Neko Case
Biography
Starting out in music as drummer and
teaching herself to sing after that, to great critical acclaim, Neko Case is
now being recognized as songwriter.
An honourary musical Canadian, she is Chicago-based. Born September 8, 1970 in Alexandria, Virginia,
Case is of Ukrainian descent. She grew up around horses, cows, goats, and
chickens, staying close to her grandparents that were farmers but she got out
into the world early though, leaving home at 15. While attending school she
played in several local bands, including the Del Logs, the Propanes, the Weasles,
most cub -- punk groups, but some with a country bent.
In 1994, when she joined the all girl, punk band Maow in Vancouver and taught herself to sing by
"paying close attention to what other people do." While there she
attended the Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design, and in 1998, earned a BFA.
By the time her student visa ran out, Neko had received six award nominations,
two from the British Columbia Country Music Association and four from the Georgia Straight.
In 1997, Case recorded her solo debut, The Virginian, a traditional country
album that revealed a rough, vulnerable voice of strength and range that caused
critics and her growing legion of loyal fans to swoon. John Doe of X, described her voice
as one with a lot of heartache… "like something out of the past.”
Multifaceted, Neko also taught herself to play guitar and other instruments,
and is an accomplished visual artist as well.
Recalling November 1999, Bob Egan reported “I was in Toronto working on Oh Susanna's record and I heard that Neko was in town recording at the Gas Station. I called Don, co-owner of the studio and offered my services.
He invited me by when I got a day off. To Neko I said "Hey, I'm Bob and I
want to play steel on your record." She was cool with that. He refers to
her second album as a classic. Furnace Room Lullaby, released in 2000 garnered
countless accolades in publications like The New York Times, GQ, Esquire, Interview, People, and Time.
Neko continued to tour in the United States and Canada, both on her own and with acts including Blue Rodeo and Great Big Sea. In addition, Neko formed The Corn Sisters, a duo with Carolyn Mark, to sing old-time country music. One of their
performances, at Seattle's Hattie's Hat restaurant in 1998 was recorded and released as an album, The Other Women in 2000.
Neko's personality is far from predictable. She's outspoken, independent and
indifferent to what others may think of her. Her work has earned her a Canadian
Juno music award as a member of The New Pornographers, in 2000 for Best Alternative Album.
Case made time to go back into the studio at the end of 2001 and recorded and co-produced Blacklisted (2002). For the first time, Case wrote most of the songs and played
a wide variety of the instruments including guitar, piano, saw and drums.. She
"twangs like Patsy Cline and croons like Loretta Lynn," according to Rolling Stone "so
Neko's just as easy on the ears as she is on the eyes."
In April 2004, Neko played two shows in Toronto with The Sadies, an indie rock/alternative country band she had often
collaborated with in the past. The live album of the shows, entitled The Tigers Have Spoken, was released in October of that year. Largely recorded at Lee’s Palace in Toronto,
it includes a Buffy Ste Marie cover since she’s one of the first recording
artist Case remembers “I loved her so much that I named my first dog after
her.”
Next, Neko went back into the studio with The New Pornographers to record their
third album, Twin Cinema, which was released in August 2005. In February 2006,
Neko was named Female Artist of the Year at the Plug Independent Music Awards,
right before the release of her fourth solo album, Fox Confessor Brings the
Flood. Mostly recorded in Tucson
Arizona, The Sadies again
participated as the backing band, and this time co-writing some tracks. She is
secretive about the inspiration behind her material, except to explain that
most of her songs are not autobiographical. But open enough to offer that
“Music might be the one thing that gets you through the really hard times."
Source: Mint Records, Neko Case's official website, Bob Egan's official site, SOCAN, NPR.org, Wikipedia
Relationship to Blue Rodeo
Neko has collaborated with Blue Rodeo, and many of
Blue Rodeo's collaborators! Here are some examples:
- Bob Egan (of Blue Rodeo) played on Neko Case's Furnace Room Lullaby. He can be heard playing lap steel
and National Resophonic on the song "Porch Light". He also played
pedal steel on the song "Thrice All American". (Dallas and Travis
Good of the Sadies also contributed to Furnace Room Lullaby. The Sadies are a featured One Degree here at bluerodeo.com.)
- Bob Egan (accompanied by Bazil Donovan)
opened for Neko Case at the Horseshoe Tavern in May 2000. Greg Keelor also showed up that night to
take it all in.
- On one big tour, Furnace Room Lullaby was the record Blue Rodeo played between the opening band and when they went on stage.
- Just weeks after the release of The Virginian, Neko was invited to perform at the
prestigious Havelock Country Jamboree, and shared the same stage
with Blue Rodeo to sing to a 10,000 strong audience.
- Neko played at the 1998 and 1999 Stardust Picnics.
- Bob Egan, Bazil Donovan, Oh Susanna, The Sadies, Ron Sexsmith
- all of whom are featured in the One Degree
of Blue Rodeo - have collaborated with Neko Case in one form
or another. They are all good friends.
- In June 2006, Jim Cuddy asked Darryl Neudorf (Neko's co-produces on all her albums) to mix four songs for his second solo album. Darryl also mixed Bob Egan’s entire third solo album.
Quotes
"Furnace Room Lullaby is the best country
record since 1972." - Bazil Donovan
"Playing on that record [Furnace
Room Lullaby] was great. I took a break from recording Oh
Susanna's record and went over to the Gas Station studio in Toronto
for the day. I didn't even know Neko nor had I heard her music
before - I just knew I would like it. I went in and said, 'Hey, I'm
Bob and I want to play steel on your record.' She was cool with
that.
"On our big tour this year, Furnace Room Lullaby was the record we played in the time between the opening band and
when we went on stage. It was pretty cool cause I would watch the Sadies play their set, then listen to
Travis (from the Sadies) and myself playing on Neko's record, and
then we would go and play. So now when I hear it, it takes me back
to all those shows in the Maritimes." - Bob Egan
Related Links
Official Neko Case Website
Last Updated
September 2006
Special Thanks To
leftbrain