biography:

Windsor-Ontario based artist Ron Leary has quickly been gaining recognition as one of Canada's most important emerging roots artists, much the result of the debut release "theroadinbetween" (2006) followed by an intense year of touring Canada coast-to-coast.

The debut release "theroadinbetween" is a feast for the ears (Upfront) and relates stories of a world that is a complicated place without tidy endings (Vue Weekly). It is heavily influenced by life in the hard living blue-collar border city of Windsor. On songs like "The End" you can feel the pulse of the factory and the pain of working the line for life; on "The Road In Between" love is found under the watchful eye of American military jets flying over head. The theme of tradition runs persistently throughout the album, most obviously on the opening track "Years," a song which romanticizes about a break from urban life and a return to the family farmland, even though it will never happen. 

In performance, Ron Leary always makes a strong impression on his audience by delivering powerful songs with disarming honesty, humour and humility. Whether it be with the intensity of the full band, as a folk duo with harmonica player Kelly "Mr. Chill" Hoppe, or simply as a solo artist, each show is a unique journey where even Ron never quite knows where or how it will unfold or end. But his golden voice will melt you in your seat, with a presence that will keep you on the edge of that seat and slightly off balance.

It was growing up in the Southern, Ontario tobacco-belt where Ron got his early start in music. By the age of six he began playing drums in his parents Country & Western band "The Corn Huskers," a unique outfit including the fiddle, banjo and washboard. It was in the community halls, fairs and barn dances, playing the terrifying polka (for a six year old at least) or the fox trot, where Ron spent many weekends of his youth growing up. While to define Ron's music as country music would definitely miss the mark, there is no doubt that the influences of these early years can be heard loud and clear.

Over the past year Ron has shared the stage with many great acts such as Mississippi Music Hall of Fame inductee Steve Forbert, Juno Award Winner K'Naan, Noam Chomsky plus many great Canadian artists like Royal Wood, The Sunparlour Players, Catherine MacLellan, David Myles and many more. Ron has been invited to perform at the 20 Years of Propaganda Conference, In The Dead of Winter Music Festival, South River Arts Festival, and performed in numerous venues coast-to-coast. The debut release "theroadinbetween" has been gaining some stunning accolades from across the country, being showcased on CBC Radio 3, used by CBC icon Stuart MacLean in his Vinyl Café Program, as well as five songs being featured in CBC TV's summer program Eleven Cameras. The debut also charted well nationally on campus radio, spending numerous months on the National Campus College Radio Charts.

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