Vancouver, BC-based folk singer-songwriter, Piper Cole will be releasing her sun-soaked, pop-tinged debut EP, Wildish on July 5, 2019. She has recently released the EP’s first single, “Bones” with an official music video.
“Bones” accounts Piper Cole’s personal journey towards striving for authentic self-expression amidst the internal limitations and barriers so intrinsic to being human. The compelling music video for ‘Bones’ was created in collaboration with local director Casey Kowalchuk and flamenco dancer, Michelle Harding.
“I am drawn to flamenco as an intensely expressive art that boldly confronts raw emotionality and uses it to create beautiful authentic art,” says Cole. “I felt it was the perfect fit to visually represent ‘Bones’ as the song explores inner oppression and resistance and the fight to be heard and seen. The flamenco dancer translates emotions into movements and makes the powerful statement through percussive sounds to ‘claim your space’.”
Check out the video below and find out more about Piper in our Five Questions With segment.
Care to introduce yourself to our readers?
I’m a long time singer-songwriter just stepping out with my first commercial EP release ‘Wildish’. I trained as a classical singer over 20 years ago and dabbled in jazz performance but my heart has always been in electro-folk songwriting and sound design. I remember being mesmerized by Kate Bush as a kid in the 80’s. I love creating music with bold melodies and interesting textures that combine traditional instruments with sound design.
Tell us a bit about your music and writing style.
I use Logic Pro X to create different grooves on the synths until I find one that inspires me. Then I create a song around that initial design idea. I love irregular time signatures and unconventional shifts in harmonies. Honestly, I feel the songs just come into being through some mysterious process that I just have to tap into. I am a clinical hypnotherapist as well and regularly use trance states to open to the creative flow. If I push too hard or get too in my head about the process it just doesn’t work. I have had to really learn to let go as a composer, so in that way my music has been quite healing for me. I love lyrics that are atmospheric and poetic where the meaning is not always obvious. There is a moment in the healing process where a person experiences a slight destabilization (in a good way) that creates a mind state that helps integrate a new insight. Good poetry does this as well using a juxtaposition of words that cause you to pause, take it all in and reframe. I like to create lyrics like that.
Do you have any upcoming shows? For someone who has yet to see you live, how would you explain your live performance?
Yes, I will be doing a show in Vancouver at Trees Granville on June 28th. I’m a bit of an introverted performer and I love intimate spaces where there is an opportunity to connect with an attentive audience. It has been an interesting process building an acoustic set out of these songs that were created mostly electronically. I have some amazing musicians adding synth elements to blend with my acoustic guitar. I think the live set really showcases the songs in a new way – highlighting some of the melody and harmony nuances by stripping it right down.
If you were asked to suggest only one of your songs for someone to hear, which would it be?
That’s a tough one but I would have to say the title track ‘Wildish’. The meaning of that song really sums up the whole message of this EP. It is in reconnecting with our wildish nature (the source of ourselves free from the veils of conditioning) that we access wisdom, groundedness, creativity, inspiration, and vibrancy. We can become estranged from our true nature and there is a link between inner wildness and mental health. In ‘Wildish’, I am particularly speaking to women as the political current right now is so divisive. It is necessary for women to find their ground and rise up. Also, co-producer Daniel Klenner laid down some pretty driving drum tracks which sure make the song a foot tapper.
Canadian Beats is all about Canadian music, so who are your current favourite Canadian bands/ artists?
Oh, there are so many! If I had to narrow it down I must mention Feist who has been a big influence on me as a songwriter and guitarist over the years. I saw her play at the Vogue in Vancouver last year and she just rocked the effects pedals. The sublime vocal and guitar effects she creates gave me inspiration for some sound design ideas on this EP. I also must mention local Vancouver artist Kuri who is currently blowing my mind with his progressive songwriting and incredible drum grooves.