Author: Evan Clarke

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Music

Whitney Feels the Love in Montreal

CHAI stuns and Whitney steals the show

Everyone sat up in anticipation as the opening group CHAI walked on stage of the Corona Theatre on Feb. 13. Four Japanese musicians with elaborate pigtails and matching pink outfits marched out to cheers from the audience as electronic music blared. CHAI burst into their set with high energy and choreographed dance moves. Their incredibly endearing stage banter and antics quickly won over the crowd. Lead singer Mana endeared herself even further by engaging the crowd in a monologue about body complexes and learning to accept yourself.

CHAI

After a short while, Chicago-based folk supergroup Whitney took to the stage as their intricate lighting set-up gleamed and “I Couldn’t Say It To Your Face” by disco-cellist Arthur Russell played. They assumed their positions and began their strong set with “Polly” from their first LP, Light Upon the Lake. Led by ex-members of the Smith Westerns and Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Whitney’s soul-tinged folk-rock is the listening equivalent to a walk through a park on a sunny day. Their first album propelled them to the top of festival headlines and their second and most recent record, Forever Turned Around, solidified them as a top-tier indie act.

Though the songs are written by singer/drummer Julien Ehrlich and guitarist Max Kakacek, the live set consists of seven members, some swapping instruments to suit the needs of the song. Forever Turned Around is a slightly more melancholic album compared to their first, and that is not a criticism. Their songs contain the same signature gorgeous melodies and arrangements that have earned Whitney comparisons to Bon Iver and The Band. With fewer upbeat tracks, their sophomore effort exhibits growth and maturity in their songwriting and arrangements.

This growth is apparent in their new live set. Moving up from small, packed venues to large, packed theaters, Whitney has surpassed their status as indie darlings to bonafide indie rock stars. Ehrlich’s arms flew around the drum kit as he sang sweet and sorrowful lyrics—the audience sang along while Kakacek’s George Harrison-esque guitar licks added to the beautiful swell of the band’s sound.

Julien Ehrlich on drums.

Towards the end of the set, Ehrlich came clean and stated that “it’s 2020, we need be more upfront with each other” as he informed the audience of the brief break the band would take instead of the classic game of disappearing off stage only to reappear to the stomping and clapping of the audience. Whitney’s set was heavy on songs from their first album, but the audience’s favourite was “Giving Up” from the band’s most recent one.

Before their last song, a cover of Dolly Parton’s “Gonna Hurry (As Slow As I Can)”, Ehrlich placed his hand over his heart and thanked the audience for a particularly emotional evening. The audience returned the sentiment with a standing ovation, ensuring that Whitney felt the love.

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Music

Raven talks inspiration, performing live, and her new EP

Photo by Laurence BD

Hot off the release of her second EP Some Kind of Solace, Raven sips a pint of Guinness as she talks about the musical journey that led her to Montreal.

Being from Invermere, a small town in the Rockies, she talked about her life in the mountains.

“I grew up on a small cabin homestead in the woods, definitely a sort of hippy upbringing which is reflected in my full name – Raven Juniper Winona Jane Hart-McAllister,” she said as she laughed, “I definitely didn’t have a shortage of artist names to choose from.”

Raven began her career by playing covers of folk and country songs – the types of songs commonly heard in her mountain town of 3,000 people. It wasn’t until her parents introduced her to the musical stylings of Norah Jones, Morcheeba and Billie Holiday that Raven found her niche.

My voice didn’t suit folk or pop covers, they just ended up sounding more jazz and soul than I intended – my voice led me to the direction I’m going in now.”

From the age of five, piano and singing recitals were a regularity for Raven. This resulted in a deep love for performing. Taking a quick sip of her stout, she mentioned that her “favourite part of the entire process is performing.” This is not surprising considering her performance at the Some Kind of Solace release party in an Old Port graphic design office turned, intimate, dimly lit music venue.

With the help of her band, Raven confidently took the audience through the entirety of the new EP, granting the audience’s request for an encore of her single “E.T.A.” Pink lights lit the stage while Raven swayed to the beat, the saxophone player adding an element of depth to the music that filled the space. Her love for fashion and stage aesthetics helped create a dreamscape in which the audience was enveloped, as the neo-soul songs grooved through the Old Port space.

After highschool, Raven travelled the globe before returning home and beginning work on her first EP Illusions with her childhood best friend, Moneo. Although she did not have the ability to record while moving from country to country, Raven believes that the experiences heavily influenced her songwriting and helped her find her voice. After three years of country-hopping, Raven found herself back in Invermere, unsure what to do next. This is when she and Moneo decided to put those emotions and experiences into Illusions. This gave her insight into the writing and recording process – insight which would be used to improve her songwriting and enabled her to hone her craft before heading east.

