BADGER, NL - Kellie Loder is coming home.
The Badger native has been putting out albums since 2009 and is ready to start a provincewide release tour for her third album, with a stop in her hometown.
“I’m so excited,” she said of the show at the RC Parish Hall in Badger on Saturday, Feb. 10. “My hometown show, I think it’s going to be one of my favourites out of this tour.”
Loder began recording the latest album, “Benefit of the Doubt,” two years ago, working with producers Justin Gray in Los Angeles and Ian Foster and Daniel Adams in St. John’s. She also co-produced eight of the original 10 tracks on the album.
She said this is an album of change, adding she used to do Christian music, with her second album nominated for the Contemporary Christian/Gospel Album of the Year Juno award in 2012. Now, she thinks her genre is more singer/songwriter pop/folk.
“I sort of opened up new avenues for myself and a different audience and recorded some of songs that I’ve been wanting to record forever,” Loder said. “I think it’s an album of change for sure, and how we are always evolving as people.
“It’s an album of compassion. There’s a lot of peace elements inside of it. It speaks to the world at large right now with everything that goes on every day on the news.
“It’s all about personal experience,” she said, adding she is also inspired to write about other people’s stories. “I always say whatever my life is, my music usually is.”
The album took a while to complete, with Loder grateful for receiving funding from different associations.
“Without it the album wouldn’t have come to be,” she said.
Growing up her musical influences were of the “feels genre,” she explained, which is where she believes she is headed.
“Anyone that makes you feel stuff,” Loder said. “I think that’s becoming my thing. I can bring out these emotions in people that they didn’t know were there. If people can find themselves in one of these songs then I think my job is done.”
Loder said she has done shows as close to home as Grand Falls-Windsor, but “I’ve never done a show home,” she said.
“I’ve never done a Badger show since I’ve had a professional career. Everyone sort of knew me as the girl from Badger who plays hockey with the boys. They will probably say she really hung up her skates and picked up a guitar.”
She said she is excited to bring her work home.
“It’s just exciting because as a business, even as an artist, you have something to show people, you have something to give people, you have something to sell people,” Loder said. “I think it makes it worthwhile to perform more so now than it did before.”
Loder is moving to Toronto, where her team is located, in March.
“At this point in my career it seems like it will be the right move to enhance my career as a songwriter, to be able to write for other artists, as well as network with as many people as I can to build on relationships and my career in music,” she said.
For more information, including album and tour information, visit www.kellieloder.com.
Benefit of the Doubt
Album Release Tour
Thursday, Feb. 8, 8 p.m.
Corner Brook, NL (Rotary Arts Centre)
Friday, Feb. 9, 8 p.m.
Norris Point, NL (Cottage Hospital)
Saturday, Feb. 10, 8 p.m.
Badger, NL (RC Parish Hall) 19+
Friday, Feb. 16, 8 p.m.
Gander, NL (Beyond the Overpass Theatre)
Saturday, Feb. 17, 8 p.m.
Twillingate, NL (Masonic Lodge)
Friday, Feb. 23, 8 p.m.
Carbonear, NL (Freshwater UC Community Centre)
Saturday, Feb. 24, 8 p.m.
St. John's, NL (The Rocket Room)
