Musician and artist Theo Angell cannot be easily categorized, nor does he want to be. Although he grew up in a traditional Baptist family home, where singing gospels in church was the norm, he didn’t begin playing or singing in public until his mid-30s.
“I was a late bloomer,” said Angell. “I wanted to find my own voice first.”
Angell lived in New York City (NYC) in the 1990s, but was raised in the hills south of Portland, Oregon. Once he found what he calls the “no-wave” NYC scene, he began doing home recordings using electronic instruments, and found sounds. Angell has always written poetry and lyrics and when he found the guitar and his voice, he put those words to music.
“I travelled across Europe on a solo tour and in the Eastern USA,” said Angell. “I also toured with a band that opened for GodSpeed You! Black Emperor [a post-rock band from Montreal, Quebec].”
Angell will play for the first time, he said, in front of a festival audience in qathet. Although he has played a few small shows in Lund, this will be his first Sunshine Music Festival experience, which is taking place at Palm Beach Regional Park over Labour Day weekend.
“I will use a drum machine, looper pedals and some atmospheric things,” said Angell. “But, I also have my guitar with songs, some ballads, eco-conscious anthems and a couple of rockers.”
He plays earlier in the day (1 pm) and wants to bring some friendly, upbeat and easygoing sounds to the stage and for the audience members’ ears to hear.
“At a certain point I got rid of all my electronic stuff and I got a guitar and learned how to play and sing,” said Angell. “I’m focused on the guitar and songs, that’s where I’m at now.”
Angell plays around his house every day in Lund, where he lives, and finds lyrics through dreams and while doing physical work.
“I like doing physical work, it lets my mind be free,” said Angell. “I don't like over-intellectualizing; I wait for the lyrics to come to me.”
Angell is also a multimedia artist. His studio was featured in the qathet Studio Tour 2023 in August. His 3D-dioramas can be seen in Coastal Cookery and Base Camp, both on Marine Avenue.
“I didn’t start making art until I moved to Canada, and moved away from computer stuff,” said Angell. “I got into wood dioramas, and collage; it's super fun.”
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Angell started painting on glass and creating multilayers in a frame, using reclaimed or up-cycled materials.
He has words of wisdom for young people who want to be artists and/or musicians: “Be personal about it, and make it matter for yourself and your own expression. Go for it, be original, do it for yourself.”
For more information about Sunshine Music Festival 2023, go to sunshinemusicfest.ca. To find out about Angell, visit theoangell.space.
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