Kyra Gordon – Woodstock (2024)
Filled with dreams of being a Hollywood actor, the then-teenage Kyra Gordon was dazzled by bright lights and promises. She left home and took to the road with high hopes but a sense of not necessarily disillusionment, rather a sense of discouragement as she soon realised she didn’t actually want this dream. Yet, her need for artistic expression was untouched and she began looking elsewhere from an artist’s commune to homegrown local bands, the California Jazz Conservatory, and ultimately a solo project. Using her diverse life experiences, Gordon is following a musical path, but the actor remains as she explains: “I see songs as little movies that I create… I get to act, sing, play piano and write, but it’s all in this tasty three-minute experience called a song.” Join us as we delve into her most recent single, ‘Woodstock’.
Following her well-received tracks ‘Nashville You Fooled Me’ and ‘Traveler’, Gordon pays tribute to the iconic Woodstock festival on its 55th Anniversary. In both melody and lyricism, ‘Woodstock’ is a kaleidoscopic whirlpool of various genres, styles and sounds but with the overarching theme of freedom. While she has a qualification in jazz vocals, her powerful voice lilts toward a strong folk tone with both soothing calm and brash angst.
Recorded and produced in California with Brian Rodvien and James DePrato, ‘Woodstock’ nods its head to legendary artists Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin and Richie Havens – all present at the 1969 anti-war festival. Along with Gordon’s rich vocals leaning toward Joplin, the soul-stirring guitar soars in its powerful classic rock solo as moving percussion treads beneath. For me, the track is more than merely a swirl of bold colours, it is an anthem for unity, independence and freedom as Gordon sings “Freedom!” Yet, ‘Woodstock’ is more than a mere tribute to the Woodstock festival, it is a stamp on the age-old issue of war that unfortunately continues in the 21st century. If an anti-war or anti-violence movement required a theme song, then Gordon’s ‘Woodstock’ is it.
Find out more about Kyra Gordon on her official website, Facebook, Instagram and Spotify.
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