As a staple of Toronto’s music community for years, if you were looking for a collaborator, musician Lydia Persaud was your go to. Now she’s stepping forward with her debut album and she leaves no mystery of her intent when it comes to the title. Let Me Show You, she says.
Released in May via Next Door Records, she’s bringing her new songs to the NAC’s Fourth Stage tonight. Ahead of the show, we had a chance to chat up her influences, putting the new album together and shifting from her work with wild cover band Dwayne Gretzky to this solo tour.
Andre Gagne: So, we are both Humber alumni. What was your experience at the college and what do you feel you most learned there?
Lydia Persaud: Amazing! I wish there was a cool Humber greeting that I could give you. If anything it would be “pssst, all the cool kids went to college and now we have jobs”.
Humber was pivotal in helping me build an amazing community of musicians and friends after moving to Toronto from Brampton. It was also at Humber that I got to dive deep into the world of jazz music and dense harmony, which has become a huge element of the music that I write now.
Now, if I understand, you were actually in the jazz program. It does seem your recent music has shifted into folk/popy. Any particular reason for the shift and do you plan to pursue jazz again in the future?
I did study jazz at Humber. Even though this music doesn’t live in the jazz genre, there are definitely elements of jazz in the writing and performance. That being said I feel like I’m pursuing folk, jazz, r&b and soul, and I will continue to mix all of the genres that I love.
Actually, now that I think about it, this new release also has a lot of soul. I gather you get a big kick out of genre hoping?
(laughs) I think it’s more that people really get a kick out of trying to put me in a genre box!
Many different genres have strongly impacted me throughout my life, and mixing them together has been a big part in me developing any type of sound for myself. I have no idea what the future holds.
What was your first introduction to soul music?
My first experience of hearing soul music and soulfull-ness for that matter was hearing Aretha Franklin’s voice.
One of my first tapes was DIVA’s Live VH1 from 1998. Aretha was featured alongside Mariah, Celine, Shania, Gloria and Carole, and Aretha’s voice WAS soul. It hit me so hard leading me to dig into her album Lady of Soul and Young Gifted and Black. Another pivotal album for me was Bill Withers Live in Carnegie Hall, that was the first time that I had truly heard a folk/soul artist as he played acoustic guitar and sang his folk songs with so much soul and conviction.
I’ve read that you also find your inspiration in the vocal stylings of musicians like Bill Withers, Donny Hathaway, Carole King and Stevie Wonder. What draws you to them as muses?
I would say their sincerity as singers. All of these singers are incredible writers and arrangers but I honestly believe that you need a good singer and a good song to make REAL magic, and all of these artist sing with such honesty.
Why has it been important to you to break stereotypes through your music?
Ever since I started performing, people wanted to feed into musical stereotypes based on the way that I look. Singer of colour = soul/r&b/hip hop etc. What’s been confusing is that I also really love those genres but I enjoy expressing my knowledge and love for folk/country/rock music.
Let Me Show You is a pretty impactful statement as a title for a first release. Was that the idea, sort of a let me show you what I can do kinda’ vibe?
Let Me Show You came from the title track on the album. The song is based on the sentiment of opening conversations in hopes to understand each other and fill the divide of differences and fear. Let Me Show You says, “let me show you that we CAN connect and that I’m not the stereotype that you want to put me in, I’m so much more”.
What pieces had to fall into place for you to get to that first release milestone? I imagine turning over that finished product must have felt really good.
The moments leading up to releasing the album were life changing for me. I have been and continue to participate in different musical projects, and I’ve been fighting to feel free and as though I am finally making music for myself. The moment I released the album, I really realized how each moment in my life has been connected to help me to get to where I am. I wouldn’t have been able to write or record or release anything without the journey that I’ve been on through music. Breaking free of other musical projects and making space for myself has been exciting, scary and will continue to develop over time.
How did you approach these new songs in the studio and what, would you say, were some of the more rewarding aspects in breathing life into them during the recording sessions?
When I read “breathing life into them” I immediately think of the band that I had the honour of working with. Before bringing the songs to the band, I was either working on them on my own or workshopping them with producer and bandmate Robbie Grunwald. Making the demos before recording and bringing Mike Ardagh (drums) and Dean Droulliard (guitar) into the picture made these songs come alive. These musicians are all incredibly tasteful and have an amazing knowledge of sounds and all of the genres that we’ve been combing.
Can you share what Robbie Grunwald brought to the table?
Robbie and I met playing in a wedding band called The Universal Boogie Band in 2012. We played weddings together for about 4-5 years. At the time I had no idea how immersed Robbie was in the Canadian music scene, especially in the folk scene. We almost worked together in 2014, but I felt like my songs weren’t ready. I am so thankful for the love and energy that Robbie put into this album. His influence on the musical aesthetic of this music, recording everything to tape and staying true to that process was so important and special.
Now, while I admit I have not seen you perform yet solo (can’t wait, though!), I have seen you a few times with Dwayne Gretzky. How did you get involved with this wild cover band?
In 2016 I subbed in for one of the Big Shiny Dwayne shows (our ode to 90’s music) and the rest is history 🙂
How do you shift gears when hitting the road with them as opposed to your solo tour?
Think 9 less people, really intimate shows verses huge rock venues and a lot of me singing my own songs haha, totally different.
What most excites you when it comes to introducing this music to new audiences?
I’m excited to see how people connect with it. I hope it starts conversations, opens minds, just makes people feel something really!
