After a whirlwind 2007 with the release of her demo-EP “Fresh Airâ€, Mary Kastle’s musical voice is starting to prick some ears. Following two Canadian tours and significant critical acclaim, 2008 found her receiving a FACTOR demo award to start laying the foundations for a full-length studio debut. “Another Swing†is the culmination of that effort - a 4-song EP co-produced with long-time collaborator Paul Shatto that showcases her best songwriting to date.
“Another Swing†embodies Mary’s conceptual approach of bridging the divide between jazz and contemporary pop songwriting. Like chapters in a sonic novel, every song captures a different scenario through sound, colour, and lyric. The opus kicks off with the grinding reggae of Perfect all the Time, with its driving guitar riffs and lazy horn lines, which deliberates the struggles of being put down by your peers. Then the subtle groove of Secret Garden walks us into a dreamy reminiscence of two old lovers who meet randomly on the streets of New York. Down the Wire uses a schizophrenic distorted piano intro to tap into the paranoia of a 21st century fatalistic society, while Fresh Air, the final movement of the suite, gives us a soft landing with its gently prodding chorus and harmonies reminiscent of Wayne Shorter and late era Miles Davis.
Since graduating with her Bachelors of Jazz Studies in Piano from Capilano College, Mary has found herself most at home on the genre-bending fringes of both the jazz and roots circuits and has been deftly building up a following around her hometown of Vancouver, BC. She’s embraced all aspects of the music business and having landed a job as Label Manager at the indie roots label Black Hen Music, has been using her knowledge to develop her own label Star.Bird.Music. in preparation for her 2009 full-length debut. The forthcoming project will be produced by Juno-Award winning avant-folk producer/guitarist Steve Dawson and released in Canada through Festival Distribution. Mary will tour extensively throughout North America and Europe in support of this recording.
For more information or to listen and purchase “Another Swing†please visit www.marykastle.com and/or www.myspace.com/marykastle.
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