"This is a new era for me, being independent and calling my own shots," says Butterfly Boucher of her self-titled album out April 10. Originally signed to the now-defunct but once mighty A&M records, her '04 debut Flutterby drew notable attention from David Bowie, Madonna, Ben Folds and Sara McLachlan. But Boucher was caught up in the decade's label maelstrom, and was unable to release her second album until 09. Now, as not only a performing artist, but also a multi-instrumentalist, writer, arranger, and producer - she's funneled her multiple creative outlets into the making of Butterfly Boucher with an adventurous and experimental spirit, crafting smart indie pop with alt rock muscle.
Boucher's work with others fed the sound of the new record. Immutable in her need to be more than a solo artist, she spent 2011 producing fellow Aussie native Missy Higgins forthcoming album, touring as a bass player and vocalist with McLachlan, and working with a new pop trio Elle Macho. "Everything broadened when I allowed myself to go beyond my solo music, collaborating with others has been key to keeping my own creativity bubbling as well as my sanity."
Boucher recorded in Nashville with co-producer Jamie Kenney, and she played most of the instruments -- including guitar, bass, drum, piano, synthesizers, and other odds and ends. "While making this record, I found that child-like joyful approach to creating music again, which I'd been craving," she said of her lushly layered - yet not overly ornate album.
Her joy in the process is evident on the lead track "5678!" "This song makes me super happy. I wrote it with my friend Katie Herzig -- we decided to take on the challenge of writing a dance song. A couple of my sisters have mentioned that it reminds them of the music I used to make when I was ten years old, when I was just messing around and having fun with a 4-track cassette recorder. It made me so happy to hear them say that."
"The Weather" and "I Wanted To Be The Sun" were the first songs she started recording for the album. "I was originally set on the album having a three-piece band sound to it, so it started out that way with me just playing guitar, bass and drums. However, my friend David Mead approached me about starting a 3-piece band with him and Lindsay Jamieson, and the band Elle Macho was born. It changed the whole direction of my solo album -- it freed me up to experiment with no limitations on what instruments I let myself use. I started looking at each song as though I was scoring a short film, each one having it's own world and emotions."
Though she plans plenty of time to work with others, it is her own music that exposes the depth of her talent. Like her previous album Scary Fragile, television and film have already begun picking up songs from Butterfly Boucher. Stretching the gamut from sincere to playful, her smart pop inhabits a world of pure creativity -- where fragility and force are complementary and indie rock accompanies heartfelt vulnerability.
