LUCIDMEDIA

LANGUAGE ARTS: FOLKSY PIXE-RAP FOR THE CHRONICALLY UNCOOL

Written by Jason MacNeil Wednesday, 17 March 2010 15:13

Indie-rocker Kirsten Cudmore developed her classical-meets-pop band, Language-Arts, from an unlikely place.

“At the time, I was working at a mental hospital actually, doing suicide watch,” she says from her Vancouver abode. “That was my job, and it got me a little bit down, so I started playing on my own.”

After overcoming a bout of shyness, relocating from Halifax to Whistler, and adding a deejay to flesh out the early hip-hop-flavored material, Language-Arts released their self-titled debut in 2007 and a “Small Run” EP in 2008. Yet Cudmore didn’t feel quite comfortable with that musical path.

Meeting fellow musician and multi-instrumentalist Gregor Phillips definitely helped Cudmore’s slightly more highbrow pop vision become a lo-fi reality.

“I had already said, ‘I don’t want to keep going in the direction that we’re going,’” she says.

“We both really enjoyed the same kinds of music, and had the same kind of idea for it. I had already written the songs, but I didn’t have someone behind me that could help me with the strings. He was doing exactly what I was hoping for.”

Language-Arts spent last fall touring Canada but are hoping to get back on the road supporting “Where Are You in the Wild?” with dates in March and visiting new markets later this year. Cudmore is also hoping to add some more permanent members to the group so touring won’t be as problematic.

“I love touring, I wish I could do it all the time but unfortunately you have to be able to find the time,” she says. “It’s all about sacrifices.”

For the complete interview with Language-Arts, check out the printed version of Lucid Media which may be found on the racks and shelves of your local bookstores.