It is truly hard to believe that two and a half years have flown by since we last featured music from Edmonton, AB country artist Andrea Nixon, who was promoting her outstanding “Diary Of A Housewife” album at the time; an album that showcased both her creative songwriting abilities and her beautiful voice. As we head into the third season of this crazy year known as 2020, it’s encouraging to learn that Andrea is not resting on her laurels (the album earned her many accolades across the Canadian country music community), and is working hard on her next album release, “Barbed Wire Dreams.” Having shared her first single, “Blind Spot,” from this project just last week, we were naturally eager to give this highly anticipated track a few spins.
Produced by Calgary-based musician, songwriter, and engineer, Russell Broom (Jann Arden, Leeroy Stagger), here is a song that will resonate with anybody who has struggled with finding an identity. It also serves as a timely reminder to be aware of those around us who may currently be engaged in that struggle. “You don’t see me / You don’t feel the way it feels / To be riding on four wheels all the way to nowhere,” Andrea recites, to commence the tune. “You don’t hear it / Gravel’s break beneath these tires / Got this voice inside saying ‘Get There’ / Ain’t no way to stay here.” Accompanied by some ringing guitars and some discreet pedal steel, the instrumentation alone straddles a fine line between New Country and Americana, while Nixon’s voice once again delivers, tinged with just a slight hint of Southern drawl to leave you maybe questioning those Albertan roots.
“Well I’ve never been the leader of the pack / Found cold comfort in the shadows hanging back / I can’t stay here in your blind spot / I can’t stay here being who I’m not,” Andrea continues, sharing this chorus with both passion and authenticity. “Blind Spot asks listeners to consider their own blind spots,” she offers in response to the story being told here. “Both when they have felt unseen and unheard, and all the diverse voices that are currently muted in popular culture.” “Pedal’s pushing / Back against my foot / Pressing harder than I should trying to get there / And the rain is pouring / It splatters on the glass / I start driving fast now he’s see me blowing past.”
Per Andrea’s biography, this new project remains true to her storytelling roots, but has a decidedly modern sound, with the intent to inspire other dream chasers to find their own path forward, in spite of the obstacles, as we each chase our own version of a barbed wire dream. Rest assured that Andrea Nixon has earned our attention once again, and we look forward to learning more about “Barbed Wire Dreams” as and when the information becomes available. In the meantime, see the music video for “Blind Spot” below.
The British guy that crossed the ocean and crash landed in central Pennsylvania (to quote Greg Keelor, “And I wonder what am I doing here?”). As the youngest of four siblings, exposure to music from a very early age nurtured my passion and appreciation for many musical genres. Continuing to discover some amazingly diverse and talented musicians based in Canada, I gravitate to live music experiences and remain devoted to spreading the word about such a vibrant music scene.
