Isla Craig plays piano pop with an offbeat twist, and she does it very well. Kat Burns emailed her lovely friend to see what’s cooking….<!--more-->

So Isla, who are you and what do you do?

I am an Isla doing music. Being an Isle-a, I am a tract of land completely surrounded by water, and not large enough to be called a continent. Being a musician I am a raised platform with a counter or other work surface on top situated in the middle area of a room, esp. a kitchen, so as to permit access from all sides.

Where do you draw your inspiration from?

Everything, all the time, anywhere, anyhow. Who really knows where this stuff materializes.

Will you be accompanied by anyone for this show?

Yes! At Wavelength I will be accompanied by Dean Wales on the drums, Katie Stelmanis on the bass/guitar, and Neil Haverty sharing in bass/guitar duties.

How do you enjoy playing solo, versus playing with a band? Do you prefer either one?

Playing with people is becoming better the more I do it, but I do not prefer solo over band or vice versa. Playing with different people is becoming more important because it makes me understand what I like about my music in the first place. If I’m playing to myself too much or for too long I can feel pretty stuck, so I like the possibilities that other players bring to my songs.

Your new material is much more experimental than our older songs. Is there a reason or influence that is encouraging you to branch out with your writing?

I don’t feel very experimental, but I do enjoy off beat timings and minimalist approaches to creating sound. I feel like nearly all of the songs I have written are in a very similar vein, and I guess getting
into new things whether musically or personally is what makes me want to move beyond where I am.

Your songs are often very personal, and introspective, reflections on your own life; do you ever have reservations about putting situations into song?

I try not to over-think anything I write; I just write it as I feel it. I don’t really edit very well I just vomit up whatever I can and put it in a better place. I guess I have always given a certain amount of credence to my guttural feelings which comes across in my songs, though I don’t necessarily relate to them the same way anymore. I actually haven’t written anything down in a notebook in a very long time. Such is the ebb and flow of creative energy.

Who are you listening to, and why should we check them out?

Since last May my life was changed by seeing the Dirty Projectors, most of my record collection has been shelved in the wake of this catastrophic discovery. Dave Longstreth is too much. No sense in me blabbing on, just go see the man play live. Also been loving Barrington Levy’s Shaolim Temple, and last but not least, a fair amount of the acts you can see performing at the Poor Pilgrim series my friend Matt Cully runs. It is hibernating for winter, but it has been so inspiring and instrumental in connecting a lot of people in the independent community.

Do you have any recording or touring plans for 2007? If not, what are your musical plans shaping up to be for the year?

I do want to get these songs that I am playing at Wavelength recorded to my liking so I can lay them to rest for a while. I’ve recently learned the joys of four tracking, and really simple sound on sound stuff because I really like the dilapidated quality of degenerating sound. I don’t think all my stuff suits this particular recording technique, though I do enjoy the painfully low-fi quality of my most recent recording project. I have no plans to tour. I am really interested in playing more outside of my comfort zone in different projects and with lots of people. I hope to spend the New Year immersed in different spheres of recording and performing.

If you could have anyone over for tea, who would it be?

I drink a lot of peppermint tea, that’s usually all I have in the house. Any friend that’s in my neighborhood is welcome to come by for some peppermint tea.

By Kat Burns