Civil Wray

“I stand up for myself on this album,” Andrea de Boer says with a proud smile. “Even though I fell down a lot.” Indeed, Civil Wray represents a new musical and lyrical direction for de Boer, an established Toronto-based musician who has channeled all of her past experience into a new and fresh identity. Civil Wray was produced by Chris Stringer (Timber Timbre, Holly McNarland, Jill Barber), and features guitarist Champagne James Robertson, keyboardist Robbie Grunwald, bassist Devon Henderson and drummer Joshua Van Tassel collaborating with de Boer to create an indie rock vibe with a touch of country that intensifies her trademark smoky vocals. “Numb”—the first single—is an upbeat, surprisingly sultry pop track that finds de Boer sounding more vibrant and vixen-ish than ever before. Infused with a lush, Latin dance-pop vibe, “Fie” displays de Boer’s dexterous vocal range over a full tropical template of orchestral synths. Elsewhere, on “Don’t Make Me,” she looks to Bobbie Gentry’s iconic “Ode to Billie Joe” for inspiration, adding some Southern Gothic romanticism to the mix. “It has been a slow evolution but recently I’ve been picking up speed,” de Boer says. I attribute that to opening myself up to new experiences, learning to trust, becoming a mother—and hence a mama bear. I don’t have time to be neurotic.” As for the origin of “Civil Wray,” de Boer came up with the concept when contemplating retiring her previous moniker blueVenus. A friend suggested titling her next album “Civil,” a word that soon took on deeper meaning for de Boer in terms of how she wanted to live her life. She later came across the word “Wray,” which in Old English means “discover.” Putting them together represented to de Boer how one can/anyone/everyone can keep learning how to treat people better. As the new songs took shape, an overall theme emerged around these two words. “It’s about discovering meaning,” de Boer explains, “and having the understanding that all the different people and experiences you’ve had will eventually combine themselves into art. When I was writing this album, I was constantly thinking, ‘What role do people play in your life? How do we perceive the world?’” De Boer considers the years spent performing as blueVenus, which produced her 2009 debut Grin, a blessing. This period also included tours of North America and Europe, along with a six-year residency at Castro’s, one of Toronto’s legendary music venues, making her well prepared to record Civil Wray live, off-the-floor. Ultimately, Civil Wray is a testament to the confidence de Boer has displayed in making a major professional transition that’s allowed her to musically reframe the world. “Sometimes you just let music percolate and have its own life,” she says. “When you don’t have control over your own life, you can sometimes transform it through a song. It’s all about hope.” Indie rock infused with Latin pop & soul, elevating Civil Wray's trademark smoky vocals.