Voyageur: a radical departure

Kathleen Edwards’s new album was produced by her partner Bon Iver and marks her first foray into pop, says Ed Power

KATHLEEN Edwards is tired of being typecast. “I’ve always been regarded as an alternative country or Americana figure,” she says. “I’m okay with that. I love that music. I really do. But there’s more to me than one specific genre. With my new album, I wanted to make that point. I was keen to get away from the perception that I am a single, specific thing.”

This is why the 33-year-old Canadian hooked up with ethereal folkie Bon Iver, producer of her latest collection, Voyageur, which is a dramatic break from Edwards’s previous output. Instead of the rootsy sensibility of her earlier LPs, it radiates a chilly pop shimmer. The first time Edwards’ fans slap it on they might wonder if they are playing another artist’s record.