Understory | Artists
Laura Swankey
Photo Credit: Mickle Lynn
Canadian composer, improviser and electronic artist, Laura Swankey (she/her) is dedicated to exploring the full capacity of her voice, both in solo contexts and in collaboration with others. As a settler, she is grateful to live and work in Tkaronto, on the traditional territories of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation, Anishinaabe, the Haudenosaunee and the Wendat First Nations. Her most recent solo release combines dry and processed voice to create soundscapes beneath simple, earnest melodies and stories. The sound that is minimalist at some moments, can be dense, raw and abrasive at others. Laura also creates and presents with Mike McCormick’s Proxemics, Elisa Thorn's HUE, Jazz Bras Dot Com, Dr. Purgatory and Plastic Babies. She teaches at the University of Toronto and Humber College in their respective music departments, and is currently completing a master’s in counselling psychology.