Hard work and dedication to performances come naturally to musos like The Burying Ground when the love for music is so ethereal it spans decades, eras, and even genres.
Devora Laye and Woody Forster started their musical journey as a duo hailing from Vancouver before evolving into a five person band to become the jazzy, boppin’ act they are known for today.
“We listen to a lot of old music,” said Laye, official washboard, saw and kazoo player for the band. “We’ve both been down to New Orleans a couple of times, we draw a lot of our influences from that area. It’s accessible music... it has a kind of raw edge to it.”
Adopting three more band mates and a collection of dance parties, the band has left a trail of charmed hearts and dapper vibes with their eclectic blend of ragtime, blues and jazz.
“We formed as a duo about three or four years ago,” said Laye. “Woody and I played about four shows locally and then headed off on a tour throughout B.C. We toured as a duo for the first two years, and then we really wanted to expand and have a bigger band and open things up for us.”
The Burying Ground have certainly hit the mark, with the recent release of their self-titled album filled with original tunes.
“Woody and I wrote all the songs together. We recorded at Monarch Studios in Vancouver. This is our first album that we’ve done that’s just our original tunes.”
“Our last EP was all renditions of old songs from the 20s and 30s, and we were still kinda figuring out our sound. We’re really excited to have this one that’s really representative of what we’re doing and where we’re at right now.
While the band’s original work draws strong influence from the sounds of that period, it’s the lyrics behind the songs that keep it fresh and relevant.
“Our lyrical content is really important to us,” said Laye. “So we put a lot of thought into what we write about and try and address some of the things that are happening locally.”
“We love to pass on the tradition of sharing old songs and keeping them alive and doing them in our own way.”
One of the best parts of The Burying Ground’s sound is how well it translates to a live setting.
“Some shows are more sit-down shows and therefore it’s nicer to be able to prepare more story content,” said Laye.
“Intimate shows create a lot more of that type of interaction, whereas if we’re playing at a bar or something, we wanna keep people dancing.”
Jasper will see no less.
“We loved playing there last time! We will be playing our full album we just released, as well as a bunch of old standards.”
Jasper can catch The Burying Ground at the Olive Bistro and Lounge on June 12th at 8:30 p.m.
Advance tickets are $10 or $15 at the door.
Tash Loh
Special to the Fitzhugh
