May. 26, 2010 - Issue #762: Timeland
Prevue
Digeridude
Aussie multi-instrumentalist returns to Edmonton
COOL AS ICE » Aussie songwriter Xavier Rudd says that life is cool / Kane Hibberd
"Vibe" is definitely a word that comes up often when talking about the Australian singer-songwriter, who maintains close ties with Canada. Currently on tour in the Great White North promoting his new album Koonyum Sun, Rudd will be bringing his smooth, heady brand of alt-folk to the Edmonton Event Centre.
Recorded with afro-reggae legends Izintaba in Australia, Rudd reveres the musical chemistry that brought the trio together.
"We met in Austria at a festival, and we had a really strong respect for one another, and it was really powerful. And now we're making really great music," he notes. "It's the most inspirational musical experience I've ever had, playing with these guys. We're making some great music. It's really cool."
While this is his first recording with Izintaba, the self-produced Rudd reveals that the recording of Koonyum Sun was business as usual, including most of the material, which he had finalized before entering the studio.
"The way I write is the way I've been writing since I was a kid—it is what it is. It's a fast process, it just flows out, I don't write anything down, I just let it come," he notes. "We kept [recording] pretty easy. Whatever came through that day, whatever was feeling we just played. We just took it easy, there's no real plan or formula; we just played when we were ready to play, we knock it out how it comes out. Usually we just do it live, spending some time building it live."
This on-the-spot creativity pervades Rudd's live show, since the multi-instrumentalist is known for his inspirational live sets where he incorporates aboriginal voices and guitars, and plays with as many as three didgeridoos on stage.
He also challenges his fans with socially conscious songwriting, from aboriginal rights and the environment to the humane treatment of animals, and has even been voted "world's sexiest vegetarian celebrity." While such accolades could serve as a distraction to the thoughtful, soft-spoken artist, Rudd continues to follow the road he's on after a decade of crafting intelligent, spiritually-aware music.
"I think it just feels like a new beginning for me, it's a new decade, I've been doing this for 10 years now, and I've had a lot of changes in my life. It's sort of like a new road ahead, and it's exciting. It's cool." V
Wed, Jun 2 (7 pm)
Xavier Rudd
With Justin Nozuka
Edmonton Event Centre, $46
Possibly related stories
vueweekly.com comments: powered by DisqusPrivacy Policy:
Vue respects your privacy. We will not forward your personal information to any other organization except as required by law, and will use your e-mail address only to respond to your comments. We reserve the right to edit and remove comments for length, clarity and/or if they are illegal or inappropriate. Your email address is never shown to visitors to vueweekly.com. Read the whole policy at: http://vueweekly.com/privacy
Comments policy
Comments go online directly without first being seen or reviewed by editors at Vue. Don't personally attack people, don't be defamatory, don't be spam-atory, don't hawk your band, don't pretend to be someone else, be clear, be on topic, be nice. Read our extended comments policy here. »
We use Disqus for our comments system. What's that all about?
We found that managing the comment community at Vue was easier to do with a system like Disqus. If this isn't straightforward to you, get help here.