Janet Strandquist - bio

Janet began her musical career in the basement of her family home in Surrey, singing with her three older brothers who had started their own rock band. She played clarinet in the Mary Jane Shannon high school band, but gave that up in favour of singing in the choir at North Surrey Senior High where she was a soloist and won awards.

When she was 17, her brothers taught her a few chords on the guitar and she started singing and playing the songs she loved. Her first and main influences were The Beatles and Joni Mitchell. In her late 20's while living in Victoria, Janet discovered karaoke which gave her the chance to hone her voice in public, winning a couple of contest in the process and building her confidence.

In Nanaimo in 1993, she sang in her first band, led by guitarist André Lamarre. After moving to Qualicum Beach in 1997, Janet started writing songs. She soon met Franc Charpentier, who got her started on the bass guitar (which had always been a dream of hers), and together they formed a band called Outta Line. Janet also had brief stints in other bands, and sang backup on several studio sessions at Bastion City Sound in Nanaimo.

Janet met Kerry Sameck in 2000 and became part of her band, where she met Peter. They began their collaboration in 2001 as Two of Us.