guitar and singing lessons in exchange for her maid services to keep her sister’s bedroom clean. Paula studied the classic chord progressions of Beatles’ tunes, the tight harmonies of Simon & Garfunkel and the warm and husky timber of a young Stevie Nicks. As soon as she could, an under-aged Paula would find her own way and sneak into Montreal bars as the lead singer of an alternative-ska band. When the band broke up, Paula headed to Vancouver to give academia a try. Quickly becoming restless in her sophomore year, she impulsively hopped on a plane on a study exchange in Barcelona, Spain. Yearning to play music, Paula borrowed guitars hanging from the ceiling of a sangria bar so that she could sing and play for locals.

Eventually, Paula tried her hand at several desk-jobs but couldn’t find the fit until she was asked to go on tour in France as a back-up singer to her French singer/songwriter neighbour who happened to overhear her singing through the apartment walls. While on tour in France, Paula was overcome with the urge to write and record her own songs. Inspired and uninterrupted, Paula forged ahead and eventually recorded Stay Awhile, “...the kind of album that makes household names out of talented, beautiful singer/songwriters...” 24 Hours (Vancouver)

"Stay Awhile is truly affecting as its bittersweet lyricism comes through... One senses the youthful passion tempered by a certain "well traveled" wisdom."

- CKUT Radio, Tony King - February 14, 2006

"Stay Awhile is a lovely album... honest, pure and passionate...sort of timeless in fact. A very successful debut album, showing Toledo and the band in wonderful shape"

- Hallandsposten Daily, Sweden, Gert Gredelle - January 25, 2006

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