Making their entrance in late 2020 with a uniquely artful, euphoric sound, Vancouver noir-pop outfit Vox Rea unveil their highly anticipated self-titled debut album, available for streaming today. The 13-track collection provides a dreamy, atmospheric soundscape and takes listeners on a journey of existential reflection.
Vox Rea features Kate Kurdyak (lead vocals/piano/guitar/bass), her sister Lauren Kurdyak (vocals/piano/percussion), childhood best friend Kaitlyn Hansen-Boucher (vocals/percussion) and Berklee-alum Mitchell Schaumberg (vocals/piano/guitar/bass). Their self-titled album was created in a nomadic state—written in apartments in Vancouver, Toronto, Berlin, Montreal and Boston and recorded in a studio nestled in the snowy forests of Quebec. The album was written in collaboration with fellow Canadian artists Luca Fogale, Begonia and Joël, and produced by Connor Seidel and Tim Buron(Charlotte Cardin, Matt Holubowski), JUNO nominee Derek Hoffman (Arkells, RALPH, The Elwins), and multi-platinum producer Joel Stouffer (Dragonette, Kayla Diamond). Through a hybridization of digital and analogue, their music seamlessly infuses electronic elements into live-off-the-floor performances that feel real, raw and all-too-human.
“Our debut album was born out of a fascination with the contradictions inherent in the human experience,” the band shares. “It is a celebration of free will and an ode to the paralyzing nature of choice. The intoxicating night roaming and the guilty morning after, a revelry in excess and an exercise in solemn self-reflection. In essence, the album chronicles the odyssey of a group of artists trying to come to terms with their generation’s place in the human story. Through themes of addiction, self-doubt, lust, identity, independence and grief it asks what it really means to be free.“
Vox Rea was set ablaze by the embers of The Katherines, the cardinal project created by the three women in 2015, which saw critical success leading into their 2017 debut album, To Bring You My Heart, including hit singles “Cherry Lips” and “Primitive“. The album garnered over a million streams on Spotify with songs featured on playlists including New Music Friday, Pop All Day, Hot Hits Canada, Indie Pop Chillout and the Canada Viral 50 chart, with their songs heard in TV shows like Orphan Black, Reboot and The Order. The group received praise from industry and media alike, with coverage in the likes of VICE, MTV, Vancouver Sun and the National Post in addition to national morning show appearances across Toronto, Calgary and Vancouver. Accompanied by a top-notch backing band, the female trio has delivered enchanting performances at venues across Canada, captivating audiences at festivals like Rifflandia, NXNE, Juno Fest, Canada Day Vancouver, and Denim on the Diamond.
Since the release of their first single “Dose Me Up” in the fall of 2020, Vox Rea has garnered over 700k streams on Spotify alone and their music has been added to various editorial playlists including New Music Friday Canada, Indie All Stars, Indie Pop and Chill. Their single “Damn (Unstuck)” saw them featured on the cover of Folk & Friends and made Spotify’s Top Folk Songs of 2021. The band is booked to play in music festivals across North America including Treefort Music Fest, Laketown Shakedown and Capitol Hill Block Party. They were the recipients of CreativeBC’s Career Development Grant and chosen to be a part of RBCxMusic’s First Up Program in 2022. The band has also worked closely with a number of local brands including a beer collaboration with Field House Brewing and campaigns for Huha, Charlie Beads and Lost Goodz.
With more visual content for the album to drop, and summer tour dates announced, Vox Rea is just getting started with their album release. Be sure to follow @voxrea across socials for the latest content, or for more information visit www.voxrea.com.
