Photo of Laura Barrett

Laura Barrett

Biography

Laura Alexandra Barrett is a Canadian indie pop singer-songwriter, best known for incorporating the kalimba into her music. In addition to her solo work, Barrett has also performed as a member of The Hidden Cameras, Henri Fabergé and the Adorables, Woodhands, and Sheezer. Barrett was born in Toronto. She studied English literature and linguistics at the University of Toronto, graduating in 2006. She later returned to school to complete a master of education and works as an occasional teacher within the Toronto District School Board. A classically trained pianist, Barrett began studying piano at 8 years of age. She took up the kalimba as a hobby after buying one on eBay. Her first public performance as a solo performer was a cover of "Smells Like Nirvana" at a "Weird Al" Yankovic tribute concert (She had previously been a part of the band Lake Holiday). She subsequently released two EPs, and was the musical director for a New York City production of Maggie MacDonald's play The Rat King. Barrett released her first full-length album, Victory Garden, in 2008 on Paper Bag Records. Produced by Paul Aucoin, the album featured Basia Bulat, Ajay Mehra and Lief Mosbaugh. In December 2008, Laura Barrett was the recipient of a CBC Radio 3 Bucky Award for "Sexiest Musician". Barrett took part in the interactive documentary series City Sonic in 2009. The series, which featured 20 Toronto artists, had her talk about her first concert. The first rock concert she attended was, at the age of 12, at the Art Gallery of Ontario for the Rheostatics experimental set Music Inspired by the Group of Seven. Between 2010 and 2015, Barrett performed in Sheezer, an all-female Weezer tribute band, along with Robin Hatch, Dana Snell and Alysha Haugen. Started as a joke, the band covered music from the Weezer's first two albums The Blue Album and Pinkerton. In 2010, Barrett accompanied The Magnetic Fields on their 11-date North American "Realism" tour. The following year she participated in the Nat

Bio from Wikipedia

Discography

Records they worked on — most-collected first.

Credited work

20 releases · 10 albums · active 2005–2016

  • Performance · 50
  • Other credits · 22
  • Production · 1

Studios: Rooster Studios, Toronto, ON

Frequent collaborators

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