Before she was known as Christina Maria (no, not the Kristina Maria who sings “Karma” and “Let’s Play,” so maybe that explains the name change): now she is known, simply, as Rykka.
The Vancouver-born musician is touring across Canada to perform songs from her latest album, Kodiak. This disc is completely different compared to her previous persona. Say goodbye to Maria’s folk melodies and hello to Rykka’s new, rocked-out sound and… songs written from an animal’s perspective?
“It gives a different point of view of the world,” she explains, matter-of-factly.
Rykka claims her voice transformed as she recorded Kodiak and she decided that this was her new calling.
“I decided it was such a different sound,” she says. “It’s more of a rock thing now, opposed to a folk thing.”
She says the concept of writing Kodiak from an animal’s perspective was an awe-inspiring twist of sorts. She uses the unique approach to focus on the environmental issues that have consequently harmed the land and affected nature.
“I wrote an album from the perspective of animals to try to bridge the gap between humans and animals,” she says.
The album gives listeners a chance to look beyond themselves and view the world from a different perspective, she says.
Rykka’s new single, “Blackie,” is one of her many unique songs that has a special element to it. In the song’s video, Rykka uses a technique that isn’t used very often: as she sings the chorus she hits her chest and gives her voice a deeper, resonating sound.
Rykka explains she was dazzled by the French Canadian artist Camille, who used a similar technique on stage.
“I saw her on stage, on YouTube and stuff,” says Rykka. “I saw this guy hit her back as she sung, and I thought, Whoa! That was really cool.”
Rykka
8 pm Saturday June 8
Solstice Café
rykka.com