Vancouver-based harpist, vocalist, and composer Elisa Thorn releases her album xiik on Nov. 7 on major streaming platforms. According to a press release, the album is “whimsical, curious, and intimate … exploring [themes of] time, selfhood, and transformation. Thorn describes the project with a wink as ‘experimental indie for the bathtub’—music that invites reflection but refuses to stay confined to one genre or mood. … The album blends experimental indie, folk, and ambient influences while foregrounding Thorn’s harp and voice as the guiding instruments.”
Thorn has collaborated with artists such as Haley Blais, Ora Cogan, Tonye Aganaba, Mother Mother, Loscil, Wallgrin, Lief Hall, and Mauvey. She has performed at festivals including Jazzotpad (Poland, 2023), Women from Space (Toronto), Campbell Bay Music Festival (Mayne Island), TONE Fest (Toronto), Constellation Festival (Squamish), POP Montreal, Suoni Per Il Poppolo (Montreal), Wonderment (Victoria), and Vancouver International Jazz Festival. She is also the curator of the Woodland Patio Series and an associate with the Vancouver Improvised Music Society, which aims to foster accessibility to challenging and abstract music through community-driven presentation. Learn more on Thorn’s website.
Listen to the lead single, “Idle Talk,” below. According to a press release, “[this] track is inspired by the history of the word ‘gossip’—from midwives to supportive female friendships, later reframed through the lens of patriarchal oppression. With a playful yet intricate time signature, Thorn describes the track as ‘math folk,’ featuring the dynamic drumming of Dan Gaucher and melodies honed to communicate directly through the harp.”
