black-eyed SUZIE, whose core is Christine Marek-Matejka and Mark Matejka, is a musical marriage made in the heart of rural Manitoba whose soul-inspiring originals speak to the small town prairie child in all of us. Since their debut singles release concert in January of 2011, the two have been capturing the attention of well-known bands and industry folk from across all musical genres, due in large part to their richly layered melodic harmonies and resonant acoustic vibe. If you had to describe their sound you might consider them the love child of Sarah McLachlan and Neil Young! A distinctly grassroots neo-folk sound with nods to traditional rock, country, bluegrass, roots, even classical - a little bit of everything cleverly fused in a way that speaks to a diverse set of music lovers young and old alike.

Growing up together in the agricultural and logging community of Swan River Valley, the couple draws artistically from shared farm family and ethnic backgrounds. Lead singer-songwriter, Christine Marek-Matejka, expounds on this unique connection, “Mark and I grew up together in a tightly-knit Czech community where a strong bond and friendship began in pre-school. At age three, I distinctly recall seeing a white-haired Mark for the first time sitting ahead of me in the church pew and thinking I was going to marry him someday! Little did we know at the time that our families had traveled around Europe in exile together for hundreds of years before settling in Canada.” Connected by these roots and surrounded by nature and wide open spaces the two have seized upon their ancestor’s dream to live, work and create in a land free from economic strife, war and intellectual oppression. “We understand the sacrifices that were made, and appreciate what we have to show for. Our ancestors had second thoughts about immigrating to a free but harshly isolating land, and it does have the power to bring out the best or worst in a person. But I get to think from within the context of this vast landscape that does not interrupt or judge: it just is! When I begin to feel socially disconnected, I remind myself how lucky I am to be living in a place many can only dream of! So many days, rain, shine or snow, all are breathtakingly beautiful. I bring all of that distinctly Canadiana imagery to my writing.”

Apart from that, there is an insidiously dark and gothic undertone to Christine’s work. She admits that due to unusually difficult life circumstances, she learned early on that existence is unpredictable, unrelenting and indiscriminately uncaring in nature. “It’s the reason I can write about the guts of life –things that people don’t really want to think about. It’s about finding some beautiful truth in the unpleasant. I like to be straightforward and honest about the inherent human struggle that you just have to respect and celebrate. I do that through simple melodies that are beautifully haunting yet cut to the chase.” Mark, a multi-instrumentalist, effectively complements and adds volumes to her initial lyrical, melodic and harmonic sketches with his sensitive but raw arrangements and orchestration. “Our collaborative efforts are very special, there’s this unspoken bond that we share; we don’t have to tell one another what to do. We just trust one another intuitively.”

black-eyed SUZIE is lighting the fires in their home town and abroad and is currently working on their album, Back To You, an EP featuring seven heartfelt original tracks, three of which are in distribution as singles. The duo enjoys playing house concerts, coffee houses, and community celebrations all the way from Sylvan Lake, AB to Swan River, MB. They recently had the rare opportunity to perform for Czech Ambassador to Canada, Karel Žebrakovský, and MP Robert Sopuck and friends, during a special visit to their community of Minitonas, Manitoba.