Halifax, NS-based artist, Keeper E. has released her debut album, The Sparrows All Find Food.
The lead single, “Please Don’t Tell Me“, begins with a quiet drone and gentle beat before a darker, more insistent synth arrives on the chorus: “You are so distracting,” she laments to an unnamed love.
“It’s about the very first stages of falling in love with someone,” she says, “and all the really good feelings that come with that and all the overwhelming feelings that come after that.”
Check out the album below, and find out more about Keeper E. via our Five Questions With segment.
Care to introduce yourself to our readers?
Hi! I’m Keeper E. / Adelle Elwood. I’m an indie-pop artist, and my first album is coming out on April 30th!! Last May, I graduated from Mount Allison University with a Bachelor of Music in piano performance and composition. Since then, I have been living in Halifax, NS making music and videos, working on releasing singles, and getting ready for the release of this album. I also love making visual art, mostly paintings, drawings, and photos. I also love baking and cooking, doing yoga, going on walks, teaching music, and looking at art. I love music so much and I feel so lucky that I get to make this stuff!!
Tell us a bit about your music and writing style.
My music is all self-produced and is a bit of a combination of lots of different genres. My production is inspired a lot by Sylvan Esso, Vampire Weekend, Rostam, and Porches, and my writing is inspired by Mitski, Maggie Rogers, and The National.
My production is very layered, with lots of different sounds and textures, simple drumbeats, and catchy, pop-inspired melodies. My writing is very diary-like; a combination of storytelling and big questions and ideas mixed together.
How have you been keeping creative during the Pandemic?
I’ve been trying not to put too much pressure on myself, but every few months, I do a month of daily songwriting based on writing prompts from the internet. Right now, I am doing daily songs from the #escapril prompts on Instagram. I’ve also been making several music videos and producing a few more songs. I’ve also had lots of time to just listen to new music. This is my first year not being in school, so I have lots of free time for music-related things.
If you were asked to suggest only one of your songs for someone to hear, which would it be?
I would suggest my latest single “Telling the Truth.” This song is about climate change and anxiety, which are both things I think about a lot. It doesn’t follow a normal song form and has a large dynamic and emotional range, and a good balance between literal images and metaphors.
Canadian Beats is all about Canadian music, so who are your current favourite Canadian bands/ artists?
I love lots of indie/folk/acoustic Canadian music: Leith Ross, Jenn Grant, Jennah Barry, Julie Doiron, Feist, Bahamas
My favourite more electronic/pop: Caribou, Daniel Caesar, waants, Andy Shauf, The Weeknd