Sarah Neufeld

Sarah Neufeld
Sarah Neufeld
	Neufeld performing with Bell Orchestre
Background information
Born	August 27, 1979 (age 45); Merville, British Columbia or Courtenay, British Columbia, Canada
Genres	Indie rock
Occupation	Musician
Instrument(s)	Violin, keyboards, backing vocals
Website	sarahneufeldmusic.com

Sarah Neufeld (born August 27, 1979) is a Canadian violinist who is known for her work with indie rock band Arcade Fire, with whom she is a former core member and currently a touring member.^[3] She has contributed to each of the band's studio albums to date. Neufeld is also a member of the instrumental band Bell Orchestre.

Neufeld has released three solo studio albums: Hero Brother (2013), The Ridge (2016) and Detritus (2021), and released a collaborative album, Never Were the Way She Was, with her husband Colin Stetson in 2015. In 2024, Neufeld released the collaborative album, First Sounds, with her Arcade Fire and Bell Orchestre bandmate Richard Reed Parry and cellist Rebecca Foon.

Early life

Started playing the violin under the Suzuki method when she was 3 years old. During her teenage years, she 'quit' violin and started playing the guitar to "learn all the Hendrix solos". After realizing her facility with the instrument, she picked up the violin once again during her university years. She says that her time away from the classical rigmarole, helped her take a more relaxed approach when collaborating with others. During her time in the Music Department at Concordia University, Montreal, she formed Bell Orchestre, a group influenced by the likes of Steve Reich, Penguin Cafe Orchestra and Tortoise. Eventually, her playing with Bell Orchestre led to an invitation for her to play with the band Arcade Fire.^[4]

Career

Arcade Fire

Neufeld was a core member of the band on its second and third studio albums, Neon Bible (2007) and The Suburbs (2010), and contributed as an additional musician on the albums Funeral (2004), Reflektor (2013), Everything Now (2017) and WE (2022) and their subsequent tours.

Other groups

Neufeld is also a member of the post rock band Bell Orchestre, alongside Arcade Fire multi-instrumentalist Richard Reed Parry and former Arcade Fire member Pietro Amato. At age 18, she moved from East Vancouver to Montreal, Quebec, with electronic artist Tim Hecker, where she subsequently joined both bands. She currently lives in Montreal between tours. In 2009, Neufeld joined The Luyas.

Solo

Neufeld released her first solo album, Hero Brother, in 2013,^[5] and released a collaborative studio album, Never Were the Way She Was, with fellow Arcade Fire collaborator Colin Stetson in 2015. In 2016, Neufeld released her second solo album, The Ridge on Paper Bag records. The album features Arcade Fire drummer Jeremy Gara. The Ridge sees Neufeld incorporate more vocals than her previous record, Hero Brother.^[6]

Score work

Neufeld and her husband,^[7] saxophonist Colin Stetson, composed the score to the 2013 film Blue Caprice.^[8]

Discography

Solo

Studio albums

Hero Brother (2013)
Never Were the Way She Was (2015) (with Colin Stetson)
The Ridge (2016)
Detritus (2021)
First Sounds (2024) (with Richard Reed Parry & Rebecca Foon)

Arcade Fire

Funeral (2004)
Neon Bible (2007)
The Suburbs (2010)
Reflektor (2013)
Everything Now (2017)
We (2022)

Bell Orchestre

Recording a Tape the Colour of the Light (2005)
As Seen Through Windows (2009)
House Music (2021)

References

^ Mike Devlin (May 26, 2015). "Island violinist Sarah Neufeld goes solo after playing with Arcade Fire". Timescolonist.com. Retrieved May 30, 2015.
^ Derdeyn, Stuart (March 6, 2007). "Band really on fire with Neon Bible". The Province. p. B3.
^ Gavin Edwards (February 14, 2011). "The Magnificent Seven: Rolling Stones 2007 Feature on Arcade Fire | Music News". Rolling Stone. Retrieved May 6, 2013.
^ Healy, Pat. "002: Sarah Neufeld of Arcade Fire". Music Is My Life. Retrieved October 14, 2021.
^ "Arcade Fire's Sarah Neufeld Announces Solo Album Hero Brother, Listen to a Track | News". Pitchfork. May 1, 2013. Retrieved May 6, 2013.
^ "The Ridge - Paper Bag Records". Retrieved February 26, 2016.
^ "Colin Stetson". Subbacultcha. Retrieved July 16, 2020.
^ Lindsay, Zoladz (September 13, 2013). "Colin Stetson and Sarah Neufeld Talk Blue Caprice Score". Pitchfork. Retrieved December 14, 2015.

External links

Bell Orchestre bio on allmusic

[1] Mike Devlin (May 26, 2015). "Island violinist Sarah Neufeld goes solo after playing with Arcade Fire". Timescolonist.com. Retrieved May 30, 2015.

[2] Derdeyn, Stuart (March 6, 2007). "Band really on fire with Neon Bible". The Province. p. B3.

[3] Gavin Edwards (February 14, 2011). "The Magnificent Seven: Rolling Stones 2007 Feature on Arcade Fire | Music News". Rolling Stone. Retrieved May 6, 2013.

[4] Healy, Pat. "002: Sarah Neufeld of Arcade Fire". Music Is My Life. Retrieved October 14, 2021.

