The Oda Tour
why go on tour? why come to shows? and how this tour is coming together
“Words on a page are incomplete. The poem, the novel or the non-fiction pamphlet are finished when they are taken up and engaged with. Connection is collaborative. For words to have meaning, they have to be read.”
- Kae Tempest, On Connection
The Oda Tour begins in ~TWO WEEKS.
I’ve been feeling a deep urge to document as many parts of this process as I can. There’s so much I’m learning that I don’t want to forget. Although tour prep technically began about 5 months ago; as the album was nearing the finish line (Jan 2025) my mind started weaving ideas. At the time, I was scouring the internet trying to find more behind the scenes of how a tour takes shape — as far as creative direction goes. The content on it seemed limited, so this is my attempt to create a post I needed one year ago.
Why Tour?
I randomly walked into a bookstore at the beginning of this year in Berlin and stumbled right up to Kae Tempests book “On Connection”. I read the first 8 pages and knew I had to take it home. I finished it later that same day and I can’t stop recommending it. Kae Tempest is an English spoken word performer, poet, recording artist, novelist and playwright. In the book, they detail (very beautifully) the importance of shared experiences especially during trying times (and my goodness are these wild times we are living in).
Of course this might seem like the natural progression; an album comes out—you tour. But lets not forget legends like Enya (who rarely ever performs live) or the reality that the act of going to a live show these days can feel like it’s high stakes: life is expensive, time can feel limited and we all seem collectively burnt out from day to day news. And yet, real life connection is more important than ever.
To borrow from Kae, for songs to have meaning, they have to be sung, and oh how I want to sing them to you in these rooms.
The Band
Over the years, I’ve loved learning more about production and working with some really talented musicians in the studio to craft songs. I’ve known for a long while that I want to tour with a band and bring the sonic world that’s sculpted into my albums, to the stage. It truly feels like a dream to nearly be on the road with this ensemble. We’ve just worked through a batch of first rehearsals and I couldn’t be more lucky and well surrounded. Singing this much has felt challenging/healing. A completely different experience from singing in the studio. I’d get home after rehearsals and crash, but the fatigue felt… great? It’s hard to explain. My dreams keep getting more vivid and musical too. I think I am elated ⊹ ࣪ ˖
Brian (guitar, sax), artist name BRAHNY will be opening all of my North American dates. Be sure to check out his music here and come early to the shows to catch his set.
The Oda Chair
On the albums cover, I am sitting on a wooden chair. As I’ve mentioned on here before, a chair became a strong symbol for me throughout the making of this record. A symbol of the ritual of repeated conversation, feeling changed each time you sit down and engage in shapes of listening. I wanted a symbol I could carry with me, something that would show signs of time and travel for this Oda era.
My friends, Emily Allan and Dom Di Libero (StudioRat) have an experimental creative practice. Based between Montréal and Toronto, they are known for monumental, soft-sculpture and inflatable installations made entirely from repurposed, single-use, and reclaimed plastics. Over the years, I’ve seen first-hand how passionate, talented and knowledgable both of them are not only with their soft-sculpture materials, but wood as well.
We came together and worked on what is now The Oda Chair.
I was so excited when this collaboration started to roll. In our initial conversations, I knew I wanted the chair to look and feel sturdy and for there to be a sense of ‘process’. Talking through the design elements with Emily, every angle of this chair felt so intentional. Seeing Dom at the woodworking shop was really special too. I was captivated watching her hands at work and understanding more about her process at the atelier.
Informed by the albums graphic design elements (by Emi Takahashi), the chairs back rest began to take shape.
Meant to be deconstructed and packed up each night (as a technical constraint for travel) The Oda Chair, to me, is now becoming a continually changing piece. Each night it will be built anew, inevitably marked by transport, audience presence and the performance.
Over the course of the last few weeks, it has reached its final form. I can’t wait for you to meet her on the stage.
The Oda Dresses
On the albums cover, I am wearing a Sample Garments muslin dress. In a way that’s felt organic and aligned, their garments have felt like the best place to exist inside of for this Oda era.
If you aren’t familiar with Zoë and Angelas work, I urge you to run to their instagrams and online shop (they make to order). They are such talented designers.
For the tour looks, I knew I wanted the feeling of the corset dress from the albums cover. This, as well as a visible sense of ‘process’ became an anchor for the design language of the dresses. Words fall short for this process with them. My love for slow fashion and independent designers only grows with time, I feel immense gratitude as I truly feel like these pieces are works of art I get to perform in and keep forever.
I’ve always felt like clothing carry memories. I look forward to having them feel “complete” as memories are made on the road with these garments.
There is one final piece that is still in the works…but you’ll have to come to the show and find out what that is!
In conclusion, looking at all these pieces of The Oda Tour either in their final form, or still in-process, I can say that one of the biggest take aways (so far) in the building of this tour has been getting out of my head and just doing but most importantly, doing with others. It has felt really good to practice a new balance of trying to have as much clarity as I can towards what I want and letting the process of collaboration change the outcome for the better. In many ways it feels similar to the studio, in other ways it does not.
It goes without saying that all of these elements are just an add on to the most important ‘parts’: sharing presence, music and time with others (all of the best intangibles). From a creative standpoint, I’ve enjoyed the challenge of taking existing elements from the albums writing process, research and album cover concept and expanding on it as much as we are able to on an indie budget.
The other day, I looked up at the trees and thought about how easy it is to love the bending of their branches, our eyes gazing at them with an understanding of some deep truth. Maybe its because we know how we bend towards the light too. We try, we fail, we succeed, we try again. It’s humbling and expansive. Oda continues to teach me so much (as an album, as a tour). I’m feeling nimble and open to try over and over, this time with you—in rooms, to make something new together each night.
Tour starts June 18th in Montreal, Canada.
I leave you with this a lip trill you can imagine me doing backstage in the greenroom every night.