Bria

Bria is an intimate and incisive labor of love from multi-instrumentalists Bria Salmena and Duncan Hay Jennings. Catapulted by a deep sense of dread and confusion in the depths of 2020, Salmena decided to forgo writing her own music. “I wanted to listen for what might reflect my life back to me,” she says, “six tracks that could be my mirror.” The result is a pointillistic knockout of an EP that weaves a landscape both luscious and a little rogue; showing us exactly what good songs can do. Cuntry Covers Vol. 1 houses it all: well-worn favorites and lesser-known gems. Bria’s first release is a homage to songs that brought solace and relief in the stillness of 2020; as performed by Karen Dalton, Waylon Jennings, John Cale, Lucinda Williams, The Walker Brothers and Mistress Mary. Salmena and Jennings have toured for years as members of Toronto four-piece FRIGS, whose 2018 debut Basic Behaviour was long-listed for the Polaris Music Prize. Making a mark in diverse genres from country to punk, both play as permanent members of Orville Peck’s band.