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Jennifer Castle with Kris Ellestad
Cantos Music Foundation
Saturday, October 1 - Saturday, October 1

More in: Rock / Pop

At once austere and emotionally volatile, the acoustic artwork of Toronto-based vocalist and guitarist Jennifer Castle is the perfect acquisition for indie boutique record label Flemish Eye. Joining labelmates Braids, Women and fellow troubadour-crooner Chad VanGaalen on the company’s small but impressive roster, the avant-garde chanteuse is reportedly having the time of her young life.

“It just seems to be the way things are going for me these days, but I’m having more fun with singing than ever before,” says an enthusiastic Jennifer Castle.

“This new album feels pretty connected to work I’ve been doing over the last while, but it’s definitely different to have something released solely under my own name. I’m often asked if this feels like a true debut and I suppose it does in terms of expressing my level of confidence in stepping out from the monikers of my previous affiliations. I believe the strength of this record is based in the work itself. I really wanted to put the emphasis on Jennifer Castle.”

Marking the eccentric pop-folk princess’s third solo outing, Castlemusic borrows its title from an imaginary realm of the singer’s creation. A twisted urban-fable that grew in the telling, this modern fairy tale has the added distinction of being Castle’s premier effort under her own name. For the past few years, she has been making music under the name of Castlemusic, resulting in two albums over the course of about five years — from first café appearance to final record.

“It was a great way to gain experience; I don’t have musical education. I just picked up the guitar 10 years ago and started writing songs right away. I’m pretty stubborn with my music; I want to make it happen regardless of what’s going on around me. That may sound like a non-collaborative attitude, especially in a studio situation, but when I know something’s right I know it in a million ways.”

As much in demand for her flawless sense of timing as that certain sense of je ne sais quoi she brings to any affair, Castle’s talents have been sought after by Canadian rock royalty the Constantines for their album Kensington Heights, as well as fellow musicians Eric Chenaux, Ryan Driver, Doug Paisley and Wooly Leaves. A true testament to her reputation as a professional accompanist, Castle was singled out by rabble-rouser Damian Abraham, frontman for the infamous experimental hardcore outfit Fucked Up, who persuaded Castle to appear on the band’s post-rock massacres Year of the Pig and David Comes to Life.

“It’s funny how life works,” Castle says. “Fucked Up approached me pretty much out of the blue and I wound up singing on a couple of their albums. They actually covered one of my songs, too!

“In the case of the Constantines, we were already friends when they approached me to do something more formal with them. We would see each other around and tour a little bit here and there, so we had a little bit deeper sense of collaboration.”

Her history of providing enhancement to some of the most significant contemporary Canadian art/alt rock albums to emerge in recent years has also affected Castle’s understanding of her own music. “For me, engaging fully in the process means being able to use your work ethic to create something truly remarkable. Working with such talented musicians helps me, as a singer, to recognize just how privileged I am to be in my own shoes and contributing to such wonderful records.”

Well received by concert-goers and contemporaries, Castle’s DIY genre-melding is ultimately best described by her own term, “Castlemusic.” A veteran of both the sound booth and the stage board, she simultaneously projects vulnerability and ferocity with her high, strident tones that, according to Castle, are a constant challenge to master.

Exchanging her ironclad work ethic for a pair of glass slippers, Castle’s latest foray into the limelight sees her return to the cornerstone of her foundation. Able to conjure memories of Kate Bush and Stevie Nicks in one breath, the pop-folk princess describes her state of mind as “trancelike” when she’s weaving her way through a super-biographical song diary that runs the gambit from the organic warmth of “Summer” to the stark reality of “Way of the Crow.” Repositioning herself as an artist and performer, Castle is preparing for a tour that will take her one-woman show westward across Canada, starting with an appearance at Pop Montreal.

“It’s been a little bit daunting returning to the experience of being a singular performer after six years of being in bands, but once you carve out a niche for yourself, there’s nothing like having that kind of space to represent where you’re coming from,” Castle says.

Coming straight from the soul and shooting from the hip, Castlemusic captures the thorny intimacy and lighthearted cynicism that has endeared the versatile singer-songwriter to folk, rock, country and blues fans alike. Engineered by Jeff McMurrich, each track maintains a polished yet live-off-the-floor vision that emulates the brooding and blazing pop and folk singers of bygone eras.

“I like to start with the bare bones; first and foremost my approach is that of a folk singer. If I’m going to sit on a stage with only a guitar or a piano between me and the audience, the songs I’m playing are going to have to resonate with me. Exploring one’s personal darkness with brutal honesty is as important a political statement as you can make.

“At the same time, I definitely want to convey an atmosphere of upbeatness and sheer joyfulness. Just because I love Robert Johnson and relate to blues doesn’t mean I can forget the relief and release that comes from making the most beautiful, prettiest and most delicate music I can right now.”