[5] "Arcade Fire's Sarah Neufeld Announces Solo Album Hero Brother, Listen to a Track | News". Pitchfork. May 1, 2013. Retrieved May 6, 2013.

[6] "The Ridge - Paper Bag Records". Retrieved February 26, 2016.

[7] "Colin Stetson". Subbacultcha. Retrieved July 16, 2020.

[8] Lindsay, Zoladz (September 13, 2013). "Colin Stetson and Sarah Neufeld Talk Blue Caprice Score". Pitchfork. Retrieved December 14, 2015.

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v t e Arcade Fire
Win Butler Régine Chassagne Jeremy Gara Tim Kingsbury Richard Reed Parry Additional personnel Sarah Neufeld Owen Pallett Colin Stetson Stuart Bogie Marika Anthony-Shaw Diol Edmond Tiwill Duprate Dan Boeckner Paul Beaubrun Former members Josh Deu Alan Lavian Myles Broscoe Brendan Reed Dane Mills Tim Kyle Howard Bilerman Sarah Neufeld Will Butler
Studio albums	Funeral Neon Bible The Suburbs Reflektor Everything Now We
Film scores	Her
EPs	Arcade Fire
Singles	"Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels)" "Neighborhood #2 (Laïka)" "Neighborhood #3 (Power Out)" "Cold Wind" "Rebellion (Lies)" "Wake Up" "Black Mirror" "Keep the Car Running" "Intervention" "No Cars Go" "Poupée de cire, poupée de son" "The Suburbs"/"Month of May" "We Used to Wait" "Ready to Start" "City with No Children" "Speaking in Tongues" "Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)" "Reflektor" "Afterlife" "We Exist" "Everything Now" "Creature Comfort" "The Lightning I, II"
Related articles	Discography Awards The Reflektor Tapes

v t e Bell Orchestre
Pietro Amato Michael Feuerstack Kaveh Nabatian Sarah Neufeld Richard Reed Parry Stefan Schneider
Albums	Recording a Tape the Colour of the Light As Seen Through Windows House Music
Related bands	Arcade Fire

v t e Grammy Award for Album of the Year
1950s	The Music from Peter Gunn – Henry Mancini (1958) Come Dance with Me! – Frank Sinatra (1959)
1960s	The Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart – Bob Newhart (1960) Judy at Carnegie Hall – Judy Garland (1961) The First Family – Vaughn Meader (1962) The Barbra Streisand Album – Barbra Streisand (1963) Getz/Gilberto – Stan Getz & João Gilberto (1964) September of My Years – Frank Sinatra (1965) A Man and His Music – Frank Sinatra (1966) Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band – The Beatles (1967) By the Time I Get to Phoenix – Glen Campbell (1968) Blood, Sweat & Tears – Blood, Sweat & Tears (1969)
1970s	Bridge over Troubled Water – Simon & Garfunkel (1970) Tapestry – Carole King (1971) The Concert for Bangladesh – George Harrison & Friends (1972) Innervisions – Stevie Wonder (1973) Fulfillingness' First Finale – Stevie Wonder (1974) Still Crazy After All These Years – Paul Simon (1975) Songs in the Key of Life – Stevie Wonder (1976) Rumours – Fleetwood Mac (1977) Saturday Night Fever – Various Artists (1978) 52nd Street – Billy Joel (1979)
1980s	Christopher Cross – Christopher Cross (1980) Double Fantasy – John Lennon & Yoko Ono (1981) Toto IV – Toto (1982) Thriller – Michael Jackson (1983) Can't Slow Down – Lionel Richie (1984) No Jacket Required – Phil Collins (1985) Graceland – Paul Simon (1986) The Joshua Tree – U2 (1987) Faith – George Michael (1988) Nick of Time – Bonnie Raitt (1989)
1990s	Back on the Block – Quincy Jones and Various Artists (1990) Unforgettable... with Love – Natalie Cole (1991) Unplugged – Eric Clapton (1992) The Bodyguard – Whitney Houston (1993) MTV Unplugged – Tony Bennett (1994) Jagged Little Pill – Alanis Morissette (1995) Falling into You – Celine Dion (1996) Time Out of Mind – Bob Dylan (1997) The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill – Lauryn Hill (1998) Supernatural – Santana (1999)
2000s	Two Against Nature – Steely Dan (2000) O Brother, Where Art Thou? – Various Artists (2001) Come Away with Me – Norah Jones (2002) Speakerboxxx/The Love Below – Outkast (2003) Genius Loves Company – Ray Charles & Various Artists (2004) How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb – U2 (2005) Taking the Long Way – Dixie Chicks (2006) River: The Joni Letters – Herbie Hancock (2007) Raising Sand – Robert Plant & Alison Krauss (2008) Fearless – Taylor Swift (2009)
2010s	The Suburbs – Arcade Fire (2010) 21 – Adele (2011) Babel – Mumford & Sons (2012) Random Access Memories – Daft Punk (2013) Morning Phase – Beck (2014) 1989 – Taylor Swift (2015) 25 – Adele (2016) 24K Magic – Bruno Mars (2017) Golden Hour – Kacey Musgraves (2018) When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? – Billie Eilish (2019)
2020s	Folklore – Taylor Swift (2020) We Are – Jon Batiste (2021) Harry's House – Harry Styles (2022) Midnights – Taylor Swift (2023)

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