You might not know Evan J Cartwright's name yet, but you've almost certainly heard him before — the Toronto-based musician is best-known as the drummer for a variety of acts including U.S. Girls, the Weather Station and recent Ought offshoot Cola. Though all of those artists have been recently active, Cartwright still has time to step out on his own for debut album bit by bit, which will be released on April 15 via Idée Fixe.
The album as a whole draws from the worlds of jazz, folk and neoclassical, and avant-folk lead single "and you've got nobuddy" thrums peacefully thanks to creaky room tone and twittering birds atop soft acoustic guitars, violins and Cartwright's sweetly sung vocals. The accompanying video, filmed by fellow local stalwart Colin Medley, finds Cartwright admirably lip-synching to the track while playing some very complex drum fills — on a song completely devoid of percussion, no less. While jarring, the video does a great job of showcasing Cartwright's propensity for puzzlingly endearing arrangements, drawing attention to his many compositional talents.
In a press release, Cartwright said of the single, "Many of the lyrics circle, and try to give a name to the illegible space between human beings. 'and you've got nobuddy' refers to a great tragedy: that although we did not ask to live, we are held responsible for what we do. Once brought into this world, there is no way to erase its attachment to us. And thus everything must go on living; us and our actions. My intention behind writing this song is to encourage people toward compassion."
Watch the video for "and you've got nobuddy" below, and keep scrolling for more information on bit by bit.
bit by bit:
1. st. peter
2. walk u through it (feat. Ambroise and Lune Très Belle)
3. she's a bird
4. i DON't know
5. st. joseph
6. or a bell?
7. and you've got nobuddy
8. more! says the heart, breaking
9. impossibly blue
10. ruby my dear
11. bit by bit
bit by bit is available for pre-order.
The album as a whole draws from the worlds of jazz, folk and neoclassical, and avant-folk lead single "and you've got nobuddy" thrums peacefully thanks to creaky room tone and twittering birds atop soft acoustic guitars, violins and Cartwright's sweetly sung vocals. The accompanying video, filmed by fellow local stalwart Colin Medley, finds Cartwright admirably lip-synching to the track while playing some very complex drum fills — on a song completely devoid of percussion, no less. While jarring, the video does a great job of showcasing Cartwright's propensity for puzzlingly endearing arrangements, drawing attention to his many compositional talents.
In a press release, Cartwright said of the single, "Many of the lyrics circle, and try to give a name to the illegible space between human beings. 'and you've got nobuddy' refers to a great tragedy: that although we did not ask to live, we are held responsible for what we do. Once brought into this world, there is no way to erase its attachment to us. And thus everything must go on living; us and our actions. My intention behind writing this song is to encourage people toward compassion."
Watch the video for "and you've got nobuddy" below, and keep scrolling for more information on bit by bit.
bit by bit:
1. st. peter
2. walk u through it (feat. Ambroise and Lune Très Belle)
3. she's a bird
4. i DON't know
5. st. joseph
6. or a bell?
7. and you've got nobuddy
8. more! says the heart, breaking
9. impossibly blue
10. ruby my dear
11. bit by bit
bit by bit is available for pre-order.