Biography

After playing in folk clubs in Southern Ontario, singer/songwriter Mae Moore got her first break when she joined the band Foreign Legion. She crafted her intricate acoustic sound while making a name for herself throughout the mid-'80s. In 1985, she went solo, writing the song "Heaven in Your Eyes." Loverboy went on to make the song a chart smash two years later thanks to its inclusion in the Tom Cruise film Top Gun, but Moore's talent was ignored. A chance meeting with Barney Bentall's guitarist, Colin Nairne, did prove prominent for Moore. Nairne assisted her in recording her first demo, which later led to a deal with CBS Records. Oceanview Motel, released only in Canada, appeared in 1990; first single "I'll Watch Over You" was a radio hit. Success was slow, however. When it came time to record a second album, CBS paired Moore with the Church's Steven Kilbey. The connection between the two was magnetic, but the sessions for Bohemia weren't as charming. Gavin MacKillop (the Church, Toad the Wet Sprocket) finished the record, for Kilbey's substance and drug abuse prevented him from completing the project. The album was issued on Epic in 1992 and the title track was Moore's brightest career moment up to that point. The dark, earthy feeling of the spoken-word track went Top Ten in Canada and gained attention on American modern rock radio. Dragonfly was released in 1995, but sales didn't fare as well as Bohemia. Prior to winning the SOCAN Award for most played song on the radio for "Genuine," Moore was dropped from her label. She escaped to the peaceful side of Prince Edward Island to sort things out. While on her way, Moore began a search for the daughter she gave up for adoption at age 19. During this time, she was in a near fatal accident when another car hit her head-on at 90 miles an hour. The experience could have been worse, but Moore looked inside herself and found solace. Fellow singer and friend Jann Arden called her. Arden, who had founded her own Big Hip Records, asked Moore to start recording. The result was her 1999 self-titled effort. It's a Funny World followed three years later. ~ MacKenzie Wilson, Rovi