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Press
Huffington Post
'Ignite' Offers An Important Message To Those Suffering From Depression
by Howard Kerbel December 18th 2015
"We wrote "Ignite" as a message saying that the pain will pass and you can absolutely ignite your soul, no matter how bad it's gotten. I firmly believe that and I want to share that with every person going through depression or heartache."
Click Here to read the full article @HuffingtonPost
1st Prize Winner of the 2016
SOCAN Young Audio-Visual
Animation Award
for the animation short "Missing"
Click Here to View the full Article
2017
Exclaim!
by Daniel Sylvester September 26 2015
While To the North may be structured like your typical singer/songwriter release, Lora Bidner strives to make every moment of her sophomore LP bigger, broader and more ambitious. Blending an elegiac mix of guitar, ukulele, piano and orchestral strings, tracks like "I Awoke," "Ignite (featuring JustJamaal ThePoet) and the title track swell, sweep and expand organically and seemingly effortlessly, never feeling overwrought or obligatory.
On the album's softer moments, like the quirky "Author," jazzy "Understand" and tender "3,000 Volts," Bidner uses her dramatic vocal delivery, melodies and myriad of instruments to help cast a shadow of musical momentousness over the album. Bidner, a talented vocalist, instrumentalist and arranger, does a tremendous job at balancing each facet of her musical psyche, never having to lean on a single virtue or mode, allowing To the North to come off as moody as it is eclectic. (Independent)
Visit the Link @Exlaim!
Live Performance & Interview
CKCU 93.1 Special Blend
Thursday August 25th, 2016
with Brian Kom Price
(start at 33:50)
Interview at CKCU 93.1 Special Blend
Wednesday January 3rd, 2018
with Tic
Road Trip Magazine
by Kyla Clark October 24th 2015
1. Tell us about the new album! It’s been in the works for awhile now – how does it feel to finally have a finished product to give to the world?
I’m so excited to finally be releasing To The North! This album has been two years in the works, and before that, some of the music is even as old as 10 years since I wrote it. In a sense I was waiting for myself to mature until I felt really ready to produce an album to the quality I wanted and invest all the time and money into a professional release. I’m really happy with how the album turned out. The collaborations with the album artist Dom Laporte, with cellist Raphael Weinroth-Browne, JustJamaal ThePoet, and producer Dean Watson were exhilarating and it was an awesome experience to produce the music on the album.
2. You’ve been studying music in post-secondary for a few years now. How do you think this level of theoretical education has affected your music? Or has it?
I have gotten so much out of my education! While theory has provided me foundations and given me some confidence in having a deeper understanding in music, I write and think from my heart and intuition and not so much theoretically. I thought that by studying so much theory, and doing well, it would change the way I think about music, but for the most part (for better or for worse), I completely forget the theory behind my music and just go with what sounds good to me. Only later am I like “Ohhhh, that’s a sharp nine chord, nice.” The most important things I got out of my years in the Singer-Songwriting Program at Carleton University was getting to learn from the incredible professors, getting to take part in the awesome composition courses, getting to work one-on-one with vocal coach and mentor Giselle Minns, and meeting some unreal musicians in the program. I’m excited for where the next two years in the Masters of Music Technology at U of T take me.
3. How is the transition to Toronto treating you? Do you notice a big difference in the music community here?
I’m loving Toronto! I do notice a big difference here in Toronto compared to Ottawa. There’s so much more facility for creators and performers here in every medium of art. I am loving exploring the city and how there is always something going on. I also love how many creatives are here and how many people are doing it for a living! It’s inspiring! I’ve only been here since this September and have been really busy with school, the releases, and getting settled, so I haven’t gotten out as much as I’d like to, but I’m looking forward to meeting new people, collaborating and exploring more of the city.
Read the Full Interview @RoadtripMagazine
Ottawa South News
By Erin McCracken
Lora Bidner is as much a storyteller as she is a progressive folk singer-songwriter.
“That’s what I like to do,” said Bidner, a Canterbury High School grad and former Alta Vista resident.
“I really like … getting in the space of a character and writing about it. Most of the songs I write are less personal and more of a worldly aspect.”
Bidner’s creative talents are showcased on her first professional solo debut album, To the North, which will be officially released on Sept. 26 at LIVE! On Elgin.
On it, Bidner sings and plays piano, synthesizers,
vibraphone, ukulele, eight-string ukulele and percussion,
but piano tends to be her go-to instrument when an idea
arises. “I usually write as the mood strikes me,” she said,
adding that this can occur at all hours. “It usually happens
(when) I’m brushing my teeth at 2 a.m. and then I get an
idea and I run to the piano.”....
