IN-THEATRE & LIVESTREAM tickets available!
A Port Theatre DISCOVERY Series Presentation
It Started in the Garden Tour
Elise Boulanger is a sweet darkness wrapped in orchestral instrumentation. Hailing from the West Coast of Canada on Snuneymuxw territory, this Chamber-Folk-Pop artist completely captivates audiences with her haunting avalanche of a voice. Boulanger is a bilingual multi-instrumentalist and environmental advocate that creates cinematic dreamscapes. Imagine ethereal vocals soaring atop cello, violin, piano, drums and ukulele. Her lyrics are poetic, evocative and questioning. Her style is built upon her classical training and influences from both nature and artists such as Regina Spektor, Patrick Watson, Franz Schubert and Radiohead. Her sound is often described as being reminiscent of Kate Bush, Lana Del Rey, Kishi Bashi, Agnes Obel and CocoRosie.
Boulanger’s first music video, “It Started in the Garden”(2021), is dark and bestows a growing awareness about the importance of biodiversity. “It’s a moody love story of when you do something you love with someone you love and then they turn around and do it with someone else,” explains Boulanger. Visually, one witnesses choreography in intoxicating gardens and roaming wolves in Canada’s wild Pacific forests. Audibly, the listener is kidnapped by shimmering and tormented string passages fit with howling vocals. With an unwavering passion for taking care of the environment, Boulanger is collaborating with environmental organizations, such as Nanaimo Area Land Trust, to raise awareness about the indelible importance of biodiversity in the face of climate change. With the lyrics of “Nootka Roses” and “Ivy” she communicates about native and invasive plant species so that we can all live in a more resilient and supportive way.
With over 15 years of experience in the performing arts, Boulanger is at home on any stage along with bandmates Anatol McGinnis (cello, violin) and Natasha Hoskins (percussion). She has performed at the JUNO celebrations in Vancouver (2018) and many notable festivals on Vancouver Island including Cumberland’s Woodstove Festival (2019, 2021), Cowichan’s Koksilah Music Festival (2017), and Nanaimo’s Maple Sugar Festival du Sucre d’Érable (2020). Her main love, in addition to festivals, is playing for theatres such as the Tidemark Theatre (2020). Beyond Canada, she has performed in Belize (2017), France, Germany and the Republic of Georgia (2019). For more see: https://www.eliseboulanger.com
