Armed with only a violin and a drum kit, gypsy-dance duo The Imprints have been making waves from Australia to Canada with their dreamy late night beats.聽
While a two-person act might sound like it can鈥檛 pack a lot of punch, the Australian couple, Willow Stahlut and Linden Lester, said they鈥檙e able to offer a stripped down show if they want, however, most of the time they鈥檙e able to sound more like a five-person affair thanks to live looping and pedals.
鈥淭here are obviously limitations to what we can do, but we have no trouble making ourselves sound a lot bigger and really playing into that festival sound. I can make my violin sound like a bass or guitar and the keys,鈥� Stahlut said. 鈥淲e layer it up and like to get really creative to create that gypsy-inspired dance music.鈥�
With two albums and an EP under their belt, the two have been supporting their work across Europe for the past few years, however, Stahlut said for the longest time it鈥檚 been their goal to make it to Canada.
A few weeks ago after performing in Greenland, they headed south and finally made that dream a reality, toting their gear to various events across Alberta and British Columbia. As they make their way to a string of festivals throughout the Canadian Rockies, Stahlut said they made sure to find a spot to stop in Jasper. The two will bring their larger-than-life festival experience to the Jasper Royal Canadian Legion, Aug. 6.
鈥淎t each venue we always try to gauge the audience and we鈥檒l play what we think will cater to them, but usually our goal is to get people dancing and that鈥檚 usually the type of people that come to our shows,鈥� Stahlut said. 鈥淲e always say the best audience is the dancing audience.鈥�
After their legion gig, Stahlut and Linden will be packing up their gear and heading off to Dunster, B.C. for the Robson Valley Music Festival, Aug. 12-14.
鈥淲e鈥檝e been recording a lot at festivals and we want to release a live album sometime later in the year,鈥� said Stahlut adding that maybe some of the recordings from Canada will make the cut on their future album.
After their three-day stay in Dunster, the duo will spend the rest of the summer in Western Canada, serving up their eclectic tunes for all to enjoy.
鈥淪o far we鈥檝e found Canadians in general to be super friendly. They are very open and giving,鈥� Stahlut said. 鈥淲e鈥檝e found Canadian audiences to be less reserved than Australian audiences and we鈥檙e enjoying that鈥攑eople here seem to be more up for the dancing and that鈥檚 something we love.鈥�
The Imprints hit the stage at the Jasper Royal Canadian Legion on Aug. 6 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $15 at the door or can be purchased in advance at www.ticketweb.ca.
Kayla Byrne [email protected]
