The Bravest Ghost, Sean Craib-Petkau's current musical persona, is about to launch a new CD.
The disk, entitled Sparrow and the Seed, is Craib-Petkau's fourth, and second as the Ghost. His earlier CDs were released under the name Welcome To Reykjavik.
The name change came as a result of a change in music, said the young Yorkton-based musician."I chose it for a different sounding project," said Craib-Petkau.
Most solo artists simply perform under their own name, and Craib-Petkau said he has been asked why he has taken a different routes.
"My Dad always asks me why I don't go by my name," he said, adding with a smile, "I don't like my name. Nobody can say it."
Craib-Petkau said there is a growing number of solo acts taking on more band-like names, adding with technology "you are doing everything yourself" so often the soloist is performing the roles of a full band, at least in terms of their recordings.
In the case of the new disk Craib-Petkau said he does most of the music, although friends Zachary Lucky and Emily Kohlert do contribute.
So how has Craib-Petkau's music changed?
"With The Bravest Ghost I'm definitely exploring the darker side of my personality," he said, adding the change started when he moved to Winnipeg and found the experience was not as smooth as he had hoped. " These songs a little bit deeper."
Craib-Petkau said where his earlier music was about places and things, he now looks inward for inspiration.
"I started writing about myself," he said, adding "it's very exhausting" to use one's self to inspire music. He said once a song is written from within it tends to force self-reflection.
"For me, I really start judging myself. I see all the things on a page about me, and it's really weird."With the songs being so personal Craib-Petkau said it takes more from him as a performer on stage too, knowing he is in essence sharing deeply personal pieces of himself through his music.
"They have no idea who I am really, but I'm putting out this part of my soul," he said.
The new disk also benefits from Craib-Petkau's growing experience as a musician. He said in terms of recording and performing he has gotten "a lot smarter," and that has given The Sparrow and the Seed a more mature sound.
That said Craib-Petkau reminded the disk is basically home recorded, and he doesn't want to polish the sound too much to take away from what self-produced CDs are.
"There's a certain sound it should have," he said, explaining fans of home recordings want a certain unrefined element to the sound.
The new CD launches Aug. 5 in Saskatoon, then at 5th Avenue Cup & Saucer in Yorkton Aug. 6, the first two stops on a Canada wide tour Craib-Petkau and Lucky will undertake over a three-month period.With the launch days away, Craib-Petkau said last week the disk is close to ready.
"Most of the recording is done with," he said, adding there were just a few spots he wanted to smooth out. "Then I just have to mix it."
In terms of the songs on the album, Craib-Petkau said he has drawn most from his existing material."Most of the songs are left over from the first Bravest Ghost," he said, adding the earlier disk came out in February.
"I really didn't hype that one up too much around here," he said. "I just wanted to see if people liked the style of music I was playing."
However, some songs are new too. Craib-Petkau said he wrote one as recently as Sunday, July 18, and it was one he felt was special.
"The one I wrote on Sunday, I knew immediately the song entitled Three Ghosts had to go on the album," he said. " I love it so much I just want to get it out there."
