All I Am
Debut EP Release
Known as a strong collaborator in the Toronto independent music scene, Toronto-based, Filipino-Canadian musician, Belinda Corpuz, takes a different role as bandleader with the release of her debut EP,
All I Am.
Self-produced, and recorded at Lincoln County Social Club, All I Am is a unique offering to the folk music genre, blending Corpuz’s singer-songwriter sensibilities with indie-rock grooves, and wild improvisation. Her diverse arrangements are abundant in instrumentation, marrying the acoustic with electronic, showcasing her band’s interplay and unity. This combined with simple melodies, and her soaring voice, make Corpuz’s music rich in texture, intuitive, emotional and highly personal. At its core, All I Am is an exploration of the all-too-familiar journeys of loss, joy, guilt, and forgiveness, making it a collection of songs that all can connect to.
All I Am features musicians Sam Gleason (Omhouse, the Hidden Cameras, Charlotte Cornfield), Chris Pruden (Rachael Cardiello, Tara Kannangara), Malcolm Connor (Jazz Money), and Evan Cartwright (Omhouse, Tasseomancy, Andy Shauf, The Weather Station).
The album has garnered attention, with an exclusive feature on CBC Radio’s Fresh Air, and “Waiting” featured on Metro Morning with Matt Galloway.
All I Am officially released on April 28th, 2017, with a successful, sold-out show at Burdock Music Hall (1184 Bloor St. West).
Reviews for All I Am:
“…The star of the show is Belinda’s rich, powerful vocal, it brings to mind the likes of Mitski or Squirrel Flower as unexpected melodies swoop and soar from the mix." - For the Rabbits
"Folk, pop, and a bit of jazz have been softly folded into one another to make for a delicate offering that’s topped with Corpuz’s hushed and skilled vocals – she has a quiet confidence. Rating: Proud Hoot"
"A flood warning. In only six songs, Filipino-Canadian singer-songwriter Belinda Corpuz, together with her accompanying band, manage to do something in her debut EP, All I Am that most artists can’t do in a full-length album, to deliver a satisfying collection of folksy to poppy tracks that transcend pigeonholing and genre. If you had to define their sound, it is rich and supple carried by facile vocals with largely strings driven pieces." - Ysh Cabana of Huffington Post
“Storm is a fine example of her ability to push the boundaries of what we consider folk… Electronic elements form and dissipate like bubbles rising from the deep before a reverberating piano line carries the track to a percussive interlude reminiscent of The Acorn. Like the titular storm, this track seems to build and fade, making its way menacingly towards the heart of the squall, a chaotic mess of fluttering piano keys, booming backing vocals, percussive flurries and distorted guitars, before, like a storm, it passes into a sun-drenched outro.” -For the Rabbits
“...tender arrangements with a shimmering guitar in the distance of windswept debris and lush harmonies coalesce with Corpuz’s divine vocals and words that radiate the space with hope and promise.”
-Phil Relegado, Ohestee