Cara Luft

Luft was born 27 May 1974 and raised in Calgary, Alberta to folk-singing parents. She was brought up in the city's vibrant folk music community. She began playing dulcimer and autoharp at the age of four, and started singing with the family band. Her guitar self-studies began at age 11.

After spending four years living in British Columbia, she moved to Winnipeg, Manitoba in the fall of 1999 to further pursue her music career. She developed an understanding of alternate tunings and both finger and flat-picking techniques, becoming an accomplished acoustic guitar player.{{Citation needed|reason=by whom?|date=December 2015}} She performs as a claw hammer banjo player, and sings with an alto voice. Her writing and playing styles are influenced by rock groups such as Led Zeppelin, as well as both modern and traditional folk music (British, Canadian and American styles). She has worked as a workshop leader and instructor at international music camps, including the Puget Sound Guitar Workshop, Foothills Acoustic Music Institute, Colorado Roots Music Camp, and Goderich Celtic College.

In 2000 Luft released her debut album, Tempting the Storm.[http://exclaim.ca/music/article/cara_luft-light_fantastic "Cara Luft The Light Fantastic"]. Exclaim!, By Rachel Sanders, 23 May 2007

Luft co-founded and performed with the Wailin' Jennys in the early 2000s, which released a self-titled EP and an album, 40 Days, in 2004.[https://www.straight.com/article/folk-fest-wailin-jennys-cara-luft-breaks-folk-fashion-rules "Folk Fest – Wailin' Jennys' Cara Luft Breaks Folk-Fashion Rules"]. Georgia Straight, by Shawn Conner on 15 July 2004 Luft left the band soon after and set out once more on a solo career.{{cite news |url= http://www.scotsman.com/news/gig_review_cara_luft_1_761333 |title=Gig review: Cara Luft |date=23 July 2009 |work=The Scotsman|accessdate=15 January 2012}} She released the album The Light Fantastic in 2007, which was produced by Neil Osborne of the Canadian rock band 54-40, and mixed by Warne Livesey.{{Cite web |url=https://www.thestar.com/entertainment/2007/04/05/autorickshaw_sleek_inventive.html |title=Autorickshaw sleek, inventive |website=Toronto Star |access-date=2023-01-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181227085037/https://www.thestar.com/entertainment/2007/04/05/autorickshaw_sleek_inventive.html |date=5 April 2007 |archive-date=27 December 2018 |url-status=dead }}

Luft toured Europe with Liverpool-based side musician Scott Poley, a music producer who plays guitar, pedal and lap steel. In Canada she toured with bass player Gilles Fournier, sometimes with guest musicians Donovan Giesbrecht and Chris Neufeld of The Other Brothers. Her co-writing partner for the album Darlingford was Lewis Melville, of Guleph, Ontario.

Luft performed in Scotland in 2008 with Hugh MacMillan,{{cite web |url= http://www.heraldscotland.com/cara-luft-hugh-macmillan-edinburgh-folk-club-1.895301 |title=Cara Luft & Hugh MacMillan, Edinburgh Folk Club |work=The Herald |date=21 November 2008 |accessdate=15 January 2012}} and returned to tour with him again in 2009. In 2012 she released another album, Darlingford on the Blue Case label.[https://www.straight.com/article-828026/vancouver/cara-luft-darlingford "Cara Luft's Darlingford is filled with raw emotion"]. Georgia Straight, by Alexander Varty on 7 November 2012

In 2016, Luft joined with JD Edwards to form the duo The Small Glories. They released their debut album Wonderous Traveller in February 2016.{{cite web | url=http://www.confrontmagazine.com/2016/01/news-the-small-glories-to-release-debut-album/ | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160411164855/http://www.confrontmagazine.com/2016/01/news-the-small-glories-to-release-debut-album/ | url-status=usurped | archive-date=11 April 2016 | title=The Small Glories To Release Debut Album | work=Confront Magazine | date=14 January 2016 | accessdate=24 April 2016}}{{cite web | url=http://www.themanitoban.com/2016/03/the-small-glories-wondrous-traveller/27564/ | title=The Small Glories – "Wondrous Traveller" | work=The Manitoban | date=8 March 2016 | accessdate=24 April 2016}}

• Cara Luft (EP) (cassette only)
• Tragedy of the Commons (EP)
• Tempting the Storm (2000)
• The Light Fantastic (2007)
• One Take Only (EP)
• Black Water Side (2011)
• Darlingford (2012)

• The Wailin' Jennys EP
• 40 Days (2004)

• Wonderous Traveller (2016)
• Assiniboine & The Red (2019)

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• {{cite news |url= https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/thestar/access/1362344461.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Oct+11%2C+2007&author=JASON+SCHNEIDER&pub=Waterloo+Region+Record&desc=The+life+fantastic%3B+CARA+LUFT+MAKES+MOST+OF+CAREER%2C+POST-WAILIN%27+JENNYS&pqatl=google |archive-url= https://archive.today/20130131195857/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/thestar/access/1362344461.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Oct+11,+2007&author=JASON+SCHNEIDER&pub=Waterloo+Region+Record&desc=The+life+fantastic;+CARA+LUFT+MAKES+MOST+OF+CAREER,+POST-WAILIN'+JENNYS&pqatl=google |url-status= dead |archive-date= 31 January 2013 |title=The life fantastic; CARA LUFT MAKES MOST OF CAREER, POST-WAILIN' JENNYS |newspaper=The Record – Kitchener, Ontario|author=Jason Schneider|date=11 October 2007|accessdate=15 January 2012}}

{{Commons category|Cara Luft}}

• [http://www.caraluft.com/ Cara Luft] Official Website
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20160117032859/http://www.riegler.it/steinegglive/festival09/programm/20-B-eng.htm Short Bio]

{{The Wailin' Jennys}}

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Category:Living people

Category:Canadian folk singer-songwriters

Category:Canadian folk guitarists

Category:Canadian women folk guitarists

Category:Canadian women singer-songwriters

Category:Musicians from Calgary

Category:Musicians from Winnipeg

Category:Year of birth missing (living people)

Category:The Wailin' Jennys members

Category:Black Hen Music artists

Category:Canadian indie folk musicians

Category:Singers from Manitoba

Category:Singers from Alberta