Biography
In her narrative-driven indie compositions, Canadian singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Charlotte Cornfield conveys a striking degree of emotional openness. Her incisive, character-focused lyrics developed across projects, moving from the self-issued 2011 debut Two Horses to the more layered, intensely confessional, and resolutely hopeful material on Highs in the Minuses, which Polyvinyl and Double Double Whammy co-released in 2021. Teaming with Bonny Light Horseman’s Josh Kaufman, she delivered her fifth album, Could Have Done Anything, in 2023, showcasing an appealing blend of directness and intricate production choices.
Born in Toronto, Cornfield took up piano, drums, and French horn during childhood and later pursued jazz drumming studies in Montreal. Although she began composing in sixth grade, her initial solo outing arrived in 2008 via the self-released EP It’s Like That Here. Additional EPs followed with 2009’s Collage Light, before she self-issued the full-length Two Horses in 2011; she performed most instruments herself, steering the sound toward buoyant, genial rock and away from the occasionally acoustic, folk-leaning tone of those earlier releases. Consonant Records put out her second album, Future Snowbird, in 2016, captured live in the studio with input from Ought members and Tegan and Sara’s Johnny Spence.
The Shape of Your Name, issued in 2019, marked Cornfield’s highest profile release to date, earning favorable coverage and a spot on the longlist for the 2019 Polaris Music Prize. After signing with Polyvinyl Records, she saw Highs in the Minuses emerge in 2021 through the Double Double Whammy partnership; Howard Bilerman, known for his work with Arcade Fire, recorded it at his Montreal facility, where guests included Ada Lea, Suuns drummer Liam O’Neill, and Stars vocalist Amy Millan. Her subsequent album maintained a collaborative spirit yet unfolded more privately when she traveled to upstate New York to meet producer Josh Kaufman for the first time. The pair performed every instrument, completing the sessions in six days while embracing both impulsive energy and instinctive skill. Could Have Done Anything appeared in May 2023.
Born in Toronto, Cornfield took up piano, drums, and French horn during childhood and later pursued jazz drumming studies in Montreal. Although she began composing in sixth grade, her initial solo outing arrived in 2008 via the self-released EP It’s Like That Here. Additional EPs followed with 2009’s Collage Light, before she self-issued the full-length Two Horses in 2011; she performed most instruments herself, steering the sound toward buoyant, genial rock and away from the occasionally acoustic, folk-leaning tone of those earlier releases. Consonant Records put out her second album, Future Snowbird, in 2016, captured live in the studio with input from Ought members and Tegan and Sara’s Johnny Spence.
The Shape of Your Name, issued in 2019, marked Cornfield’s highest profile release to date, earning favorable coverage and a spot on the longlist for the 2019 Polaris Music Prize. After signing with Polyvinyl Records, she saw Highs in the Minuses emerge in 2021 through the Double Double Whammy partnership; Howard Bilerman, known for his work with Arcade Fire, recorded it at his Montreal facility, where guests included Ada Lea, Suuns drummer Liam O’Neill, and Stars vocalist Amy Millan. Her subsequent album maintained a collaborative spirit yet unfolded more privately when she traveled to upstate New York to meet producer Josh Kaufman for the first time. The pair performed every instrument, completing the sessions in six days while embracing both impulsive energy and instinctive skill. Could Have Done Anything appeared in May 2023.
Albums
Singles
