Basia Bulat‘s powerful voice and lively song writing can both inspire the imagination and heart rate of her listener. Her second full length Heart Of My Own was released on January 26th in Canada on Secret City Records with glowing accolades from critics and contemporaries complimenting her accomplishment. I caught up with her over a phone call to New York where she was spending a week to promoting the American release of the record on Rough Trade. The album is available in stores across Canada, online and through iTunes.
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Your voice is stronger on this record, how has it developed since the last album?
I definitely think I’m a stronger singer on this record. I have spent a lot time getting in touch with… singing is a really physical thing, so I’ve been really lucky because I have a voice coach that I study with when I get a chance to go back to London. There is an opera teacher there by the name of Rachel Mallon who is really wonderful. She has helped me so much to become a better singer. It gives you more a lot more paint to paint with, in a way. But that’s something that I have been working on for a very long time as an instrument.
Your music is very whimsical, where does that come from when you’re writing?
It’s very hard to know where songs come from, I’m just grateful that they still come. It’s really hard to say because the way I write songs is different every time.
The record has a really warm sound. Did you get that from playing as a band in a room or was it brilliant mixing?
Well, the record, a lot of it was done to tape. Obviously recording to 2 inch tape is a little bit old fashioned but it also necessitates that you play as much together as possible. That’s how a lot of my favourite records are made and I think that it gives a little bit of warmth to the record in that way. It sounds a little more human I guess, in really subtle ways. Records recorded digitally can also sounds really warm… they just achieve it in different ways.
With the launch around the corner, are you happy so far with the reception?
Yah, yah. I’m just feeling really great to let it go out into the world and find it’s place or other people will try to put it in a place, which I’m okay with as well. I’m just feeling really peaceful about it.
What’s on your plate for your week in New York?
I’m here to do a bunch of promo and press, and then I have a show at the end of the week.
How is the American reception of the album?
The States has been really great actually and the past couple times I’ve toured here has been wonderful. Just being here to do all sort of different promo stuff has been really nice. I’m really grateful that people like the album.
What are you looking forward to in the next 6 months?
Really and truly to be able to get back out on the stage again and to be able to go from coast to coast across Canada will be really fun. Some of these venues that I’m getting to play I’m just really excited about. It’s just a real privilege to be able to do that. It’s just what I love to do, so to be able to play these songs for people… it’s just a dream. I’m really lucky that I get to do that.
“Go On” – from Heart of my Own
Upcoming Tour Dates
February 4th 2010 – The Aeolian Performing Arts, London, ON
February 5th 2010 – Highwayman Inn, Orillia, ON
February 6th 2010 – Hillside Inside at the Sleeman Centre, Guelph, ON
February 7th 2010 – The Casbah, Hamilton, ON
February 10th 2010 – St. Matthew’s United Church, Halifax, NS
February 12th 2010 – L’Astral, Montreal, QC
February 13th 2010 – First Baptist Church, Ottawa, ON
February 25th 2010 – West End Cultural Centre, Winnipeg, MB
February 27th 2010 – Amigo’s, Saskatoon, SK
March 2nd 2010 – Central United Church, Calgary, AB
March 3rd 2010 – Starlite Room, Edmonton, AB
March 5th 2010 – St. James Hall, Vancouver, BC
http://www.basiabulat.com/
http://www.myspace.com/basiabula
Interview by Meaghan Bent
Tags: Music