Laura Barrett

A virtuoso on the kalimba -- an African instrument also known as the thumb piano -- Toronto-based singer/songwriter Laura Barrett also plays with indie pop collective the Hidden Cameras. Barrett's own music is simpler, often consisting of just the kalimba and her voice, and often quirkier: she began her solo career with a very different cover of the grunge parody "Smells Like Nirvana," which she performed at a Weird Al tribute show. Her song "Deception Island Optimists Club," on the other hand, is as wry as it is bleak, and was a finalist for the SOCAN ECHO songwriting prize. ...