Canadian composer and pop experimentalist Lydia Ainsworth has art virtually flowing through her veins. After studying cello and attending an arts high school, Ainsworth went on to study composition at McGill University and New York University. She began composing for independent and experimental films in 2011, eventually creating her own full-length album, Right from Real, which was released in September. Citing influences everywhere from classical composers like Edward Elgar to Bulgarian folk singing, Ainsworth creates a sound that is as expansive as the span of her inspiration.
Upon listening to Ainsworth’s offerings, one will notice that her music does sound markedly filmic, with a unique dimension that inspires colorful visualizations. One single from her debut album, entitled “Hologram,” illustrates this perfectly. Fading in with stunningly unusual harmonies, the song features an expansive soundscape that seems to illustrate a grand panorama straight from the listener’s subconscious mind. The piano mixes with a full orchestra of synthetic sounds, layered underneath Ainsworth’s hazy vocals, creating a universe of sound that is almost tangible.