Hunting and gathering at CSPS

It's understandable why recording artists are amped up when performing in Austin. Those who catch recording artists in the capital of Texas are often ardent music fans, who typically treat talented emerging performers with reverence.

That was so when vocalist-violinist Phoebe Hunt and her husband, multi-instrumentalist Dominick Leslie, performed earlier this year at the Austin Music Awards. Hunt's fiddle playing and Leslie's picking earned a nice ovation as the audience applauded their combination of rock, folk and world music.

'It was an amazing time,” Hunt said. 'I can't tell you how much we enjoyed that.”

Hunt is on a roll. The soft-spoken violinist's breakthrough album, 'Shanti's Shadow,” was inspired by an intense and unforgettable trip to India. Hunt's journey recalls the life-altering experience the Beatles late iconoclast George Harrison wrote about a half-century ago.

'There is nothing like what I experienced in Pune, India,” she said. 'It not only helped shape my music, but it helped shape my life. It had such a profound impact on me. I evolved as a musician and I hope to take what I learned in India so I can continue to shape my music.”

Hunt's time in India wasn't due to an act of whimsy. Her parents met at a yoga ashram in New York during the '70s, where they spent seven years as disciples of Guru Swami Satchidananda, the opening speaker at Woodstock.

Hunt's mother wanted to name her 'Shanti,” which means 'peace” in Hindi. But she had already promised her mother-in-law that she would name her daughter 'Phoebe.”

'So going to India was something I had to do and was so meaningful for me,” Hunt said.

She was accompanied by her husband, and they took a 10-day vow of silence. They surrendered their possessions and were simply given a blanket. After that experience, Hunt, her husband and a group of musicians studied the melodic structure of Indian music with master violinist and vocalist Kala Ramnath at an ashram outside the city of Pune.

'Any musician who is interested or at least curious about Indian music should go,” Hunt said. 'It'll change your life. It's good to experience places that will open up your mind.”

Hunt and her band, The Gatherers, will showcase tracks from 'Shanti's Shadow” on Saturday at CSPS in Cedar Rapids.

She explores the ego, as well as vulnerability, throughout her deep and provocative album.

The laid-back Hunt is a thoughtful lyricist who takes listeners on a journey throughout the album. Unlike many contemporary releases featuring a single and a number of songs that follow a certain sonic template, Hunt bravely takes the listener in a different direction with each song. Her old school approach is welcome.

'I don't want to create the same song again and again,” she said. 'I don't understand why anyone would do that. Why would you repeat yourself?”

Hunt has struck a nerve with her recent single 'Marching On,” which was inspired by injustice. 'It's a call for action,” she said. 'It's about time for justice for everyone. We need change and we need it now.”

Get out!

WHAT: Phoebe Hunt & The Gatherers

WHERE: CSPS, 1103 Third St. SE, Cedar Rapids

WHEN: 8 p.m. Saturday (10/13)

TICKETS: $15 advance, $18 door, CSPS Box Office, (319) 364-1580 or Legionarts.org

ARTIST'S WEBSITE: Phoebehuntmusic.com