Ian Foster sees Newfoundland music as a tapestry of many different colours and threads.
“I think sometimes artists can get caught up in intellectualizing what a place is when it comes to their music. I’ve definitely been that person.”
With the launch of his new record label, NÄRA Community, in November, concurrent with the release of his latest album, Travelogue, Foster will expand his own contribution to Newfoundland’s musical fabric.
Tony Ploughman, manager of Fred’s Records in St. John’s, has described Ian as “the ultimate ‘independent’ artist” with a “cup full with curiosity.”
That independent curiosity has been evident throughout his career, from his beginnings as a singer-songwriter in the 1990s, to his later contributions to film scores. In recent years, his creative outputs have evolved into atmospheric instrumental pieces influenced by composers like Brian Eno, Olafur Arnalds, and Nils Frahm.
With the new NÄRA Community recording label, Foster seeks to provide opportunities for musicians to create what he describes as “modern cinematic music.” He emphasizes that the style is not easily pinned down.
“It is, like any good genre, so wide open in its parameters that it is willing to take in outside influences that are really disparate at times, to create something new and fresh.”
Borrowing from the Swedish word meaning “near” or “close,” Foster explains that he intends NÄRA Community to be more than a production house. He also wants NÄRA to be “a gathering place for like minds to create and collaborate under that umbrella, and for audiences to experience unique events featuring this music.”
During the label’s pilot phase, he explains, there will be some workshops in the new year, a some artists will make the visit.
“Then we’ll release a single collaboration with myself and another artist.”
The many facets of Newfoundland music
To many, the concept of “Newfoundland music” evokes Irish-inflected jigs and playful folk songs. Then, bands like Figgy Duff with its windswept mysticism and the Wonderful Grand Band with its homegrown pop-rock expanded the limits of the province’s musical character.
In recent years, the Sound Symposium has provided opportunities for musicians and their audiences to create and hear music in new ways.
St. John’s musician Tiber Reardon, who makes ambient, often improvisational music, credits the Sound Symposium with an “increased openness” to innovative music that provides a more holistic sensory experience.
“In the past couple of years, multi-stimulus events are gaining interest, where you’re not just listening to music, but there are also these other inputs that are coming in.”
Modern cinematic music may seem a far cry from Newfoundland folk music. Yet, Foster believes the landscape and culture of Newfoundland feed the creativity that goes into this expansive style of composition.
“I think that our landscape, our people, our character, all of that is just excellent back story for this kind of musical expression.”
Does Newfoundland lend itself to this type of musical creation? Both Foster and Reardon would say yes.
“When I think of our striking landscapes and dynamic personalities,” said Foster, “I want to hear the musical equivalent in new and fresh ways.”
Reardon sometimes composes literally on the landscape.
“I bring a synthesizer and a speaker with me and go out and sit on a cliff next to the ocean. What better spot to make this kind of music?”
In the end, Foster said, it’s about having faith in themselves.
“If we’re actually engaging with our city, our town, our geography, whatever that looks like, that’s going to be expressed in any musical style that we choose to use.”
New album: Travelogue
Concurrent with the launch of NÄRA Collective, Foster is releasing his latest record, Travelogue, inspired by and composed around sounds collected on a recent trip to Greece.
Foster advises listeners that it won’t include performances of traditional Greek music. Rather, he explains, it’s an album that “aims to capture the feelings of travel to me: shifting movements, tones and styles, and never lingering too long in one place.”
Much like his experience of travel, Foster said he sees his artistic expression as an evolving thing. He said the music in Travelogue “came from the palette I had at that time. And that palette is, blessedly, constantly evolving.”
A launch event for Travelogue and NÄRA Community will take place on Nov. 9 in Bannerman Brewery’s upstairs event space. Tickets are available online. The event will be a listening party featuring live musical performances with visuals, followed by a Q&A with Foster and David Shears, manager of NÄRA Community. Special guests will include Kira Sheppard, Nancy Hynes, and Amy Collyer-Holmes.
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