If you’re like us, you’re thoroughly disheartened at the prospect of a full week of work with no holiday in sight. Music can be a great tonic for what ails, however, and there are several new songs just out from some of our favorite artists.
Abigail Lapell, “Devil in the Deep”
Abigail Lapell is sharing another new track from her upcoming third LP “Getaway,” due out 1 February via Coax Records / Outside. “Devil In The Deep” is “kind of a rock anthem that’s equal parts religious symbolism and nursery rhyme,” says Lapell. “I’m fascinated by these very stylized, mythical kinds of language – the devil in music is such a timeless cliche, and water slash redemption imagery crops up a lot in my songs on this album. To me the devil figure in this song is something dark and enthralling but also a bit playful, like a trickster – maybe a good metaphor for the process of creating art.”
Visit Abigail Lapell’s website.
Maddie Storvold, “Maybe”
Although the video for this song was posted in late 2017, the album on which it’s available was just released a few weeks ago. “Freedom, Books, Flowers and the Moon,” available through Spotify and Bandcamp, is a gorgeous collection of gentle tunes about fear, friendship, heartache, and the little details in life, delivered with sincerity, honesty and Maddie’s deliciously wry sense of humour. “Maybe” chronicles her awkward transition to adulthood.
As a lifelong nomad, Maddie’s lyrics are filled with the evocative images of an observer always on alert. Born in Cold Lake, Alberta and raised in Dubai, she studied literature and philosophy at Western University, learned to busk on the same Banff streets as Joni Mitchell, and performed in bars and hostels from Thailand to South Africa.
Visit Maddie Storvold’s website.
Lee Harvey Osmond, “Forty Light Years”
“Forty Light Years” is a “cannonball prayer straight to my mother’s longing heart,” says Tom Wilson. The new single from his upcoming Lee Harvey Osmond LP, “Mohawk,” is “a timeless quest for bonding and the nagging desire for freedom all disguised in a groovy 3:24 burning saunter,” he says. “I write these songs because I have to. I’ve finally earned that right. They often get dismissed as an offering from some ‘veteran rocker’. Allow me to fuck that shit for you right now…”
Visit Lee Harvey Osmond’s website.
Ariel Posen, “How Long”
This Friday, singer / songwriter and internationally-renowned guitarist Ariel Posen is sharing his debut LP, How Long, with the world. Known for his work with the JUNO Award winning roots-rock band The Bros. Landreth, How Long marks Posen’s long-awaited solo album, showcasing not only his chops as an instrumentalist, but his talents as a diverse songwriter.
How Long casts a wide net, moving from rootsy-blues to R&B to melodic Rock & Roll. “This album is 30 years in the making,” says Posen. “An amalgam of my influences, my upbringing and my life. This album focuses on reflection and looking back, but always moving forward.”
A co-writer and producer for artists of all genres, Posen shows the full range of his talents on these 10 tracks, nodding to his influences — including The Beatles, Stevie Ray Vaughan, John Mayer, and more — along the way.
Photo credits: Marta Hewson (Lee Harvey Osmond), Lynette Giesbrecht (Ariel Posen)