Read the full article @OttawaCommunityNews
Ottawa Showbox
by Maitland Shaheen January 23, 2016
To the North is Lora Bidner’s first album, but she’s no stranger to the local music scene. The Ottawa native has performed at Ottawa Folkfest and Musik Ottawa, and collaborated with local musicians such as Raphael Weinroth-Browne of Flying Hörses and The Visit, who accompanies Bidner on the record. The album contains nine tracks, including a collaboration with JustJamaal ThePoet in “Ignite.”
The Carleton University music program graduate is clearly a multi-talented artist, who plays piano, guitar, ukulele, and synth on top of her vocals. The album, which was produced entirely in Ottawa, is an impressive feat for a solo singer-songwriter. While the songs vary slightly in speed and tone, each track flows seamlessly into the next. The more upbeat songs have the modern folk vibe of Young the Giant or Of Monsters and Men, but produce a more earthy sound caused by prominent strings. The distinct presence of violin adds to the haunting elements of many tracks.
What’s most impressive of the record is Bidner’s ability to manipulate her voice to perfectly suit not only her accompaniments, but also her lyrics and the general tone of each individual song. She has a soft, eerie voice, similar to Béatrice Martin’s of Coeur de Pirate. While the record is definitely emotive, her singing is calming and helps to create a highly intricate album that remains perfectly whole. Bidner’s seamless collection of tracks feels both emotional and uplifting, that is sure to give any listener a cathartic musical experience
Visit the Link @Ottawa Showbox
Apartment 613
Written by Chrissy Steinbock on Friday September 25th, 2015
Ottawa-raised art-folk songwriter Lora Bidner launching album
I got in touch with Lora to talk about the making of the album, her influences and the backstory to some of the songs. Here is an excerpt from our conversation.
Apt613: How would you describe your sound for those
who have never heard Lora Bidner?
In so many words I would say it’s progressive, electronic art folk. Ok, so that’s like four words but a lot of people have said art folk, people have said progressive folk, and there’s a lot of electronic experimentation. It’s definitely an eclectic album. As an artist that’s my thing; every time I write something I want to do something new.
Who are some of your major influences and inspirations for this project, musical and otherwise?
Film is a big love of mine. I’ve always wanted to go into writing music for film. So movies and directors like the Coen Brothers and their films Fargo and No Country for Old Men. Their films have always inspired me and because I love film scores. I find film does translate into music for me, it’s the mood and it’s the style that I think has influenced my music in some way. Also, movies that are fantastical like the NeverEnding Story which I grew up on. The music’s also great in that.
And for other artists, Neutral Milk Hotel which is grungy folk. I love that album In the Aeroplane Over the Sea. All through high school I listened to it. I would say they definitely influenced me because I just love the eclecticism of that album and their experimentation and the rawness.
Are there any other major musical pillars for the project?
There’s three I always tell people: Florence and the Machine for the production values and the drums, the pulse of the drums and the epic-ness of those songs. Lana Del Ray, her album Ultraviolence. I love the mood of her music and I love the vocal reverb on Lana Del Ray’s voice so Dean and I listened to Lana Del Ray and we wanted to find a reverb that made my voice really nice and big and luscious like Lana Del Ray’s. So writing, when I was in high school I listened to a lot of Regina Spektor.
Tell me a little bit about the recording process for the album?
I did all the pre-production in my home studio and I did a lot of the synth work at home. So “To the North”, all the electronic stuff I did myself at my home studio and when we came into the studio I wanted to do a better job of it. For example on “Author” you hear a lot of beautiful reverb and ping pong delays. We experimented with cool echoes and we experimented with positioning things in different ways and panning. I really love panning. It’s the coolest type of production to put one instrument on one end and make it move to the other so when someone is listening there’s dimension to a song. When music is coming at you from one source it’s cool but when it moves to another point you feel like it’s alive.
What was the backdrop for the lyrics on this record?
Some songs are more just the reflection of the mood I was in. So “The Tide” I was on the beach in New York City babysitting my cousins and there was a gorgeous sunset in front of me and the tide was super strong and I just sat down and played my ukulele and “The Tide” came out and I just got really moody because the sky was this gorgeous pink going into purple going into blue and the ocean was kind of ominous and I just got in this mood and I wrote. Most of my songs are like that.
Do you have a favourite song on it, maybe one that resonates personally ort that’s really fun to play?
I really do like “The Tide.” I like how moody and eerie it is, especially playing with Raph, it’s really awesome. I also like “3000 Volts” because I love the feedback I get from it. Some people really get taken aback by it. And that’s cool because it’s a difficult subject matter and I always wonder what people are going to think and if they caught on to the lyrics.
