Canadian singer-songwriter Louise Burns recently concluded her debut multi-city tour of India. She speaks to Bulbul Sharma about discovering new cultures through music.
“I love India,” exclaims Canadian singer-songwriter Louise Burns, who was recently on her debut multi-city tour of the country. The 33-year-old musician was introduced to India and its culture by her uncle, the Canadian High Commissioner to India in the ’90s. Since then, she has been fascinated by different facets of life in India. She says, “I’ve wanted to come here for a very long time. We couldn’t make it, but I would hear stories of the country, and my aunt would send me things from New Delhi all the time. I’ve heard a lot of things. That it is beautiful, crowded, the best food you’ll ever eat, etc.”
Guardian 20 spoke to her a few days before she arrived in the national capital. The tour was organised by the Mumbai-based music management company, Mixtape. On 14 December, Burns performed at the OddBird Theatre in Delhi. She performed some tracks from her upcoming album, all set to be launched in January.
A former member of a band named Lillix, which she co-founded when she was only 11, Burns says she has loved music for as long as she can remember. “Music will always be a mystery to me, which is why I keep going. You can become more technically proficient, a better songwriter and a better musician, but the best thing about it is that no matter what, I always feel a child-like wonder. It’s what keeps me from becoming too jaded after having done it for so long,” she says.
Her 20-plus years of experience as a musician has not only familiarised Burns with her strengths, but has also helped her enhance her skills. She says, “I have gotten wiser to my strengths. Honing your craft once you figure out where your skills are is a really satisfying experience.”
She came out with her first music album, Mellow Drama, in 2011 and has since made two more albums—The Midnight Mass (2013) and Young Mopes (2017).
About her musical influences, she answers, “I grew up on the Beatles, Beethoven and Bob Dylan. Then, I became a teen and got into pop, R&B and eventually Goth music. I still love the music I loved as a teenager, I think that happens to everyone, but my taste is much more diverse. I love jazz, hip-hop, Indian classical, pop, whatever has a good song or a good vibe, I’ll give it a chance.”
Among her current favourites include musicians like Sabrina Claudio (Cuban-American singer), Rosalia (Spanish singer) and Westerman (British singer). Burns also likes to listen to Scottish pop music from the ’80s—bands like The Blue Nile, Annie Lennox, and other R&B, electronic and jazz music outfits.
Also a songwriter, Burns likes to dedicate a fixed amount of time to her writing every day. Explaining the process, she says, “Usually, I’ll turn on my computer, get my MIDI controller out and just channel whatever comes to me. I usually have a seed of an idea before I start, but sometimes you have to work for it. Lyrics often come right away then I edit them later to make sense. My main focus is always melody and structure.”
Burns has toured extensively around Japan, China, Europe, and North America, and according to her, all these trips have had a lasting influence on her music. She says, “Playing live to different audiences has allowed me to really see that ultimately all music fans are the same. I do find myself influenced by the music of different countries. Here in India, we discovered an artiste called Sandunes from Mumbai and we fell in love. I also love playing around with different instruments while travelling. We went out in Pune a few days ago to a music store and messed around with an electronic tabla machine. It was so fun.”
She continues, “I also love learning how music influences a space. For example, some public parks I’ve been to in China have music playing everywhere through tiny hidden speakers. It’s a strange juxtaposition between natural and artificial, but somehow relaxing. Same goes for karaoke. I love that in some places people just do it for fun in the middle of a green space. In India, the traffic almost becomes musical from all the horns honking. It’s a trip.”
A self-confessed old-schooler, Burns prefers albums over singles. She says, “I like the concept of an album as a representation of a theme or mood. I think I might try making singles in the future. But for now, I always have the ultimate goal of making an album. I just like it.”
Being a solo musician, collaborator, and multi-instrumentalist is a demanding job. So Burns likes to be on her toes all the time. She says, “I am constantly working and never taking anything for granted. If I don’t enjoy something, I don’t do it. If you work hard at the things you love, it’s quite easy.”
As far as Indian music is concerned, Burns is taken with such classics as “Jaan Pehechan Ho” by Mohammed Rafi, which
A few crossover oldies such as “Jaan Pehechan Ho” by Mohammed Rafi, which she first heard as the opening sequence of the 2001 film Ghost World; and “Jimmy Aja” by Parvati Khan, which was remade by the British rapper M.I.A. About the tracks, she says, “The melodies are so intricate and beautiful. I love the string sections too, and the rhythms are so good.”
Among her Indian contemporaries, she likes to listen to the bassist Mohini Dey and DJ Daisho. She says, “As a fellow female bass player, I have huge respect for Mohini. I was also listening to Daisho recently. He’s great. I would love to work with an artiste from India. The door is open. The way a lot of electronic artistes combine more traditional and classical music with modern beats is amazing to me.”
Burns admits facing sexism in the music industry but that has hardly pulled her down. She says, “Luckily, I live in a bubble out in Vancouver where I get respect from most people. But, for example, I’ve just started producing for other people and I’ve met a bit of resistance from men in the community over that. It’s depressing but I also find it motivating to work harder and be successful at it. All female musicians have this sort of eye-rolling understanding that every once in a while, you’ll meet a sound man who tells you to sing louder, to plug in your instrument differently etc. It’s actually exhausting. Ultimately, things are shifting and I’m happy about that. We just have to keep fighting.”
Speaking about her upcoming projects, she concludes by saying, “I’m finishing my fourth album this January which I’m really excited about. It’s much more electronic and pop-focused than my previous ones. I’m also going to be in the studio producing a few other artistes but more on that later… Most importantly, I hope to come back to India as soon as I can as I absolutely love it here. The audiences have been so incredibly generous with their attention and time, and I’m feeling really lucky to be here.”