San Antonio percussionist and composer claire rousay lands lengthy New York Times feature
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- Claire Rousay’s newest album “A Softer Focus” made her the focus of a New York Times Style Magazine article.
San Antonio-based experimental musician claire Rousay is prolific and hardworking, having posted 22 releases to Bandcamp over the past two years. She’s also a tireless live performer who put in 200 dates in 2017 alone.
Sadly, in the music business, that kind of work ethic doesn’t always translate into financial success, much less national recognition.
Which is why it was a pleasant surprise to see the New York Times Style Magazine devote a lengthy piece to rousay and her new album, A Softer Focus, which the publication described as an “immersive” work that “feels like an arrival.”
Part of the A Softer Focus‘ appeal is that melody and harmony figure in a bigger way than is usual in the percussionist’s work. But the story also delves deeply into rousay’s use of field recordings in her compositions — something that evokes emotion through use of commonplace sounds.
“Being a real person is what I care about most,” rousay told the Times. “Being present and open.”
And rousay was certainly open with the Times. Some of the revelations she makes about her influences chip away at the ultra-serious facade that often accompanies experimental music.
We learn, for example, that karaoke is “an intimate soul endeavor” for the musician and that material by Taking Back Sunday and Lil Peep rank as her favorites to belt out.
Who knew?
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