#14 - Vox Rea

"Vox Rea is a question rather than an answer, and that represents the ethos of our project"

Since last week, I had time to get back to my usual schedule of research and interview for the next issues of Small Ears. I had the opportunity to interview the duo that composes Vox Rea : Kate Kurdyak and Lauren Kurdyak. They took the time to answer my questions beyond my expectations. I first contacted them back in 2022 but didn’t have the time to properly finish my article to give them the space they deserved. However, since they got back from their tour, this is a good opportunity to know more about them.

Can you present yourself in a few words? Where is your artist name coming from?

We are two sisters from Vancouver, B.C. The name Vox Rea comes from two Latin words but the exact meaning of it is open to interpretation. To us, Vox Rea is a question rather than an answer, and that represents the ethos of our project.

How do you start your day?

We do something from “The Artist’s Way” called morning pages where you free write in a journal first thing in the morning. Then some sort of meditation or grounding ritual. We usually try not to check our phones until after but that doesn’t always happen.

When did you start your musical career? What motivated you to start it?

Our grandma was a piano and choir teacher so music was a central part of our lives growing up. She used to look after us when our parents were at work and she taught us to read and to play classical music. There was a continuous soundtrack of nursery rhymes, musicals, Bach and The Beatles playing in our house on those days. I don’t think we’d be musicians if it wasn’t for her.

What genre of music do you play?

Ethereal, harmony dense dark-pop folktronica (haha)

Is there an event, an artist or a band that inspired you?

Writing always feels like this unconscious processing filter that your whole life flows through. So everything inspires the music, whether it's something you’ve gone through in your personal life or a book you read that made you feel something. Some artists that come to mind are Florence and the Machine, Patrick Watson, Michael Kiwanuka, Coldplay, Joni Mithcell. We’re also really into German philosophy … the existential abyss and all that. I think a lot of our music is inspired by questions without answers. What does it mean to be human? What does it mean to be free? There’s something about poetry and art that cuts to the core of those kinds of questions.

What is the process behind your mind while creating a new piece of music?

It usually starts with some indescribable sound from the ether that finds its way into your head. Most of the time the words and music come all at once after that.

Where do you perform most of the time? On which platform is your music available?

We’ve mostly performed in North America, specifically the West Coast. Our music is available anywhere you stream.

Where is THE place or country you would like to perform?

Dream venue is Red Rocks Amphitheatre but we also really want to play in Brazil.

What are the songs you want to share with people that don’t know your music?

Our current favourites are Dose Me Up, Damn (Unstuck), Indigo, Running Out of Time and our newest song – Julia. Also check out “The Beast: A Short Story” on Youtube. It functions as a bit of an album sampler.

Which artists do you listen to when you are composing or playing your music?

We actually have a secret playlist of our inspiration for the self-titled album we’ll share with you ;)

Do you have other hobbies? If yes, can you tell a little bit more about them?

Lauren makes jewellery in her free time – check it out on our website (voxrea.com) or on instagram (@voxreadesigns)

Kate loves the water and does cold dips on the regular

Was there a moment you wanted to give up on music?

There have been so many moments like that. But the moments that make it clear that music is the most meaningful and fulfilling path for us always outweigh those lows and keep us going.

Is there an artist you would like to make a song with?

Aurora, Nick Hakim, Patrick Watson & SO many more

What is the song you are the most proud of?

Damn (Unstuck) is probably the most personal song on the album and it means a lot to us. We lost our uncle to an accidental overdose in 2019 and this song speaks to the cross-generational ripple effect addiction has on families. Addiction is a common motif in art that is often romanticised. In popular culture, we often tell a narrow story of what addiction looks like, exaggerating its horrors and pleasures until it becomes a caricature of itself. With this song we wanted to testify to what addiction is and what it means in all its complexity—the day-to-day struggle of living with addiction, the siren song of consumption, and the heartbreak of never getting to say goodbye to someone you love.

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If you could recommend a small group or artist to people, which one would it be and why?

Check out NADUH. They’re like a spiritual Spice Girls.

Do you have any new songs in preparation? If so, can you give us a little hint about it?

We just got back from tour and now we get to start working on our next record. We have tons of songs we’ve written over the past couple of years and we can’t wait to get in the studio and distill them into something that makes sense.

What are the places where people can follow you ?

All the streaming platforms, instagram, youtube, tik tok, facebook, twitter, pinterest, bandsintown … :)

@voxrea

Do you want to add something?

Be nice to yourself and the people around you. It’ll make all the difference.

I want to gratefully thank Vox Rea for these tremendous answer, I really liked their songs the first time I heard them in 2022. They deserve all the best because this duo is truly something special. I can’t wait to hear more about them in the coming months.

As for you reading this newsletter, thanks for following me and see you next week. All the best!

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