Hard work and dedication to performances come naturally to musos like The Burying Ground when the love for music is so ethereal it spans decades, eras, and even genres.
Devora Laye and Woody Forster started their musical journey as a duo hailing from Vancouver before evolving into a five person band to become the jazzy, boppin鈥� act they are known for today.
鈥淲e listen to a lot of old music,鈥� said Laye, official washboard, saw and kazoo player for the band. 鈥淲e鈥檝e both been down to New Orleans a couple of times, we draw a lot of our influences from that area. It鈥檚 accessible music... it has a kind of raw edge to it.鈥�
Adopting three more band mates and a collection of dance parties, the band has left a trail of charmed hearts and dapper vibes with their eclectic blend of ragtime, blues and jazz.
鈥淲e formed as a duo about three or four years ago,鈥� said Laye. 鈥淲oody and I played about four shows locally and then headed off on a tour throughout B.C. We toured as a duo for the first two years, and then we really wanted to expand and have a bigger band and open things up for us.鈥�
The Burying Ground have certainly hit the mark, with the recent release of their self-titled album filled with original tunes.
鈥淲oody and I wrote all the songs together. We recorded at Monarch Studios in Vancouver. This is our first album that we鈥檝e done that鈥檚 just our original tunes.鈥�
鈥淥ur last EP was all renditions of old songs from the 20s and 30s, and we were still kinda figuring out our sound. We鈥檙e really excited to have this one that鈥檚 really representative of what we鈥檙e doing and where we鈥檙e at right now.
While the band鈥檚 original work draws strong influence from the sounds of that period, it鈥檚 the lyrics behind the songs that keep it fresh and relevant.
鈥淥ur lyrical content is really important to us,鈥� said Laye. 鈥淪o we put a lot of thought into what we write about and try and address some of the things that are happening locally.鈥�
鈥淲e love to pass on the tradition of sharing old songs and keeping them alive and doing them in our own way.鈥�
One of the best parts of The Burying Ground鈥檚 sound is how well it translates to a live setting.
鈥淪ome shows are more sit-down shows and therefore it鈥檚 nicer to be able to prepare more story content,鈥� said Laye.
鈥淚ntimate shows create a lot more of that type of interaction, whereas if we鈥檙e playing at a bar or something, we wanna keep people dancing.鈥�
Jasper will see no less.
鈥淲e loved playing there last time! We will be playing our full album we just released, as well as a bunch of old standards.鈥�
Jasper can catch The Burying Ground at the Olive Bistro and Lounge on June 12th at 8:30 p.m.
Advance tickets are $10 or $15 at the door.
Tash Loh
Special to the 51暗网
