One of the top priorities of Carla Werner, an up-and-coming
singer and musician from New Zealand, is comfort.
“I don’t wear shoes on stage. You have to feel
comfortable when you’re performing, and I can’t stand
wearing shoes when I sing,” Werner said.
With this unaffected and laid-back spirit, the genial singer
will perform Sunday, April 20 at the Westwood Brewing Co. as part
of the “Acoustic Live Showcase Series” featuring other
emerging artists such as UCLA student Jaryd Burton. Werner will
give her audience a preview of her upcoming debut album. Despite
the enormous amount of buzz she’s been gaining in the U.K.
music scene, Werner’s attitude matches her no-frills
look.
“There are no gimmicks really,” Werner said.
“The music comes from a real and honest place. I’d
rather make (performing) about the music more so than about my
appearance.”
Werner’s love for music has motivated her ever since the
early age of 11 when she joined a country music club in her small
New Zealand town. Though her powerful voice and guitar skill won
her numerous awards and considerable public exposure, Werner
eventually decided to stop singing altogether.
After her hiatus from music, which included a brief modeling
career and a permanent move to Sydney, Australia, Werner returned
to music with the objective to concentrate more on her songwriting
ability rather than competing. Werner found more gratification in
further developing her own, more contemporary sound apart from her
country roots.
Her first independently released album featured all-acoustic
songs which allowed Werner to present both her songwriting and
singing abilities in their most naked form. With her rich voice and
sincere lyrics, she caught the attention of many listeners in
Sydney.
As Werner gained popularity, she lent her voice to many other
artists, most notably in Paul Oakenfold’s chart-topper
“Southern Sun,” a dance track much unlike her older
material.
Although Werner’s music still retains an inherent
delicacy, the addition of a band as well as the evolution of her
own sound add a harder edge to her songs. Unlike her acoustic EP,
her upcoming album is more rock-oriented with heavy melodies and
rhythms.
“It’s not that I’ve changed; I’ve just
progressed and moved on with my songwriting ability,” Werner
said. “You just grow as a writer and pull out different
sounds with your instruments. I still think that I’m pretty
mellow, but I have the tendency to rock in places.”
Though the past few years in music have been dominated by glitzy
pop, Werner senses a change in music listeners.
“I feel like the scene is changing; people want more doses
of reality,” she said. “If you’re true to
whatever you’re doing and you believe in it and you’re
writing relatively good songs, I think people will respond to
that.”
Werner recently moved to Los Angeles and signed with Columbia
Records. She now has the ability to share her unique sound with a
larger audience, and reputable figures in the industry such as Ken
Nelson who has produced both of Coldplay’s albums and worked
with other bands like Gomez and Kings of Convenience.
Despite the big names and her increasing popularity, Werner
tries to keep a level head.
“I don’t think you have to have all that glitz and
glamour,” she said.