Alexandria musician scouted by big city producer; listen here

Alexandria-based musician Shannon Hardy recently celebrated her 26th birthday in style - at a Toronto recording studio with well-known producer Mark Zubek.

Zubek came across a song of Hardy's while listening to CKUT 90.3 FM, a Montreal-based radio station. He quickly hunted down the eastern Ontario songstress and expressed his interest in working with her.

"The first song that I heard by Shannon was a French song called 'Thomas' and the next was an English one," said Zubek. "It's a very rare thing to find a musician that is so incredibly talented in two languages."

Listen to 'Thomas" - below

Hardy boasts a lengthy repertoire that consists of both English and French originals as well as classic cover songs by artists such as Simon and Garfunkel, Janis Joplin, and James Taylor.

"When Mark contacted me, I was already working with a Montreal-based producer and I was a little hesitant about making a switch," said Hardy. "But after looking into his credentials and some of the other artists that he has worked with, it was a very easy decision."

Surrounded by music since birth, Shannon is heavily influenced by the success of her father, Robert Hardy, who while living in England had the pleasure of sharing a stage with such notable musicians as Jimmy Page, Keith Moon, Jerry-Lee Lewis, and even toured with Rod Stewart as an opening act. He now lives in Alexandria and works as a classical composer.

A three-year veteran of the Montreal music scene, Shannon Hardy is now looking to expand her musical horizons and has been taking everything "a little more seriously."

"When I was younger, I thought that music would be a phase for me," Hardy recalled. "But after a few years, I have realized that it is my passion, my purpose."

Hardy recorded her first song at the age of five, when she sang back-up vocals on a song called "Smile It Away," composed by her father, and made her first lead vocal appearance on another Robert Hardy masterpiece entitled "Magic All Around."

At the moment, Hardy is focusing on sharing her talent with as many music lovers as possible by playing countless shows and festivals in cities across Ontario and Quebec. Plans are also in the works to record a full-length album in the near future.

Shannon will be performing live at the Blueberry Hill Bistro, at 16 High Street in Vankleek Hill, on Wednesday, March 3 at 8 p.m.