Interview: Terra Lightfoot

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From the moment that Terra Lightfoot, solo artist and member of Hamilton’s Dinner Belles, walked into Mulberry Coffeehouse with her guitar case slung over her shoulder, it was clear that she was easygoing and sociable. In a small coffee shop, you don’t expect to see people you know — unless you’re Terra, and you run into two before you even sit down. It quickly became apparent why people seem to gravitate towards her.

Terra lists Etta James, Sharon Jones, Chet Baker and Lead Belly as her musical inspirations, has the kind of full voice that outstrips the confines of the room she is in. Her newest album, Every Time My Mind Runs Wild, comes out on April 14 and features her already released single “Never Will,” and my personal favourite, “Emerald Eyes.”

When asked to describe her sound in one word, Terra laughed and scolded my line of questioning.

“That’s a tough question, but roots. I hate descriptions, but roots has this earthy vibe to it.” And when I granted her two words, “Roots rock. It would definitely have to be rock because my aunt came to hear us play and went ‘this is really loud.’”

Every Time My Mind Runs Wild is a collection of songs with attitude, an album that I would put on while getting ready to go out on a Friday night.

“My first album, on the cover, there is this sleeping fox — which is actually supposed to look like my dog Ella, but that’s not what happened — anyways, the sleeping fox kind of formed the entire album. It was sleepy, it was dreary. This album is more rock, more upbeat. There are a lot of party songs.”

Terra spent pre-production for Every Time My Mind Runs Wild on Toronto Island, where she recorded her first album, with the beach a couple of feet from her recording equipment. Many of the songs on Every Time My Mind Runs Wild were recorded live, giving her free rein to go where the mood struck. In the end, it made for an album intimate enough that you wouldn’t know the difference if she was playing right beside you.

For Terra, music is an extension of where she is in her life, and right now, it’s about having fun.

“I’m writing things that are more fun for me to play and are more engaging. Whereas [on the first album] it was almost a cathartic emotional process – emotional in a sad way – now I’m having fun with it. Honestly, it’s mostly about love. But what record isn’t?”

When asked about her first dabble in music, Terra credited her mom with throwing her off the deep end.

“My mom took me to Suzuki piano school when I was 5. I took those lessons until I was 10, and then she bought me a guitar at a garage sale. It’s actually the worst guitar ever. I didn’t start singing until I was 16, probably. I used to always sing in my bedroom and my mom would always think that I had a friend over. She would ask ‘who is your friend with the nice voice?’ and I would pretend not to know what she was talking about. I was trying to be really quiet because I was really embarrassed.”

In the end, embarrassment turned out to be a phase. Not everyone can say that they became the very thing they dreamed of at ten years old, and Terra is doing an incredible job while she’s at it. Every amount dreamy as it is gritty, Every Time My Mind Runs Wild will renew your zest for life.

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