Vox Rea on their upcoming album ‘Art Oracles’

Vox Rea, a two-piece from Vancouver, is made up of sisters Kate and Lauren Kurdyak. They are gearing up to release their second album, Art Oracles, out May 23. They described their upcoming release as a break-up album, exploring feelings of grief, relationships, and the confusion of being in your late-20s. 

Art Oracles has a “few different vibes. There’s a bit of electro pop, indie folk, and a little indie rock,” Kate said. Lauren added that she’d say the duo’s default state is somber, and that they want to “ramp it up.” 

Their recent releases are more somber and moody, and they are looking to have more energy in their upcoming album and their new single “One Kiss,” which came out on April 9. Lauren detailed how other sets they saw during their time touring inspired the change. 

“We’ve been wanting to do a few songs that are more electro festival versus lay-in-grass folk. We want to have a few songs we could play late at night at a festival,” Lauren said. “We’ve been touring so much over the past two years and as we were touring, the shows that we connected with and loved were always the ones that made you feel euphoric. I think we were chasing euphoria a little bit more with this record.” 

 “The whole point of our music is to strip back to the most human parts of ourselves,” Lauren says

The band likes to write their music immersed in the nature of Vancouver Island. “There’s space and time and not as many distractions. Nature is this meditative space where you can reflect on your life and the stuff you’re going through. It fosters our music,” Kate said. 

Lauren added that the raw feeling of Vancouver Island is similar to the raw feelings within their music. “The whole point of our music is to strip back to the most human parts of ourselves. Nature is that as well, raw, it’s connected.”

Aesthetically, the upcoming album is very nature-inspired, but they have made an effort for it to not be tied to any city. “We want it to feel like it could be anywhere, kind of unknown,” Kate said. They want listeners from anywhere to be able to relate to the music. 

They both spoke about how they are aiming for authenticity and relatability in their stage presence as well. Kate said that while they used to curate an aesthetic or certain image in their earlier years, they’re now wanting to do “whatever [they] feel like doing in the moment.” They don’t want to tie themselves to a certain expectation or image. 

Along the lines of doing whatever feels natural, they teased a possible EDM project. Lauren said it would be “another era” of Vox Rea. The band has a wide range of sound and they aren’t looking to stick to one thing. 

Following the release of the album they are planning to tour western Canada. An Edmonton show date will be released, the date currently being ballparked for the spring.