Toronto-based singer Andrea Koziol has composed many songs on her piano, but for her fifth solo album she decided to try something new.
A friend of hers was making a documentary on the resurgence of the ukulele around the world and put one in her hands to try out.
“I couldn’t give it back to him,” she said. “It’s a very friendly instrument, you can pretty much put your hands on it and make something beautiful come out.”
Her new album Halfway Sweet is said to have elements of acoustic folk, old time jazz and Brazilian music, but Koziol said it’s hard to put it into any one category when it’s just what you do as an artist.
Having a Russian background she has listened to a lot of accordion playing in living rooms, she said, and is profoundly influenced by Brazilian music.
“I’m influenced and inspired by a lot of different music and it all sort of shows up there in various ways,” she explained.
The album was written after putting her kids to bed, sitting with her newly discovered musical obsession on the couch or the back porch, she said.
It was a very different process than composing on the piano where her decisions on choosing particular notes are far more conscious, she said.
“With the uke it’s more by chance or by feel or by the stars aligning.”
Koziol is embarking on a coast to coast tour, making her way to St. John’s, Newfoundland and then to B.C. and the Island. She’s calling it “My two favorite places in the world tour.”
“I totally love both extremes in our country, I think they are the best parts in fact,” she said.
With only a handful of stops in B.C., and only two on the Island, Koziol will be performing at the Errington Hall on Wednesday, July 20.
Organizers at the hall usually avoid presenting concerts between May and August, but they are making an exception for this concert, after seeing Koziol perform at the Island Music Festival and Vancouver Folk Music Festival in the past.
The concert takes place at 8 p.m., tickets are $20, $10 for 12 and under and 5 and under are free, available from the Errington Store, Cranky Dog Music in Parksville, and Heaven on Earth in Qualicum Beach.
For music samples and more info on Andrea Koziol visit www.andreakoziol.com.
