This week in eTown we are visited by two musicians from the great white north of Canada. Feist and her band make their first appearance along with fellow eTown neophyte, Sam Weber. Nick also has a chat with Sarah Townes, the CFO of the American Solar Energy SocIety, about aiding Native Americans in South Dakota. That’s all this week on eTown.
Feist
Born in Nova Scotia but mostly raised in Calgary, Feist first explored her idiosyncratic musicality by playing in a local punk band as a teenager and later made her debut with 1999’s Monarch (Lay Your Jewelled Head Down) – an independent release primarily sold at merch tables. Along with co-founding Juno Award-winning indie-rock collective Broken Social Scene, Feist next achieved breakout success with her full-length sophomore effort Let It Die (winner of Alternative Album of the Year at the 2004 Juno Awards). Released in 2007, The Reminder earned international acclaim and landed on best-of-the-year lists from outlets like Pitchfork, NPR, Spin, and Rolling Stone, in addition to winning Feist the 2007 Shortlist Music Prize and garnering four Grammy Award nominations. Now certified gold, the album features her iconic smash single “1234,” a Billboard Hot 100-charting hit that paved the way for Feist’s appearance on Saturday Night Live and Sesame Street.
Throughout her latest album Multitudes, 11-time Juno Award-winning artist Feist sets her observation on the countless ways we seek out or deliberately hide from the truth: searching the natural world for portents and good omens, pulling tarot cards and masking our true emotions to spare our loved ones from pain. From a lyrical honesty that’s as confronting as it is unguarded, Feist writes of “a crucible of apex events that brought life to a new temperature” and of “a new dimension of self awareness that time and experience seemed to require.”
Her sixth full-length and first release since 2017’s critically lauded Pleasure, Multitudes took shape soon after the birth of her daughter and sudden death of her father, a back-to-back convergence of life-altering events that left the Canadian singer/songwriter with “nothing performative in me anymore.” As she cleansed her songwriting of any tendency to obscure unwanted truths, Feist slowly made her way toward a batch of songs rooted in a raw and potent realism which is touched with otherworldly beauty.
Sam Weber
Sam Weber is a musician known for his distinctive style that blends elements of folk, rock and Americana. He is a Canadian singer-songwriter and guitarist who has gained recognition for his emotive vocals and intricate guitar playing. Weber’s music often features thoughtful lyrics and a blend of contemporary and traditional musical influences, making him a unique figure in the indie music scene.
His career is marked by a series of album releases, live performances, and collaborations with other artists. Weber’s work has been appreciated for its craftsmanship and the emotional depth of his songwriting. As with many musicians in the indie genre, his music tends to evolve over time, reflecting personal experiences and artistic growth.
Sarah Townes
Established in 1954, the American Solar Energy Society (ASES) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that advocates for sustainable living and 100% renewable energy. ASES shares information, events and resources to cultivate community and power progress in the U.S. and beyond. As the U.S. section of the International Solar Energy Society, it works with individuals and groups around the world to accelerate the transition to a renewable energy and sustainable living society.
Sarah Townes joined the ASES team in 2016 to promote solar energy and sustainability and started the Zero Emissions Network Program. Outside of ASES, Sarah enjoys singing, teaching singing, and performing, and her latest album is available for sale on iTunes.