Songstress shows Swagger

Ask Lucie Idlout to classify her music and without a moment’s hesitation she’ll tell you it’s rock. Idlout’s (pronounced Id-lowt) second album Swagger was released Feb. 10 to positive reviews.
Compared to her first album E5-770, My Mother’s Name Idlout says, “Basically with it being the second or follow up album … with there having been some time in between there was some relief. The writing is a little tighter, a little more concise, less aggressive.” The songstress is well on her way in the music scene having opened for Buffy Sainte Marie and The White Stripes as well as playing numerous concerts and festivals from Canada to the Netherlands.
When writing Idlout says, “Sometimes ideas lyrically come to me from different places, I just need to be in a reflective spot in terms of my own mind.” She added that she prefers to write from the comfort of her own home.
The track “Angel Street” from Swagger was written by Idlout to tell the tale of her friend Irene who was a victim of abuse. The song was picked up by the mayor of Iqualuit who helped to have the street of the local women’s shelter renamed Angel Street.
Several other cities across Canada have joined the initiative to have the streets where their women’s shelters are located given the same name after Idlout performed the song at a function for the provincial and territorial ministers of the Status of Women, a federal government organization that promotes the full participation of women in the economic, social and democratic life of Canada. “Angel Street” was recently turned into a radio documentary of the same name and was played on CBC’s The Current.
“I think overall it was a pretty special project that took place,” said Idlout.