Tasseomancy w/Mega Bog, Fake Buildings
Thursday, May 4, 10pm
The Seahorse Tavern, 2037 Gottingen Street
$10
Twin sisters Romy and Sari Lightman have been dancing around genres in their shared musical practice for years. They're currently working under the name Tasseomancy with bandmates Evan Cartwright and Johnny Spence and their latest album, 2016's Do Easy, sees the Lightman sisters extending their proclivities for melody and mystery to a magical conclusion.
The record takes equal inspiration from the philosophy of William S. Burroughs and late-night karaoke bars: It's a pop record about an esoteric ideology of mindfulness, a stunning achievement in both sound and vision.
"Do Easy as a record was inspired by many things, but the title is taken from a poem written by Burroughs called 'The Discipline of DE,'" says Romy Lightman. "It's a poem, but it's also a bit of a manifesto...for having a mindfulness in everything that you do to avoid greater chaos."
In conversation about the record, Romy points toward a connection between Burroughs' manifesto and the development of greater clarity in Tasseomancy's music.
"I gravitated towards [Burroughs] at the time because I was living in Toronto and living a chaotic life, I'd say," she says. "My lifestyle at the time definitely deviated from any kind of order. So I knew I wanted to turn this philosophy into a pop song. I like this idea of 'If you stay focused, it creates a little bit of ease.' Life's hard, we could all use a little bit of ease."
Romy says that the collaborative relationship between herself and her sister allows them both to see their creative energy from another perspective: While Romy takes interest in experimentation and mood, Sari pulls her back to the craft of songwriting. More and more, Romy says she finds herself appreciating this reminder that to be more "generous" in their music.
"My sister and I for the longest time really identified as outsiders making outsider music, but that has shifted," she says. "We're just trying to make a tune for a species; it should be for everyone."