My Brightest Diamond lights up LOLA stage

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There's no such thing as maternity leave in the music industry and Shana Worden, principal songwriter behind chamber-pop outfit My Brightest Diamond can attest to it. Not two months after the birth of her son, Constantine, Worden will be going on tour, including having performed for free at the London Ontario Live Arts Festival on Friday, September 17 in Victoria Park.

"Constantine is going to be selling merch," Worden joked in an email last week from her new home in Detroit, Michigan. "This will be his first tour, so we'll see how he likes it."

Certainly Worden is no stranger to the road, and after recent tours guest-singing with The Blind Boys of Alabama and The Decemberists, she has become well accustomed to touring life. She wasn't always that way, however.

"In the beginning, touring was a huge adjustment for me because I was such a homebody, but after so many years now of living out of a suitcase I've gotten so used to it that if I'm not racking up frequent flier miles, then I get a little tour twitchy."

And while most bands arrange tours to complement events such as, say, a new release, Worden's upcoming dates are more a test: touring as a mother. In fact, her last proper release was A Thousand Shark's Teeth in 2008, which experimented with brooding, formless pop songs and intricate string arrangements, all composed by Worden herself (who is classically trained as an opera singer, but oft sings in a uniquely saccharine, morose voice).

And though a lack of new material might distress some performers, Worden remains unfazed. "As an artist you have to let go of those kinds of worries and try to follow that still, small voice inside and make the art that you need to make," she wrote. "The way the public responds is out of your control. That's really difficult, but any other way seems like insanity."

Lately, Worden has been keeping that sanity through a number of musical collaborations, of which she has a long history. In 2005, she performed on Sufjan Steven's acclaimed Illinois album, and even sang over hip-hop tracks for the likes of Vinnie Paz and Jedi Mind Tricks. More recently, however, Worden moonlighted as an evil Forest Queen-like character in The Decemberists' rock opera, The Hazards of Love.

Both in studio, and on a North American tour soon thereafter, Worden performed the part with pleasure. But apart from the musical challenge and monetary benefits, much of Worden's collaborative work is favour repayment.

"Many people have been very generous to me with their time and energy in order to make the music of My Brightest Diamond, and I feel like it's necessary to give generously of one's self in return. It's a law of the universe, I guess."

From rock operas to her own unique brand of whimsical, moody storytelling, Worden brings a unique skill to the stage. It's one she has been honing for years.

"I love artists like Tom Waits and Laurie Anderson who make storytelling such an integral part of their performances. I still feel like I am searching for a form that will allow me to expand the theatrical and story aspect. I have experimented with puppets in the past, but now I may just have room in the tour van for baby Constantine's stuffed animals, so the puppet box will be staying home for a while."

Puppets or not, My Brightest Diamond is an artist worth seeing.