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VANCOUVER’S MISPRONOUNCED FOLKIES
For Leah Abramson, the lead singer of the Abramson Singers, studio work is more arduous than a frolic through a meadow. “I don’t even really like the recording process that much,” she admits. “The only part that I have fun recording – or the time in the studio when I’ve got a smile on my face – is when I’m doing backup vocals.”
This love for harmonies clearly shines through in the band’s newest release, Late Riser. The album is hauntingly beautiful, to say the least: filled with folksy acoustic guitar and Abramson’s soothing vocals, it shies away from the group’s previous stripped-down aesthetic through a stronger band presence. “I wanted to try having that full band sound, but I’m not sure that it’s something I’ll always do,” she says. “It was really fun to play with a band live and rock out a little bit at times, even if it was pretty gently.”
The mention of first single, “Jack of Diamonds,” gives Abramson pause. Although it’s one of Late Riser’s up-tempo tunes, it’s also a very intimate one. “I don’t know how personal to get about this,” she laughs nervously. “The song is a version of the story about the typical gambling bad man and also a portrait of someone making the same mistakes over and over again.” Abramson leaves it at that and shifts to other topics.
With tour dates planned all across Canada, the Abramson Singers are poised for an exciting summer. And, while the band’s name looks easy enough to pronounce, venues tend to get it wrong almost every time. “My band complains about our name and I feel pretty embarrassed because MCs always screw it up. It’s just stuck at this point and well, I don’t know – I could call myself Mount Abramson or something silly,” Abramson laughs. “Our band name will still be a point of contention.”
Catch the Abramson Singers at Wunderbar (Edmonton) on May 12, at Commonwealth (Calgary) on May 14, at the West End Cultural Centre (Winnipeg) on May 20 and at The Chapel (Vancouver) on May 30. As well, catch them during Sled Island in Calgary in late June.
By Kristina Charania
