Canadian
Canadians () are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of their being ''C ...
indie rock
Indie rock is a Music subgenre, subgenre of rock music that originated in the United Kingdom, United States and New Zealand in the early to mid-1980s. Although the term was originally used to describe rock music released through independent reco ...
musician, who performs as a solo artist, and is a member of the bands
The New Pornographers
The New Pornographers are a Canadian indie rock band, formed in 1997 in Vancouver. Presented as a musical collective and supergroup of singer-songwriters and musicians from multiple projects, the band currently consists of Carl Newman (vocals, ...
and Frontperson. She is a former member of Immaculate Machine. Calder started with The New Pornographers by filling in for
Neko Case
Neko Richelle Case ( ; born September 8, 1970) is an American singer-songwriter and member of the Canadian indie rock group the New Pornographers. Case's singing voice has been described by contemporaries and critics as a "flamethrower", "a pow ...
for live performances and was made a permanent member in 2006.
Biography
Calder is the niece of fellow The New Pornographers member
Carl Newman
Allan Carl Newman (born April 14, 1968) is a Canadian musician and singer-songwriter. He was a member of the indie rock bands Superconductor and Zumpano in the 1990s. Following the breakup of those bands, he reemerged as the leader of the New ...
. Calder explained in a 2007 interview: "My mom was adopted as a baby and about ten years ago she found her birth family and Carl is in her birth family. At that time I was a teenager and playing in a band and didn't really know I had that family ... so that's how I met Carl."
She was a member of Immaculate Machine from 2003 to 2011, releasing three albums and an EP with that band.
Her first solo album, '' Are You My Mother?'', was released on August 3, 2010 (Canada) and August 10, 2010 (United States), with a digital release date of June 28, 2010. The album was named after the children's book with the same name. It was recorded when Calder was caring for her sick mother, and the project was put on hold when her mother died of
Lou Gehrig's disease
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as motor neuron disease (MND) or—in the United States—Lou Gehrig's disease (LGD), is a rare, terminal neurodegenerative disorder that results in the progressive loss of both upper and lo ...
. The New Pornographers' 2010 release ''
Together
''ToGetHer'' (, aka Superstar Express) is a 2009 Taiwanese drama starring Jiro Wang of Fahrenheit, Rainie Yang and George Hu. It was produced by Comic International Productions ( 可米國際影視事業股份有限公司) and directed by Linzi ...
'' is dedicated to the memory of Calder's mother.
Calder released her second album, ''Bright and Vivid'' on October 25, 2011. Superchunk drummer
Jon Wurster
Jonathan Patrick Wurster (born October 31, 1966) is an American drummer, percussionist, vocalist and comedy writer. As a musician, he is best known for his work with Superchunk, the Mountain Goats, and Bob Mould. He is also known for appearing on ...
,
Jesse Zubot
Jesse Zubot is a Canadian musician primarily known for his violin playing. Zubot also works as a composer, producer and recording engineer.Nick Krewen"Jesse Zubot: They shoot, he scores" '' Words & Music'', March 27, 2020.
History
Zubot's acou ...
and
Ford Pier
Ford Pier (born 1970) is a Canadian singer-songwriter. He was born in Boston, Massachusetts. His father is a professor of music. In addition to his solo albums, he has been a member of Jr. Gone Wild, Showbusiness Giants, Rheostatics and D.O ...
are some of the guests on the album. The album was named as a longlisted nominee for the
2012 Polaris Music Prize
The 2012 edition of the Canadian Polaris Music Prize was presented on September 24, 2012Yellow Bird Project and released in 2016. The movie touches on how she met Newman and her mother's death from ALS, as well as including some live performances from The New Pornographers, Immaculate Machine, and Kathryn herself as a solo artist.
Calder donated her vocal talent to the end credits song from the film, A Dog Named Gucci, in the song One Voice, which also features the talents of
Norah Jones
Norah Jones ( ; born Geethali Shankar; March 30, 1979) is an American singer-songwriter and musician. She has won several awards for her music and, , has sold more than 53 million records worldwide. '' Billboard'' named her the top jazz artist of ...
,
Aimee Mann
Aimee Elizabeth Mann (born September 8, 1960) is an American singer-songwriter. Over the course of four decades, she has released ten studio albums as a solo artist. She is noted for her sardonic and literate lyrics about dark subjects, often d ...
,
Susanna Hoffs
Susanna Lee Hoffs (born January 17, 1959) is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, and actress. With Debbi Peterson and Vicki Peterson, she founded the Bangles in 1981. Their debut album, ''All Over the Place (The Bangles album), All Over ...
Neko Case
Neko Richelle Case ( ; born September 8, 1970) is an American singer-songwriter and member of the Canadian indie rock group the New Pornographers. Case's singing voice has been described by contemporaries and critics as a "flamethrower", "a pow ...
, and
Brian May
Sir Brian Harold May (born 19 July 1947) is an English musician, songwriter, record producer, animal welfare activist and astrophysics, astrophysicist. He achieved global fame as the lead guitarist and backing vocalist of the rock band Queen ...
. It was produced by Dean Falcone, who also wrote the film's score. One Voice was released on
Record Store Day
Record Store Day is a semi-annual event established in 2008 to "celebrate the culture of the independently owned record store". Held on one Saturday (typically the third) every April and every Black Friday in November, the day brings together f ...
, April 16, 2016, with profits from the sale of the single going to benefit animal charities.
In 2018, Calder formed the band Frontperson alongside Mark Andrew Hamilton of the band Woodpigeon, releasing the album ''Frontrunner'' that year. ''Parade'', the duo's second album as Frontperson, was released in April 2022.
In 2019 Calder became the artist in residence for the City of Victoria.
She is married to record producer Colin Stewart.Alan Ranta "Kathryn Calder and Woodpigeon Are an Immaculate Machine on Frontperson's 'Parade ''
Exclaim!
''Exclaim!'' is a Canadian music and entertainment publisher based in Toronto, which features coverage of new music across all genres with a special focus on Canadian and emerging artists. The monthly ''Exclaim!'' print magazine publishes seven ...
'', April 29, 2022.
Discography
Solo
* '' Are You My Mother?'' (File Under: Music, 2010)
* '' Bright and Vivid'' (File Under: Music, 2011)
* ''Kathryn Calder'' (File Under: Music, 2015)
The New Pornographers
* ''
Twin Cinema
''Twin Cinema'' is the third studio album by Canadian indie rock group The New Pornographers. It was released on August 23, 2005. The album was shortlisted for the 2006 Polaris Music Prize. As of 2010 it has sold 138,000 copies in US and 20,000 ...
'' (CA: Mint Records; US & EU: Matador Records, 2005)
* '' Challengers'' (CA: Last Gang Records; US & EU: Matador Records, 2007)
* ''
Together
''ToGetHer'' (, aka Superstar Express) is a 2009 Taiwanese drama starring Jiro Wang of Fahrenheit, Rainie Yang and George Hu. It was produced by Comic International Productions ( 可米國際影視事業股份有限公司) and directed by Linzi ...
'' (CA: Last Gang Records; US: Matador Records, 2010)
* ''
Brill Bruisers
''Brill Bruisers'' is the sixth studio album by Canadian indie rock band the New Pornographers. It was released on August 26, 2014 and debuted at number 13 on the ''Billboard'' 200. In describing the album, A.C. Newman called it "a celebration r ...