Greyhound Katie Tupper

• 1 Disappear 03:31
• 2 Tennessee Heat 03:09
• 3 Whitney 02:59
• 4 Safe Ground 03:13
• 5 Sick To My Stomach 03:09
• 6 Right Hand Man 03:25
• 7 Obviously Desperate 03:33
• 8 Jeans (fall on my knees) 02:58
• 9 Round and Round 03:11
• 10 Original Thoughts 02:47
• 11 Cowboy Lullaby 02:58
• Total Runtime 34:53

Info for Greyhound

Greyhound, Katie Tupper’s debut album, is about the instinct to chase–fleeting desires, guaranteed mistakes, the feeling of home, love in all its shapes and forms. It’s already knowing the ending but letting it unfold anyway.

Tupper’s music, led by her deep alto voice, blends soul, indie, alternative, and R&B with a hint of country twang. Born in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Greyhound marks a sonic shift back to Tupper’s prairie roots, blending drum and bass with gritty steel pedal, analogue synth and incorporating stripped back folk-inspired elements.

Greyhound was produced with her touring partners and frequent collaborators Justice Der and Felix Fox. Regarding working with them, Tupper says, “Everything they created was so exciting and interesting to me that the whole album sound appeared in front of us within our first few sessions,” says Tupper about working with Der and Fox. “They were my inspiration to push my sound and to explore a corner of R&B that blends soul and heavy drum and bass with delicate guitars and strings.”

It’s this duality–the fast and slow, the hard and soft, deep and delicate–that shapes the journey of Greyhound. This record is a homecoming, a return to her roots with years of new experience. It embraces the expanse of the endless sky and the light of the golden fields with an undercurrent of the sidewalks and skylines she’s spent years calling home.

Love is at the heart of it, ranging from romantic to platonic to rooted in a place. “Greyhounds that race on tracks are given rabbit decoys to chase that are unreachable. If the fastest dog gets close to the decoy it just speeds up to make them run faster. It made me think about my relationships and how I act in the world,” says Tupper. “I am often both the greyhound and the decoy. Chasing something unreachable and being the thing that cannot be caught. A lot of the songs have this theme of cycle and chase.”

“Disappear” and “Sick To My Stomach” are slow burns, soft ballads that explore losing yourself in romantic relationships and obsessing over someone new. “Whitney” and “Safe Ground” celebrate growing up and coming of age with your best friend. “Right Hand Man” and “Jeans (fall on my knees)” have Tupper’s low, smoky voice on full display as she navigates the pressure of being someone’s one and only and laments her own bad habits in love. “Round and Round” is infused with longing and hope from the perspective of her hometown.

Greyhound marks an evolution, both lyrically and sonically, for Tupper. She’s learned lessons, felt feelings and then left them behind. The closing song, “Cowboy Lullaby,” feels like a traditional country ballad with steel pedal and string arrangements, backed by a 1960s drum machine and infused with Tupper’s signature gospel soul. It’s Tupper metaphorically riding out into the sunset on horseback–a sonic ode to the Saskatchewan plains.

The album feels like having a drink with your best friend, pointing fingers, admitting guilt, dissecting feelings and situations from the heart. It’s nuanced and honest, but it doesn’t take itself too seriously. It’s the morning after, sun streaming through the windows.

Katie Tupper, vocals
Nick Ferraro, drums
Justice Der, guitars, bass
Felix Fox, Wurlitzer, synthesizer

Katie Tupper
Beneath the painted hues and infinite prairie skies of Saskatoon -- a city in the heart of Canada -- lies a soulful, creative spirit that proves there’s much more to the so-called ‘fly-over states’ than grassland and grain silos.

Katie Tupper, a 23-year old neo-soul musician, embodies that spirit and is determined to show there’s an entire world of boundary-pushing, genre-defying artists at work within the often overlooked region.

Central to that mission is her new EP Towards the End -- a sultry, glittering debut that showcases Tupper’s mastery as a musician, writer and producer. With this new music, Tupper wants to connect listeners from across genres and generations. “I want everyone to be able to find a part of my music to connect to. The lyrics that I’m finding the easiest to write at the moment are very coming of age which I think a younger crowd gravitates to. That being said, the subjects I write about can appeal to all generations.” She says.

Towards the End is an ode to love, identity and the inextricable ways the two entwine. “It’s about navigating young love. About how we adapt and change with new people,” she says.

The five song EP is a bright and moving mix of indie and neo-soul that will have no trouble breaking hearts or soundtracking your new love.

Tupper also hopes to bring a sense of warmth to listeners. “I would like my sound to be an escape and to be a colourful moment of rest,” she says. “I’d like the lyrics to put you in a good mood, making you feel comfortable as a person who’s constantly changing and evolving.”

And those lyrics are captivating throughout the record, often betraying a keen understanding of how love reflects our past and present selves.

An important part of that reflection comes from Tupper’s growing up in prairie town Saskatoon, Saskatchewan surrounded by “fields of butter”. Inspiration is also drawn from her own experiences in love. On the opening track “Live Inside,” she challenges notions of identity and what it means to let someone change your appearance. “I don’t think you know, just how good it felt, to take golden hairs off your golden head” A reflection on a partner letting Tupper shave their head on a whim. A surrender into your relationship and allowing your partner to become a piece of who you look like everyday. She closes out the album with “Misbehavin’,” a painfully relatable love song about challenging bad habits.

Tupper began honing her music from a young age, turning early piano lessons into a tool for writing lyrics and melodies. Then at just 14 she toured the U.S. with a marching band, lugging a massive bass drum around in parades.

As she entered a world of creating and performing music professionally, she experienced the broad industry trend of diminishing women’s contributions first hand. As such, it was very important for her to stay involved with every element of the production process. Towards the End was written, performed, and arranged by Tupper and co-produced with Connor Seidel (Charlotte Cardin, Matt Holubowski). And we’re all better for it.

Tupper’s heart and soul is intertwined with every moment and every sound on Towards the End. It’s an honest glimpse through the eyes of a special, young talent.

This album contains no booklet.