Jesse Labelle

Early life

Musically inclined from a young age, Labelle first learned the guitar in his pre-teens, and played in a number of rock bands throughout high school. After graduation, Labelle discovered he had a knack for "picking apart songs" and began pursuing a career as a songwriter. Through the next couple of years, he wrote for local bands in Toronto, New York City, and Nashville as well as penning material for himself. A performance on City TV's Speaker's Corner programme caught the attention of up-and-coming singer Fefe Dobson, who invited Labelle to write with her and perform in her band. None of these collaborations made it onto any of Dobson's studio albums, however this experience did bring Labelle into contact with songwriter/producer Jay Levine and ultimately led to a development deal with Arista Records. Sometime in the mid-2000s, talent scouts for Wax Records attended a showcase of Labelle's at a Toronto café, resulting in Labelle signing with the label in 2009.

1999 – 2010 : Career beginnings and Perfect Accident

Jesse was once one-fifth of the boyband Identically Different (better known as I.D) from 1999 until their disbandment in 2002 as the youngest member and singer/guitarist of the band. The group released one eponymous album Identically Different in the spring of 2001 and achieved moderate success that summer with the release of the album's two lead singles "Busted" and "Let's Play", which were in heavy rotation on YTV's HitList and KISS92.5FM.

After I.D, Jesse went on to become a producer and songwriter while performing as a solo artist between Toronto and New York and Nashville. Between 2003 through 2007, Jesse worked with various artists, producers and musicians which would ultimately lead him to his now home in Nashville, TN. In 2008, he began work on his debut solo album, Perfect Accident, released through Wax Records in the spring of 2010. The album was preceded in 2009 by its lead single and an EP, both also titled "Perfect Accident". Two further singles were issued: "Easier" in 2010 and "Lost" in 2011.

2011 – 2013 : Better Days and Two

Labelle began working on a follow-up to Perfect Accident in 2011. He recorded a collection titled Better Days that stuck to the same pop rock/soft rock formula as the previous album and was ultimately rejected by his record label for being too similar. To create a more musically-diverse sound, Labelle reached out to new collaborators, including Tawgs Salter (known for his work with Lights and Fefe Dobson).

"Heartbreak Coverup" was released April 10, 2012 as the lead single for the then-upcoming second album. It features vocals from label-mate Alyssa Reid, and is Labelle's first single to impact the Canadian Hot 100, where it peaked at No. 46. It was certified Gold by Music Canada in January 2013.

Labelle released his second album, Two, on August 7, 2012. In a departure from the guitar-driven pop rock of his first release, the album features a greater reliance on piano in its instrumentation, and is influenced by dance and pop music. Second single "One Last Night" features rap rockers Nixon and peaked at No. 83 on the Canadian Hot 100. Subsequent singles – "How Long" and "Tell the World", both released in 2013 – failed to replicate the chart success of their predecessors. In early 2013, Two was re-issued with a modified track listing that notably includes "How Long", which was absent from the original release.

2014 – Present : Nashville

Labelle was released from his recording commitments to Wax Records citing creative differences. Labelle had been pushing to move his musical vision south to Nashville to explore the town that he had made a second home over the years. Jesse fell into a writing circle with Casey Marshall, who had been responsible for the career development and songwriting for Tim Hicks, Three Days Grace, and My Darkest Days. Casey introduced Jesse to Neil Sanderson of Three Days Grace and the three began writing in Nashville. The resulting material from sessions with various co writers including Craig Wiseman, Chris Wallin, Phil Barton will serve as Jesses 3rd commercial release, currently titled "EP" slated for release in 2015.

Tours

Labelle participated in MuchMusic's 2010 SodaPop Tour alongside Emily Osment and labelmate Alyssa Reid. In 2012, Labelle toured the United Kingdom with Reid, and also opened for Jordan Knight (of NKOTB) on the Canadian leg of Knight's "Live and Unfinished" Tour. In July 2014, Jesse joined Keith Urban on Canadian dates of his Raise 'Em Up Tour including the memorable performance at the Scotiabank Saddledome during the Calgary Stampede. In The Summer of 2015, Jesse will be appearing at the Boots & Hearts Music Festival in Ontario.