Ché Aimee Dorval is a Canadian singer-songwriter from Vancouver. She released "Dorval" in 2006 and "Underachiever" in 2009. Her album "Between the Walls & the Window" was released in 2017.

Growing up in Vancouver, BC, Dorval says she took inspiration from artists as diverse as Nick Drake, Cocteau Twins, Alanis Morissette and Cat Power. She honed her skills played local club dates and busked around Europe before winning David Foster’s British Columbia Star Search competition in 2007. This led to an appearance at Foster’s yearly charity gala and the chance to write and record in L.A. with hitmakers Greg Wells (Rufus Wainright, Katy Perry) and Kara DioGuardi (Pink, Kelly Clarkson).

Dorval returned to Canada and released "Underachiever" in 2009. A short Eastern Canadian tour led to her settling in Toronto, where she became part of the local arts scene. Refreshed, she returned to her native Vancouver and caught the attention of legendary Rolling Stones producer/manager Andrew Loog Oldham, who offered her a contract and asked her to sing on his Rolling Stones Songbook Volume 2 album. Dorval’s rendition of “As Tears Go By” was declared “the coolest song in the world” by DJ Kid Leo on Sirius XM Radio.

By this time, Che had recorded with Devin Townsend (Strapping Young Lad, DTP Project) for his album Ki, laying the groundwork for their teaming up as Casualties of Cool. “We stayed in touch and eventually he asked me to write a late-night dark country record with him,” she recalls. “It was the most positive recording experience I ever had and it inspired me to start writing my own songs again.”

Casualties of Cool released their eponymous debut album in 2014, followed up by a highly successful UK tour that included a performance at London’s Union Chapel. In its review of the concert, Metal Hammer wrote that “Che was born with the ability to melt hearts with a single syllable.” Che and Devin reassembled two years later for an appearance at Ramblin’ Man Fair in Kent and a music video/interview for the YouTube series Dunlap Sessions.

Working with Devin inspired Dorval to relaunch her solo career. She supported the 2015 release of her EP Volume One with a 12-date UK tour opening for folk artist Kim Churchill. It proved to be a demanding but ultimately rewarding experience: “I had never gone through something like that before…I was completely alone and was insecure about playing my own songs. But I find that the most jarring experiences are the best chances to grow and learn. That tour made me stronger and more confident about what I can do.”

This confidence carried into the writing and recording of Between the Walls and the Window, her second full-length project. As producer, Che tapped studio veteran Shawn F. Cole (Yukon Blonde, You Say Party! We Say Die!, The Painted Birds), known for his feel for biting pop/rock textures and moody atmospherics. On these sessions, Dorval is augmented by such A-list players as longtime Neko Case guitarist Paul Rigby, bassist Darren Parris and drummer Daniel Ruiz.

Meanwhile, Dorval has been co-writing with in-demand producer Bob Rock (Bon Jovi, Aerosmith, The Tragically Hip, Michael Buble) on songs for an as-yet unnamed project. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.