by Matt Dixon, June '07

1. Please introduce yourself
Laura A. Barrett, BA - aka LABBA. Incidentally, the labba is also a kind of edible guinea pig. Coincidence? I hope so...

2. What is your musical background?
A mixture of my mum's favourite melodies from the seventies--XTC, Joni Mitchell, Steely Dan, Kate Bush, Harry Nilsson--with solid chunks of musico-theoretical training on the piano, topped with sprinkles of art- and math-rock (Thingy, Rheostatics, Solex).

3. When did indie/folk/whatever come into play?
Fairly recently - when I was a university student, I didn't go to shows often and wasn't sure whether I'd ever perform my own music in front of people. It took a Weird Al tribute at a comfortable tiny bar (R.I.P. the Bagel) to give me the confidence to try out something halfway between bedroom mumblings and fully-fledged solo shows. That was in August 2005, and the following months saw the Weird Al tribute become a monthly themed night, for which I wrote original songs (those became my Earth Sciences EP). Since then I've joined other people's bands, to balance out the oddness that is solo performance.

4. How would you describe your solo music to someone that has yet to hear it?
Water and metal and wood and cynicism but also hope!

5. How did you happen upon the Kalimba? What inspired you to focus on
it for your solo work?
I wish I had a more exciting story, but I truly did just happen upon it; I was looking for MIDI controllers on eBay, because I was writing electronic music at the time, and somehow thumb pianos appeared in my search results. After winning a kalimba and playing with it every day, melodies suggested themselves to me, and I tried to keep up lyrically! As for focusing on the kalimba... it's actually helped me to focus, period. My electronic and piano music tend toward clutter, whereas I write much more concisely for the kalimba, even when I go into trance mode. Our voices fit nicely with each other, and the two of us are both pretty portable, so if you were playing match-maker with me and any instrument, it would probably wind up being the kalimba. I will eventually incorporate more instruments into my set, but for now I use bass pedals on some songs and Ajay plays glockenspiel, and we try to provide a magical, sparkling, regenerative aural feast for our audiences! (mental goblets are provided free of charge)

6. What is it that drives you to play music?
I've been writing music in some form or another since I was six, and I generally can't pass an instrument without trying to play it. It's such a natural medium of expression for me, it's hard to examine the process in great detail, but I'm sure it's got something to do with magic spells and childbirth.

7. What are some things you try to communicate through the music?
I have a lot of vague fears about the future being worse than the present, so I try to explore those concepts in song. I also have a weakness for mind-body dualism, so a lot of my songs are (indirectly) about the dissonances between two realities or modes of perception.

8. When do you think the best moment to listen to a Laura Barrett record is?
Vernal equinoxes, syzygies, that time when you're spinning, right
before you get dizzy.

9. What is your favorite dance party song?
Anything by Woodhands!

10. What can we expect from you in the future?
I have a second EP coming out now-ish, on Ta Da! Records - it's called "Ursula" and it includes a video for Robot Ponies. And I'm currently on a little east coast jaunt (I'm writing this answer from a hostel in Montreal), but when I get back to T.O, my summer gets even busier, since I'm involved in both the Toronto and New York Fringe Festivals.

In Toronto, I'm performing in and co-writing "Heartjob," with two fellow Adorables and three lovely comedians; in New York, I'm the musical director of Maggie Macdonald's rock opera, "The Rat King." Exciting times!

11. How can peoples contact with you?
For now I have pages on MySpace (myspace.com/laurabarrett) and the CBC Radio 3 site (radio3.cbc.ca/bands/LAURA-BARRETT), but laurabarrett.net will be ready by the end of the year. You can also get in touch with me by e-mailing me at laurabarrettmusic (at) gmail dot com.

I also play in Henri Faberge´ & the Adorables and we're coming out east again in September, so if you like party pop music, stay tuned for that! I don't know when the Hidden Cameras are touring Canada again, but hopefully I'll be around and available to play with them then.

12. Final words?
See you soon!