Influenced by the diverse sounds of Brazilian Bossa nova, American funk, soul and psychedelia, Toronto-based Maylee Todd transcends the role of musician: she truly is an artist.

A former member of prominent Ontario music collective Henri Fabergé and the Adorables, comprised of such indie rock bands as the Bicycles and Born Ruffians, Todd is a multi-instrumentalist and deviceful performance artist whose creativity is rooted in a wide array of musical disciplines.

Equal parts exotic and vintage revivalist, her solo projects - beginning with 2010’s Choose Your Own Adventure - are tinged with comedic flair and an inspired vigour reflected by the 31-year-old’s offbeat music videos and electrifying stage performances.

“I was really interested in writing music I could dance to, particularly funk and soul,” Todd says of those early compositions. “The interaction of the band and the response from the audience has grown my love for performing upbeat, danceable tunes.”

Choose Your Own Adventure was released by independent Toronto label Do Right! Music, and garnered critical acclaim for its breadth of sonic technique and eclectic production. For Todd, her debut record presented a number of exciting possibilities.

“ Its summery aesthetic and groovy horns compliment the blooming of a new season aptly, while its patchy neo-soul elements bring varied instrumentation and tone to the disc.

“It was a chance to get my bearings in the studio and with arranging,” she says. “I was really fortunate to create super fun videos for CYOA tracks like Heart Throb, Aerobics in Space and Summer Sounds. The first album really started my fan base.”

Developing that base led Todd to performances across the world. Sharing the stage with such soul artists as Lee Fields and Janelle Monáe, rapper Aloe Blacc and Afrobeat outfit The Budos Band, she’s now turning heads once again with her sophomore record, Escapology.

Since its release in early April, the ten track collection has exploded on airwaves from the UK to Japan, mostly to the credit of its infectious, radio-worthy singles, Baby’s Got It and Hieroglyphics.

Escapology is best described as disco-pop. Its summery aesthetic and groovy horns compliment the blooming of a new season aptly, while its patchy neo-soul elements bring varied instrumentation and tone to the disc.

It’s no wonder the album has received international airplay: it features a diverse set of nine tracks which perfectly adapt the listener to Todd’s flamboyant yet cultivated mind and spirit, all while familiarizing audiences with a contemporary spin on the sounds of the past. The critics love it, too. Exclaim says that it’s “Todd’s here-to-stay album,” while The Grid calls it “a brilliantly cohesive album… daring and delightful and deliriously entertaining.”

With that type of praise, you’ll want to catch Todd before she’s selling out arenas.

Published in Volume 67, Number 26 of The Uniter (May 29, 2013)