Serena Ryder back and coming to Sudbury – The Sudbury Star

Fish Griwkowsky/Postmedia Network

Serena Ryder is one versatile Canadian -- moving like a confident ghost through the walls of folk, country, lite rock and, lately, the sort of Autotuned, positive power pop that makes it seem like the entire history of rock and roll happened at once. Tonight, perhaps, until sometime around the break of dawn.

Ryder has in her quiver a bumping and moving collection of arrows to follow up 2012's hit Stompa. That 2012 album, Harmony, took her international, going platinum here and nabbing the singer another two of the Junos she's been shelving since the get-go.

Powerful and delicious, Ryder's new collection, Utopia, is like a snowball made of ice cream -- pick your favourite flavour, it's likely there. (OK, maybe not doom metal, but give her time, people.)

It's the old Willie Nelson trick: pleasing the cowboys and bikers at the same time -- although in Ryder's case you really do get the feeling she's aiming directly for the centre of the sun, in a good way, hoping to warm us all.

But why did it take her five years to release a follow-up album? Well, as the 34-year-old's been burning rubber in the industry since childhood, the simplest answer seems to be "because she could." She even relaxed, almost, which we'll get to. First, though, that hypnotic video, pushing forward through the triangles and singing faces "

Q. The video for Electric Love is so money - how much did that thing cost? Just kidding. But really, you must be happy.

A. I don't think I've done a video like that - it actually looks like an iTunes commercial or something. It was a bunch of different fans of my music that came to try out - who's not going to get in? Just have some fun, pretend you're singing!

Q. Recap the story of what happened between all the good things that happened after Harmony to the point where you released Utopia. Five years!

A. We toured almost three years on that record, which was amazing. I'd been doing this since I was eight years old, but Harmony was where I got songs on the radio. But I was exhausted, and that's what happens, especially if it's successful - you're always touring. After that cycle I decided I actually want to live a little bit, so instead of hanging out in Toronto, I moved to L.A. where I have a bunch of friends. I always wanted to live by the ocean, close to Venice, to Marina del Rey, and just had a really inspiring time. Everyone was constantly writing and making art so, instead of taking a break, I instantly started writing. I'd never written that way before where I was writing just for the love of it. I just got the bug. Over the course of two years, I ended up writing almost 100 songs. The theme of the album started coming out, my never-ending search for balance. One of my best friends is Simon Wilcox, a brilliant human being and songwriter and artist. We'd write a song in, like, two hours. Simon told me the First Nations story of the two wolves, everyone having a dark wolf and light wolf that live inside of them, battling each other. The one you feed is the one that wins.

Q. That's why there are wolves all over the album.

A. That was the beginning of it. I could see how this story can relate to every single human being. I'm kind of annoyed at that whole movement of The Secret and if you just think positive thoughts, positive things will happen. But there's so much truth and lessons in feeling sad, having that balance. It's a First Nations story, it's not my story to tell, but I learned from it. I thought, what if you feed both of them? If neither wolf is hungry, they're not going to be at battle with each other.

Q. You've been vocal about the dark side and depression before.

A. The reason I brought it out into the light during my last album is I feel like the worst part of any sort of depression or any sort of mental-health issue is that people feel totally, totally alone. The only way I've ever known how to express that is through my art and music. The only way I've really found help in my life is through that as well, relating to art and music, because it's something that can articulate it like nothing else. Relating is the most important thing -- because there's no winning. If you think there's a battle, there's going to be one for the rest of your life. When fans come up and say it helped to talk about it, I have to say I was doing it to help myself.

Q. I think the song Ice Age is the winner, that one really kills me. There's something very Canadian about talking about thawing.

A. (Laughs.) It's one of my favourites to perform.

Q. You've got an amazing voice, I think you can hit almost any note you want to -- I'm thinking Sanctuary. How do you feel when you're singing those songs where you really belt it out, compared to the faster pop songs?

A. I always do sway more to the songs where I can really put myself there emotionally. I'm glad you brought up Sanctuary, that's my favourite song on the entire record. There's something about holding a note when you're saying something poignant, holding that space -- it's almost meditative, it gives you that experience.

fgriwkowsky @fisheyefoto

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If you go

Celebrate Ontario150 in Sudbury with a free concert featuring Serena Ryder, Coleman Hell, Mia Martina and Jonathan Roy.

The ONtour concert series will be held at the Grace Hartman Ampitheatre in Bell Park on Aug. 19 from 6-9 p.m.

The ONtour concert series will provide the soundtrack of summer 2017 -- showcasing some of Ontario's brightest musical talent and enhancing its reputation as one of the most vibrant and diverse live music venues in the world. This all-ages event is rain or shine. To learn more about ONtour, please visit ontario.ca/ONt

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Serena Ryder back and coming to Sudbury - The Sudbury Star