20HERTZ: Jana Hunter - How can you be an artist and not reflect the times?

The Contemporary Arts Museum Houston is pleased to present a lecture by Jana Hunter, musician and singer of Lower Dens, in conjunction with CAMH’s music-based lecture series "20HERTZ." Hunter describes the lecture stating, “Music in America and the West in general has a strong tradition of powerful, honest, and simple critiques of injustice. Delivered in some of the best songs written to date, messages have been presented to the listening public in ways that both moved communities and progressed policy. As the world of popular music has grown increasingly commercial, political messages have been relegated to its fringes and all but disappeared. With the help of friends, we'll examine this long and storied history, its effects, the reasons why it's vanishing, and what to do about it.” Hunter began her career as a musician in Arlington, TX, before moving to Houston where she refined her solo music career and collaborative project Matty & Mossy. Later, Hunter continued to develop her music in Baltimore, MD where she formed the critically acclaimed band Lower Dens. Her work with Lower Dens has been lauded by press, including Pitchfork Magazine, Vogue, and Spin Magazine. “Hunter is a charismatic singer willing to deal in grand, sweeping gestures and also idiosyncratic specifics. 'Escape From Evil' is a vivid world of queer retrofuturism, a wide open space that offers access to the emotionality of the recent past without subscribing to its violence. Hunter embraces retro-pop as a channel of escape from the power that routes us in our mundane outer lives.” (Pitchfork Magazine). Hunter is recognized by the global music community as an innovator and influential voice, inspiring artists and musicians with her unique experiments in writing, performing, and artistic presentation. Admission is free and open to the public, but seating is extremely limited.