La Belle Chanteuse

It is a sort of homecoming for sultry chanteuse Jill Barber this evening as she brings the heat to the Spatz Theatre in Halifax in support of her latest recording Mischievous Moon. We caught up with her in between shows.

How has life on the road treated you this year?
Life on the road has been kind. I enjoy touring very much; every day a new city, new audience. It's a clever way to see the world. This year I have been on tour in France, The US, Australia and coast-to-coast here at home. Touring Canada as much as I have has had the unusual effect of making this country feel both very large, and somehow small at the same time.

What has audience response been like to the live show?
With the exception of one morale-crushing, soul destroying, poorly booked, last-minute appearance at a late night dance club in NYC, the audience response has been generally positive.

What can audiences expect to experience at the Halifax concert?
The Halifax show is a special one because I'm sharing the bill with my brother, Matthew. It's also the final night of my Maritime Tour. Seeing as this tour marks the 10 year anniversary of me first moving out to Halifax, I have been celebrating with playing a retrospective of my body of work from the last 10 years. So the audience can expect to hear a few oldies, some new tunes, and possibly a song or two from my upcoming French covers album.

What's it like to perform with your brother?
Matt and I are both pretty busy with our respective careers so it's a rare enough occurrence that it feels pretty special. A few years back we toured across the country together, calling it the Sibling Revelry Tour. That pretty much sums it up. We've always been allies, never rivals. My brother has been a musical mentor of mine for my whole life. He's an incredible songwriter and and amazing big brother.
 
Are you currently writing new material?
I am always working on new material. I have a bunch on new songs that will hopefully see the light of day soon.

What are your plans for 2013?
This summer I recorded an album of French covers, inspired by my French studies over the last few years. It is called Chansons and it comes out January 29th, 2013.

Jill Barber, with Matthew Barber, at The Spatz Theatre in Halifax
Thursday, Nov 22, 8pm
 

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