Read the full article @Apt613
Le Droit
Yves Bergeras
Publié le 25 septembre 2015 à 00h00
L'Ottavienne Lora Bidner lancera son nouvel album, To the North, samedi soir au LIVE! on Elgin.
L'Ottavienne Lora Bidner lancera son nouvel album, To the North, samedi soir au LIVE! on Elgin.
Un disque folk orchestral vibrant, aux «paysages très cinématographiques», malgré son côté «progressif et expérimental», résume Lora Bidner, dont le ukulélé danse amoureusement avec le violoncelle et les violons. «On peut dire que c'est du "folk de chambre".»
Ce disque teinté de «mélancolie», au détour duquel on peut entendre un chant de baleines et dont «les subtilités s'apprécient mieux avec une paire d'écouteurs», la guitariste et son groupe (dirigé par un jeune violoncelliste inspiré, Raphael Weiroth-Brown) l'interpréteront dans son intégralité et dans l'ordre, car il «raconte une histoire».
To the North est un disque 100% ottavien, souligne fièrement Lora Bidner. Tous les musiciens sont issus de la capitale. Le disque a été enregistré dans le quartier Glebe, au Gallery Studio, avec Dean Watson, qui l'a coproduit. Même la pochette, joliment peinte, est l'oeuvre d'un artiste d'Ottawa, Dom Laporte, souligne-t-elle.
L'album sort sans étiquette. Vu la qualité du produit, on peine à croire qu'il a été autoproduit. Le site de sociofinancement PledgeMusic a permis à Lora Bidner de réunir 25% des fonds nécessaires au projet. «Ç'a a enlevé beaucoup de pression financière.» Tout le reste sort de sa poche.
«C'était difficile, mais ça m'a donné la liberté de faire exactement ce que je voulais», dit-elle sobrement.
Un projet de longue haleine, entrepris il y a plus de trois ans. Quoique certaines chansons, nettement plus vieilles, «remontent à l'époque où j'étais au secondaire», sourit la jeune femme, qui fêtera son 25e anniversaire... samedi, sur les planches.
Jeune, mais déjà acomplie. Lora Bidner a fait paraître un premier disque en 2008. La même année, elle remportait le Cappie award de la «Créativité» pour la trame de la pièce The Triangle Factory Fire Project. En 2010, elle recevait un prix Capital Youth Spirit of the Arts. En 2013, elle montait sur une scène du Bluesfest, au sein de feu le trio The Musettes.
La musicienne est aussi à l'aise au piano qu'à la guitare, et se débrouille plutôt bien aux percussions «mélodiques», comme le hang, dérivé du steeldrum.
L'animateur radio à CKCU (et fondateur du Festival folk d'Ottawa), Chris White, la considère comme «l'artiste émergente la plus intéressante et la plus prometteuse» qu'il ait rencontré.
Elle a composé les trames de multiples pièces de théâtre et films documentaires, entre autres projets parallèles.
Étrangement, «je ne me suis jamais perçue comme une artiste de scène [performer] mais comme une compositrice. J'aime la scène mais je ne l'ai jamais vraiment prise au sérieux. Sans doute parce que j'ai longtemps manqué de confiance en moi.»
Lora Bidner vient tout juste de déménager à Toronto, pour y entamer une maîtrise universitaire, dans la foulée du baccalauréat en musique décroché à l'Université Carleton
Read the full article @LeDroit
Listen to the Live Radio Broadcast with RAWdio (2014)
Apartment 613
May 7 2014
While Lora Bidner graced the stage of the Ottawa Bluesfest last year as part of the folk trio The Musettes, she’ll have the full spotlight on herself for this year’s Folk Fest. Lora’s music is what I call sophisticated folk – a singer songwriter using a range of instruments including the ukulele, hang drum and piano to elevate her beautiful voice.
Having finished an East Coast tour over the summer of 2013 alongside folk-rock band The Royal Streets, Lora performs frequently in Ottawa and involves herself in the local community. Over the years she has created music for a number of local plays, winning the Creativity Cappie Award in 2008 for her original score for the award-winning The Triangle Factory Project. Between playing countless live shows and completing her Bachelor’s of Music at Carleton University, she’s been writing and recording for a forthcoming album set to come out in the spring of 2015.
Lora Bidner plays Folk Fest Saturday, September 13.
Read the Full article @ Apt613.ca
Amanda Putz Picks: 4 shows to see in Ottawa-Gatineau
CBC Thurs, Feb 27, 2014
Upon first listening to Lora Bidner it wouldn't be off base to think you were hearing Basia Bulat in her early days. Lora Bidner is on track to one day be Ottawa's answer to that autoharp-wielding folk phenom. Perhaps you weren't among the lucky ones to buy tickets to Basia's sold-out show at the Sheep this weekend. Take in Miss Bidner instead.
