Chris Pureka

OnlinePrint

“For a woman who frequently performs solo and whose compositions are more quiet than clanging, Chris Pureka is making a lot of noise.” - Billboard

“Her tunes have the grave Appalachian flavor of Neil Young and Gillian Welch…” - The New York Times

Rarely does an artist like Chris Pureka come along. In an age of fleeting success and temporary notions, she is an artist of substance. Armed with a sharp eye for oft-missed details and an emotional intelligence that can switch from withering to compelling on a dime, she has been making albums on her own terms for over a decade. Now, with third studio album How I Learned To See In the Dark due for release 21st February 2014 via Haldern Pop, Pureka adds some bold new elements to the solid foundation she has been building throughout her ever-escalating twelve-year career.

Throughout her career, Pureka has prized autonomy over ease. She has released her all of her albums independently and plays upwards of 200 dates a year, enabling her to maintain a great deal of control over her process. That independent streak is also felt throughout How I Learned To See In The Dark. Pureka’s co-producer and longtime friend, Merrill Garbus (4Ad’s tUnE-YaRds) lent her signature quirky recording techniques and knack for alternative instrumentation to the album, helping Pureka expand her sound into as-yet uncharted territory. While maintaining her unique alchemy of longing, loss and hope, there is a sonic adventurism on How I Learned To See In The Dark that marks a new stage in Pureka’s musical evolution. With a newfound edginess, coupled with a more abstract sound, there is a musical depth and complexity that shines through each track, all the while maintaining the space and creative instrumentation Pureka is known for.

Pureka continues to perform her unadorned, country-inflected folk music in cozy clubs and grand theaters across the globe, oftentimes sharing the stage with the likes of The Lumineers, The Cowboy Junkies, Dar Williams, Martin Sexton and Ani DiFranco. Now, after settling into her newly adopted city of Portland, OR, and with the European release of How I Learned to See in the Dark in partnership with Haldern Pop, Pureka embarks on a new beginning which will see her expand her reach even further into the European market, bringing her heartfelt songs to her biggest audience to date. Pureka may have been making waves for over a decade, but 2014 marks the beginning of a new chapter in what is already a storied career.

How I Learned To See In The Dark is released 3rd March via Haldern Pop.