With each new month we have the privilege of sharing The Zone @ 91-3’s Band of the Month. February 2021 brings our latest member of the Band of the Month club, Sierra Lundy.
Beyond Sierra Lundy’s accomplishments as a singer-songwriter and being one half of Victoria supergroup Ocie Elliott (the other half being Jon Middleton), she is an acclaimed artist and fashion model.
Rocktographers was lucky enough to have our Band of the Month photo shoot with Sierra Lundy at our favourite cocktail bar, Citrus & Cane. They provided a safe and stunning backdrop while whipping up some amazing tropical cocktails.
After our photoshoot, Tyson Elder had a socially-distanced conversation with Sierra Lundy through the wondrous world wide web. They chatted about her single Power, the struggles of being creative in a pandemic, and the possibility of touring by camel.
Tyson Elder: It’s very exciting to have you as February 2021’s Zone Band of the Month. Congratulations!
Sierra Lundy: Thank you for thinking of me!
TE: Before we get too far into the interview I have to tell you webmeister Bud and I are very excited to finally share some of our photographs from our Band of the Month shoot. It was a lot of fun to work with you again and Citrus & Cane was the perfect location.
Sierra: It sure was — Citrus & Cane is a tasty place.
TE: This month The Zone @ 91-3 is going to be featuring your latest single, Power. Could you tell me a little about the song and the process of recording it?
Sierra: The genesis of the melody came from a late-night romance with the piano, which always puts me in a bit of a trance. Words covertly snuck into place, and it wasn’t until I stopped playing that I started figuring out what it was all about. It sounded like a soft frustration, or a calm desperation, and it vaguely spoke about problems of power. Then I watched the HBO Chernobyl series, and seeing this theme of mishandled power play out to such a disastrous and devastating degree made the rest of the song easy to write. It became a commentary on inequity and the distribution of power; who deserves it, who has it and who doesn’t. Jon helped me put it together a bit more succinctly, and we went over to Maple Ridge to record with Jonathan Anderson (who is Ocie Elliott’s main man). A network of conversations lead me to this guy in Seattle called Andy Park — who has a beautiful ear and an impressive repertoire — and he ended up mixing the track. Then a buddy of his, called Ed Brooks (who has also worked with some remarkable artists), did the mastering.
TE: I found myself listening to Power on repeat while I soaked up some of that rare winter sunshine the other day. The keys and your voice are hauntingly beautiful. Power was one of the first songs of 2021 to get stuck in my head. I’d like to thank you for that.
Sierra: Haha, hopefully the song didn’t overstay its welcome in your head. But I’m glad it had enough power (yes, I went there) to stay for a while.
TE: How have you found releasing music different now versus pre-pandemic?
Sierra: It’s a very different experience… mostly because you can’t celebrate with friends and actually play the music live for audiences when the songs are fresh and exciting. Although, we are fortunate to have radio stations and streaming methods these days, so we’re still able to get our music out there.
TE: How have you found songwriting and the creative process as a whole during the pandemic?
Sierra: It’s been an odd era, positioned on the edge of something you can’t quite grasp, but you know if you make the wrong move, whatever that might be, it could get really bad for a lot of people. The world is collectively undergoing such drastic changes and we’re learning how to adapt to hypotheticals that each day could bring… it’s a hard process for me. Having this feeling of uncertainty sustained for so long, you want to shake it off and write about something else, but this is the truth of the moment and it’s hard to escape. Haha, that was a very convoluted way of saying that creativity has been a tough one for me lately. But I do have surges, and Jon is always so full of inspiration that it has rubbed off on me in the right moments. We were able to record two small albums together during this past year, so I’m very grateful for that.
TE: You’ve released a handful of fantastic singles in the past year and it has left many of us wanting more. Do you have plans on releasing a full-length album in the near future?
Sierra: That was the plan—COVID threw that a bit off-course, but I have confidence that things will straighten back out soon.
TE: Over the past few years you’ve been posting live sessions with your Ocie Elliott collaborator Jon Middleton as well as some solo Instagram sessions. With the state of things, artists have been finding new ways to connect with their fans and perform live. Have you safely performed live during the pandemic or branched out into the world of online concerts yet?
Sierra: Jon and I are a bit at odds with zoom performances… we already feel like we’re awkward in the real world, and I think that multiplies tenfold when we’re singing to a screen and can’t pick up on the physical energy of the audience. But we have been continuing our ‘CRV’ sessions — where we record live songs inside our Honda — which feels a lot more natural because we’re facing each other and singing to each other. We also managed to sneak in a small series of local shows at the Breakwater Tasting Room in the summer, which felt incredible.
TE: While it may be hard not to live day-to-day at the moment, do you have anything planned for life post-pandemic?
Sierra: My plans are to feast on face-to-face conversations, jump onto any plane, train, tour bus, or horse-and-cart that will bring me to a stage, record, tour, record, tour, record, tour, ride a camel, tour on camels, record on camels, hahaha I’m not exactly sure. I just want to throw myself at things I would have been hesitant about, or maybe just wouldn’t have bothered with, before the pandemic.
TE: A tour on camelback sounds like an amazing adventure. It’s been a pleasure chatting with you, Sierra. I’m looking forward to hearing your new song Power on The Zone @ 91-3 this month.
Sierra: Thanks again Tyson, always a pleasure chatting with you as well.
Sierra Lundy’s latest single, Power, will be featured on The Zone @ 91-3 all February 2021. You can the song as well as two more of her songs for your listening pleasure on their Band of the Month page.
We would also like to thank our friends at Citrus & Cane for letting us their space for our Band of the Month photo shoot. Citrus & Cane is the perfect place for those of us craving that tropical vacation that is just out of reach at the moment. We highly recommend Lemony Ginger’s Series of Rumfortunate Events, Sleeping Lotus, Part Time Tiki Punch (it has fire), and of course Don Draper’s Jamaican Vacation (it was named by Tyson).
Rocktographers is a proud supporting sponsor of The Zone’s Band of the Month program.