Interview with Tia McGraff

Described as having "a voice stolen from angels", Tia McGraff first stepped into the international spotlight on a CBC TV special with Johnny Cash and June Carter. Johnny was so impressed with Tia, he invited her into June's dressing room to introduce the two. Johnny Cash wasn't the only one who recognized a shining star! Soon the likes of Randy Bachman (BTO), Dan Hill (Celine Dion), Andrew Gold, and countless others, were inviting Tia to write and record with them. Tia's latest 12 track album is called Break These Chains and was produced by her co-writer/husband Tommy Parham (pictured on the left in the photo above). The rootsy melodies and honest lyrics have been produced with such integrity that one feels they are listening to something hauntingly familiar and refreshingly real. Perhaps it is because Tia’s influences include lyrical wonders like Joni Mitchell, Patty Griffin, and Mary Gauthier, or because she has drawn from the stories of those who have touched her own heart. "(Her) new body of work is maybe her finest to date. Sometimes by album number 5 an artist becomes complacent, satisfied with rehashing and redoing their past work. Same old wine in a different bottle. Fortunately, Tia has not fallen into that trap. She continues to grow and expand her talents as a songwriter and as a fine singer. McGraff has that quality, naturally, that singers strive for: believability." - Don Graham, Cashbox Canada The show will open up with a chat with singer-songwriters Brian Donkers & Steve Rivers about a new song they've written called Beneath The Shadow Of Heroes. It's a song written about the tragic events in Ottawa in October.