Colin Stetson & Sarah Neufeld

The Montreal based duo of Colin Stetson and Sarah Neufeld, both known for their unique and acclaimed solo outings (as well as for their involvement in bands such as Arcade Fire and Bon Iver), combines their respective solo approaches in a way that is both seamless and uncompromising. Keeping with the parameters of minimalist, non-use of overdubs or looping technology employed in their previous solo recordings, Stetson and Neufeld create rich and exotic soundscapes and song structures wherein Neufeld’s violin and voice meet the myriad sounds of Stetson’s saxophones, clarinets, and muted vocalizations to create a sound that is reminiscent of earlier works, yet entirely new and surprising.

Sarah Neufeld is a violinist and composer. Best known as a member of Arcade Fire, she is also a founding member of the acclaimed contemporary instrumental ensemble Bell Orchestre. She also began developing pieces for solo violin in a more formal and focused sense in 2011. Neufeld counts Bela Bartok, Steve Reich, Iva Bittova and Arthur Russell among the formative influences for her solo work, in tandem with an ear for the textures and sensibilities of contemporary electro-acoustic, avant-folk and indie rock music.

Colin Stetson was born and raised in Ann Arbor, and spent a decade in San Francisco and Brooklyn working extensively live and in studio with a wide range of acts including Tom Waits, Arcade Fire, TV On The Radio, Feist, Laurie Anderson, Lou Reed, David Byrne, Angelique Kidjo and Anthony Braxton. Meanwhile he has developed an utterly unique voice as a soloist, principally on saxophones and clarinets, his intense technical prowess matched by his exhilarating and emotionally gripping skills as a songwriter. He settled in Montreal in 2007.