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Second homeward
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Like a perfectly executed choreography for a large ensemble cast, Basia Bulat’s collusion of quaint folk, orchestral pop and intimate singer-songwriter styles enliven her songs with such ease that it never sounds laborious. The organic flow of her compositions can be credited, at least in part, to being born into music. “I remember being completely enchanted with the grand piano,” says Bulat. “It’s one of my earliest memories, playing ‘Mary Had a Little Lamb’ with a really kind older gentleman—he would play one note and I had to play the same note after him. My mom tells me I was three or four, and they were trying to assess whether I had the mental concentration to take music lessons at that age.” She passed that test, pleasing her mother, a piano teacher herself, and instilling in Bulat a profound attachment to making music. In her late teens, Bulat’s own compositions came to light on a dare of sorts—after listening to her complain about other musicians, claiming that she could do better, a friend surreptitiously booked her as the opening act for Julie Doiron in London, Ontario, where Bulat was attending university. Over two weeks, she rushed to assemble a band, compose new songs and rehearse, rehearse, rehearse. The experience may have been a shock to the nerves, but she’s forever grateful for her friend’s imposition. “He really believed in me, which is an amazing thing,” she says. “That’s why I ended up making a record in the first place, because of all these songs, and I had so many friends and family that I wanted to share them with. I called it Oh My Darling for all these people who are dear to me. It was really special, how it all developed, and I’m not sure it can ever happen again in quite the same way, but hopefully this next record will still be a bit of a family affair.” With her brother Bobby on drums, that’s a given. But Bulat also includes, in her extended family, a certain Howard Bilerman, who not only produced Oh My Darling at Hotel 2 Tango, but helped her secure a deal with Rough Trade Records for distribution overseas (Hardwood, founded by fellow Toronto singer-songwriter Hayden, is her Canadian label). “I think [Bilerman] was pretty much talking about me to anybody who would listen,” says Bulat, thankful for the support from one of the city’s most celebrated producers. “It’s definitely an honour.” Perhaps it goes without saying that Bilerman will helm her next album, already half written and ready to be recorded in the weeks following her show on Saturday. “I just keep coming back to Montreal for some reason,” says Bulat, who’s currently based in Toronto but considers herself bi-provincial, and may very well settle here one day. She lived in town during the summers of 2005 and 2006, learning French at U of M and working at Movieland in La Cité on the side, and recorded her debut record during the intervening winter. “I have a lot of friends who have been kind enough to let me stay on their couches, and maybe overstay my welcome. But I always have such a wonderful time there, I can’t wait.” WITH BURIAL SONG AT IL MOTORE ON |
