Kathryn Calder
Kathryn Calder at a solo show in 2011
Kathryn Calder at a solo show in 2011
Background information
Born (1982-06-17) June 17, 1982 (age 41)[1][2][3]
OriginVictoria, British Columbia, Canada
Instrument(s)Vocals, keyboard, accordion, guitar
Years active2003–present
LabelsMint, Matador, Last Gang,
File Under:Music
Member ofThe New Pornographers, Frontperson
Formerly ofImmaculate Machine

Kathryn Jane Calder (born June 17, 1982) is a Canadian indie rock musician, who performs as a solo artist, and is a member of the bands The New Pornographers and Frontperson. She is a former member of Immaculate Machine. Calder started with The New Pornographers by filling in for Neko Case for live performances and was made a permanent member in 2006.[4]

Biography

Calder is the niece of fellow The New Pornographers member Carl Newman.[5] Calder explained in a 2007 interview: "My mom was adopted as a baby and about ten years ago she found her birth family and Carl is in her birth family. At that time I was a teenager and playing in a band and didn't really know I had that family ... so that's how I met Carl."[5]

She was a member of Immaculate Machine from 2003 to 2011, releasing three albums and an EP with that band.[6]

Her first solo album, Are You My Mother?, was released on August 3, 2010 (Canada) and August 10, 2010 (United States), with a digital release date of June 28, 2010.[7][8] The album was named after the children's book with the same name. It was recorded when Calder was caring for her sick mother, and the project was put on hold when her mother died of Lou Gehrig's disease.[4][9] The New Pornographers' 2010 release Together is dedicated to the memory of Calder's mother.[4]

Calder released her second album, Bright and Vivid on October 25, 2011.[2][10] Superchunk drummer Jon Wurster, Jesse Zubot and Ford Pier are some of the guests on the album.[10] The album was named as a longlisted nominee for the 2012 Polaris Music Prize on June 14, 2012.[11]

In July 2012, Calder accepted an offer for a documentary about her life, called A Matter of Time. It was produced by the Yellow Bird Project and released in 2016. The movie touches on how she met Newman and her mother's death from ALS, as well as including some live performances from The New Pornographers, Immaculate Machine, and Kathryn herself as a solo artist.[12]

Calder donated her vocal talent to the end credits song from the film, A Dog Named Gucci, in the song One Voice, which also features the talents of Norah Jones, Aimee Mann, Susanna Hoffs, Lydia Loveless, Neko Case, and Brian May. It was produced by Dean Falcone, who also wrote the film's score. One Voice was released on Record Store Day, April 16, 2016, with profits from the sale of the single going to benefit animal charities.[13]

In 2018, Calder formed the band Frontperson alongside Mark Andrew Hamilton of the band Woodpigeon, releasing the album Frontrunner that year.[14] Parade, the duo's second album as Frontperson, was released in April 2022.[15]

In 2019 Calder became the artist in residence for the City of Victoria.[16]

She is married to record producer Colin Stewart.[17]

Discography

Solo

The New Pornographers

Immaculate Machine

Frontperson

References

  1. ^ "The New Pornographers live at Terminal 5". Archived from the original on 27 August 2011. Retrieved 1 July 2012.
  2. ^ a b Usinger, Mike (13 July 2011). "Kathryn Calder is an unlikely indie pop star". Georgia Straight. Retrieved 14 July 2011.
  3. ^ Bialas, Michael (25 October 2011). "Guitar Heroine: Kathryn Calder Living the Bright and Vivid Dream". The Huffington Post. Retrieved 30 October 2021.
  4. ^ a b c Devlin, Mike (28 April 2010). "The New Pornographers Together again". Archived from the original on 3 June 2010. Retrieved 6 July 2010.
  5. ^ a b Douglas, Rachel (14 November 2007). "Immaculate Machine's Kathryn Calder pulls double duty with 'New Pornographers'". ClevelandLive.com. Retrieved 23 June 2010.
  6. ^ Hughes, Josiah (11 February 2011). "Immaculate Machine Call It a Day". Exclaim!. Archived from the original on 8 January 2012.
  7. ^ Hughes, Josiah (26 May 2010). "Kathryn Calder Takes a Break from New Pornographers, Immaculate Machine to Release Solo Debut". Exclaim!. Archived from the original on 29 July 2012.
  8. ^ "Are You My Mother? digital album now available!". File Under: Music. Archived from the original on 24 November 2016. Retrieved 6 July 2010.
  9. ^ Marchand, Francois (3 August 2010). "For Kathryn Calder, home is where your mom is". The Vancouver Sun. Archived from the original on 2010-08-05. Retrieved 5 August 2010.
  10. ^ a b Adams, Gregory (18 August 2011). "Kathryn Calder Returns with 'Bright and Vivid,' Premieres New Track". Exclaim!.
  11. ^ Mudhar, Raju (14 June 2012). "Polaris Prize long list includes lots of Toronto bands". Toronto Star. Retrieved 30 October 2021.
  12. ^ Devlin, Mike (10 July 2016). "Film chronicles death of a loved one". Times Colonist. Retrieved 11 July 2016.
  13. ^ Tribbey, Ralph (19 March 2016). "Filmmaker Gorman Bechard's A Dog Named Gucci To Make Its DVD Debut On Apr. 19". DVD & Blu-Ray Release Report. Retrieved 12 April 2016.
  14. ^ Eric R. Danton, "Frontperson: Frontrunner". Paste, September 18, 2018.
  15. ^ Mark Redfern, "Frontperson Share Video for New Song 'Ostalgie (Für C. Bischoff)'". Under the Radar, March 15, 2022.
  16. ^ "MEET & GREET: Kathryn Calder, Victoria's new Artist in Residence". City of Victoria. 12 July 2019. Archived from the original on 26 September 2019. Retrieved 26 September 2019.
  17. ^ Alan Ranta, "Kathryn Calder and Woodpigeon Are an Immaculate Machine on Frontperson's 'Parade'". Exclaim!, April 29, 2022.

External links

The New Pornographers
Immaculate Machine
Authority control databases
Categories