Shortly upon arriving in Montreal in 2017, Raven met producer and partner Fabrice Jean. Together, they spent hours in their home studio in the Mile End, writing and producing her most recent work. With a love for R&B, jazz, and soul, the duo worked tirelessly on the recent batch of songs, some of which include lyrics that were directly influenced by the recording process. In “Golden Hour,” the first track off the new EP, Raven sings of spending a scorching hot summer day in Jean’s tiny, studio apartment, where the “bed touched the fridge and it was chaotic, but something about it was really special.” 

Throughout all of the songs on the EP is Jean’s impeccable production that draws influence from multiple genres, seamlessly blending them in a unique mix, which provides the perfect soundscape for Raven’s voice. Although all of the music was produced in the home studio, the lead vocals were recorded at Celine Dion-frequented Piccolo Studios in Montreal, where the new environment inspired some of Raven’s best takes.

“Sonically, I felt like I was finally creating stuff I really liked and wanted to share it and to keep up that creative momentum Fabrice and I had going for Some Kind of Solace,” she said as she finished off the pint.

Graduating from Concordia’s Communications program this year, Raven is looking forward to having more time to put towards her music. With a new single ready for release this month, and an album release show in Quebec City on Dec. 6, Raven has a busy schedule ahead.

“I have no intention of slowing down,” she said. “Actually, quite the opposite.”

Judging by the quality of the most recent EP and the response to her live shows, it’s safe to say that she is one to keep an eye on.

 

Photo by Laurence B.D.

Categories
Music

Black Midi make it look easy

Photo by Cecilia Piga

Black Midi impress with their musical chops, leaving the crowd wanting more

“I just want to get the energy right,” said Brooklyn-based MC Fat Tony as he waved a stick of burning Palo Santo around the stage. Standing on the monitor he engaged the crowd and took them on the journey which was his set. His hands flew back and forth from his laptop to his turntable, to one of the two microphones he was using, employing his incredible MC abilities as he showed the diversity of his music.

The Houston native flew through his songs, some of which sampled music from many different genres – from fast-paced punk to Texas country and 80s pop. Shortly after performing a song about his decision to eat healthy, Fat Tony left the stage to the cheers of the satisfied audience.

Casually strolling onto stage, Black Midi picked up their instruments and immediately thrashed away while the pink and blue lights strobed over the energized crowd. For a band of twenty-somethings, the complexity and musical prowess of Black Midi is mind-blowing and sets an extremely high precedent for other bands. Based out of London, England, Black Midi were formed while the members attended Brit School, the school responsible for celebrated alumni Adele, Amy Winehouse, and Tom Holland, to name a few. 

Photo by Cecilia Piga

The Mercury Prize-nominated band wasted no time and controlled the stage as they performed “Near DT, MI.” Bassist Cameron Picton recited the sparse lyrics while the band played softly; the audience anticipating the next change. A quick pause, and the wall of sound began as they wailed on their instruments and the bassist screamed into his microphone, while a young man climbed onto the stage and perfectly timed his stage-dive. Guitarist and lead vocalist Geordie Greep prowled the stage as he sized up the audience, his hands flying over the fretboard and strings.

After a quick finish to the song, Black Midi diverged into what they do best: jamming. Drummer Morgan Simpson held the gaze of the other band members while they read each other for signals of where they would be headed next. The intense instrumental blended seamlessly into “Speedway,” the second track off their debut album Schlagenheim.

Their musical abilities were on full display; particularly Simpson’s drumming. In 2014 he was awarded the “Young Drummer of the Year” award, and it was clear that night that it was well earned. His hands flew across the set, often so fast that they appeared blurred. When lead singer Greep wasn’t gracing the crowd with his unique croon, he was directing the band using his arms, to indicate where the dynamics of the music should go next – arms up for louder and arms down for quieter. 

Lead guitarist Matt Kwasniewski-Kelvin resembled a young Jonny Greenwood as he bent over his guitar and shredded the ear-drums of the audience with his fast and powerful strums.

Black Midi took the crowd through the better part of Schlagenheim, filling the rest of the set with instrumentals and their 2019 single “Talking Heads.” It would appear that Fat Tony’s energy cleansing technique did its job. The energy was just right, and Black Midi performed as well as expected, leaving the crowd chanting for more.

 

Photos by Cecilia Piga

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