CREDIT: PIGEONROW.COM
Klarka Weinwurm will be performing at The Black Shire Pub on September 29.

"Melodic grit" is how Klarka Weinwurm describes her sound on her latest album, Continental Drag. The 11-song EP she released on September 4 is filled with an array of mellow folk-rock melodies and driving guitar riffs, and the young Canadian indie artist is bringing that sound to The Black Shire Pub on September 29.

Her songs are a combination of steady rhythmic beats, guitar and ukulele solos, and a strong but slightly haunting voice can keep you listening all day. The first single off the album, "Pictures," is the perfect example of that combination, and it will make your head bob to each guitar strum. The clever lyrics of "Sasquatch," which she wrote on a train from Jasper, Alberta, are accompanied by a slower, mellower tempo that is no less pleasing to the ear.

Listening to Continental Drag, you would never guess Weinwurm started learning guitar at the age of 15 on an old instrument that was missing a few strings. She practiced by listening to Bob Dylan songs.

"His were pretty simple songs, in terms of the guitar chords, and a good way to start to learn," she said. She also grew up listening to the Beatles and Paul Simon.

A native of Brampton, Ontario, Weinwurm moved to Nova Scotia six years ago, and started to hone her musical skills and style. She credited Jon McKiel, another Nova Scotian artist she has played with before, for helping her discover the kind of music she wanted to make.

"I got a feel for the rock side," she said. It was a big progression from the music she released on her debut EP in 2009, titled EP. "Those were simple, basic folk songs. I just wanted to get something out there."

She began recording Continental Drag in February 2011, and since she had written the songs over the past three to five years, it took just a month to complete the album. However, it was the financial side of the business that kept the album from being officially released until now.

"It was financially frustrating," she said. "It was a learning process, to learn the business side of music."

"But I do it because I love doing it, otherwise I wouldn't be doing it at all ... You have to like what you're making."

Don't miss Weinwurm at The Black Shire Pub (511 Talbot St.) on September 29 as part of her promotional tour through the Maritimes and Eastern Canada. You can also get her album, Continental Drag, on iTunes or in stores.