Claire Rousay is a Canadian-American experimental musician and composer based in Los Angeles. Rousay, who is currently signed with Thrill Jockey, is known for using field recordings to create

musique concrète Musique concrète (; ): " problem for any translator of an academic work in French is that the language is relatively abstract and theoretical compared to English; one might even say that the mode of thinking itself tends to be more schematic, ...

pieces.

Early life

Rousay was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, and moved to San Antonio, Texas, with her family when she was ten years old. Rousay's interest in music began at the age of three when she began piano lessons with her mother, a professional pianist. Growing up in an Evangelical Christian household, Rousay played drums during church events until she distanced herself from Christianity. She dropped out of high school at the age of 15 and became a solo percussionist.

Career

In 2020, Rousay released the album ''It Was Always Worth It'' via Longform Editions. In 2021, she released ''A Softer Focus'' via American Dreams. The album was a collaboration with San Antonio-based visual artist Dani Toral, who first met Rousay in middle school. Rousay has also collaborated with her best friend and fellow Texas-based experimental musician Mari Maurice, who performs under the name More Eaze. They have released two collaborative albums together, ''An Afternoon Whine'' in 2021 and ''Never Stop Texting Me'' in 2022. In 2023, Rousay signed with American record label Thrill Jockey with plans to release an album for the label in spring 2024.

Musical style

Rousay uses a

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to record everyday sounds and uses them to create

pieces. Her music has been described as experimental and "emo ambient".

Personal life

Rousay, who moved from San Antonio to Los Angeles in 2022, still maintains her Canadian citizenhip. She hosts a weekly online show on

NTS Radio NTS Radio (also known as NTS Live or simply NTS) is an online radio station and media platform started in the Hackney area of London. The station was founded in April 2011 by Femi Adeyemi "for an international community of music lovers". NTS b ...

. In 2019, Rousay came out as a trans woman. The proceeds of her 2022 album ''Wouldn't Have to Hurt'' were donated to The Trevor Project. She also has a dog named Banana.

References

{{reflist American transgender musicians Canadian transgender musicians Canadian experimental musicians American experimental musicians Musicians from Winnipeg Musicians from San Antonio LGBT people from Texas Thrill Jockey artists Transgender women musicians