Lora released a sparse demo-debut back in 2008 (which you can download for free on her site) but she's been busy since then obtaining a university degree and playing with folk trio The Musettes. She's going solo tonight for this RAW showcase, which claims to be a circus of creativity.
View the full article @CBC News :
BLUE RODEO, DEVIN CUDDY BAND, THE LONE BELLOW, NEUTRAL MILK HOTEL & LORA BIDNER @ OTTAWA FOLK FEST
9/13/2014
It was a pretty terrible day, weather-wise, when I got to the venue on day 4. With a small crowd of maybe 30 people, Ottawa native, Lora Bidner offered us some hauntingly beautiful ballads that matched the moody weather (in the best way possible, of course). The multi-instrumentalist, accompanied by Raphael Weinroth-Browne on cello, played us a few new songs as well as a unique cover of Scott McKenzie’s “San Francisco.”
View the full article @ Ride the Tempo
Jessica Speziale and Lora Bidner LIVE
March 2014
Folk music filled the Free Times Café on College St. where performers Jessica Speziale, Lora Bidner, Kathryn Merriam, and L.O.D took the stage. Serenading the crowd with both original music and sing-along covers, Jessica’s rendition of Alanis Morisette was definitely a crowd pleaser. Fans and friends nibbled on appetizers and sipped on pints as they enjoyed an intimate night of local music by the four talented bands.
Read the article @ snapdowntowntoronto.com
Folk-rock band The Royal Streets + Lora Bidner + Justin Toito
June 23rd, 2013
Thursday August 15 at 8 pm, $5. Folk-rock band from Waterloo The Royal Streets, on tour: Algernon Friolet (vocals & guitar), Mike Demsey (guitar),Jillian Dowding (vocals), Eric Stirtzinger (guitar). Formed in November 2012, they have taken their energetic folk based tunes across Eastern Canada, performing from Waterloo to Halifax, sharing the stage with many talented Canadian artists, including Vancouver based indie-rockers Said The Whale.
Touring with The Royal Streets is Lora Bidner, is a talented folk artist who resides in Ottawa, and now plays with The Musettes. Along with vocals, Lora plays a variety of instruments including the hang drum, ukelele, guitar and piano. She has shared the stage with Craig Cardiff, Justin Nozuka, Jill Barber, Danny Michel, and many more.
And rounding out the bill is Justin Toito, of Hamilton. From age nine onwards, he has thrown his heart and soul into making and playing music. Throughout his musical career he has played guitar, piano, drums, bass and lead vocals for many bands, but has now focused on his own solo career, performing at various venues around Southern Ontario with his own original music. He has currently been working hard in the studio in Hamilton recording his first single “Memory” with producer Dan Hosh.
View Article @ Artword
Electric City Live - Peterborough Music Magazine
Thursday July 19th 2012
A couple of talented female freestyle/folk singer-songwriters at The Spill tonight. From Lakefield, there’s Kaleigh Watts, and from Ottawa, there’s Lora Bidner
View article @ Electric City Live
"Bidner, a talented vocalist, instrumentalist and arranger, does a tremendous job at balancing each facet of her musical psyche, never having to lean on a single virtue or mode, allowing To the North to come off as moody as it is eclectic."
-Exclaim!
Daniel Sylvester
"Bidner’s tunes aren’t just music – they’re provocative stories that explore whimsical folklore, self discovery and human awareness. Bidner will help you look inside your own soul, which can be terrifying and beautiful all in the same note. Bidner will quickly convince you to take the red pill and explore your own Wonderland."
-2017 Metro News
"[Ignite] is not only a stunning piece of music but lyrically raw and inspiring."
-Huffington Post
Howard Kerbel
"About the Words and Conversations"
"She and her music are captivating "
-Kellylee Evans
Juno award winner
"Lora Bidner has impressed us by her ability to write music that is different and unique yet sounds so memorable."
"Lora Bidner has been a constant, multi-talented force in the local music scene for years"
-Amanda Putz
CBC Music
"I consider Lora to be one of the most interesting and promising emerging artists I have encountered. Her achievements as a composer, songwriter, instrumentalist, vocalist and collaborator reveal a genuine love of music and an unusually high level of inventiveness, courage and skill."
-Christ White
Founding Artistic Director,
Ottawa Folk Festival
Producer and Host, CKCU-FM
Partner, Folkzone Productions
"Lora Bidner is an incredible multi-instrumentalist, composer and performer. Her music takes you on a trip ranging from darkness to upbeat folk thanks to her her haunting vocal melodies, loop pedals and great use of guitar, ukulele, hang drum and piano. "
-Ottawa Showbox