Rebekah Higgs Will Get Close To Bandmates On Tour

Multi-instrumentalist Rebekah Higgs is celebrating the release of her self-titled follow-up to 2005's Road To Eden with a journey across the Trans-Canada Highway, and the Halifax songbird is taking her buddy, indie troubadour Jon McKiel, along for the ride.

"Jon's band is going to back me up on tour," says Higgs, over tea at Halifax's Paper Chase Cafe. "We're going to do it all together.

"We're taking one vehicle. We'll all cram in there. We're hoping to try and make it as inexpensive as possible."

At the ripe age of 24, Higgs joins the ranks of seasoned Nova Scotia-based canaries Jill Barber, Jen Grant and Rose Cousins. Higgs fuses dreamy instrumentation with quiet, confessional lyrics. The petite pop pixie began tinkering on the piano, then took up violin and guitar at the tail end of university.

"I did a lot of poetry courses while I was in university," says Higgs. "I think that helps you think a little more outside the box when you're writing.

"As far as theatre, it helped me feel comfortable in front of people on stage. It just makes everything flow together when you like the show process and the writing process. With music, I kind of get the best of both worlds."

Higgs' latest release was produced and recorded by Joydrop's Thomas Ryder Payne. The duo worked closely together at crafting and capturing a sound that borders the traditional formula of folk music with the eclectic freedom of electronica. Higgs enlisted her friend Jud Haynes of Wintersleep for the album's layout, while Juno nominee James Mejia soaked up artwork credits.

When Higgs isn't cathartically working through the aftermath of love both lost and found by writing songs, she lends her musical ear to Folds Of Policy's upcoming record and her experimental trip-hop project, Ruby Jean & The Thoughtful Bees.

"We were just mucking around one night and thought we'd post a few songs on MySpace," explains Higgs. "Anyway, it was sort of a joke, but people seem really into Ruby Jean.

"I can kind of play some drums and bass. I play a little banjo and a few other things. It's kind of like when you have the basics of a few instruments, it's easier to pick up other ones."Higgs' album will be released on September 16.

Be sure to scope out her set with McKiel on these stages:
September 12 Halifax, NS @ Stage Nine
September 17 Wakefield, QC @ Black Sheep Inn
September 18 Ottawa, ON @ Zaphod Beeblebrox
September 20 Montreal, QC @ The Green Room
September 21 Kitchener, ON @ The Circus Room
September 22 Windsor, ON @ TBA
September 23 London, ON @ Alex P. Keaton
September 24 Hamilton, ON @ Club Absinthe
September 26 Toronto, ON @ TBA
September 28 Hamilton, ON @ The Casbah
September 29 Kingston, ON @ Clarks Pub
September 30 Guelph, ON @ Jimmy Jazz
October 4 Charlottetown, PEI @ Baba's Lounge
October 5 Fredericton, NB @ The Capital
October 20 Halifax, NS @ Halifax Pop Explosion