Nova Scotia-born, and current Toronto-based musician Sheilagh McNab – recording under the stage name SHEAL (a mash up of ‘SHE’ and ‘HEAL’) – follows her stunning 2022 GDW Top 20 Album Finalist “Courage Again” with the recently released EP, “Golden Hours.”
Produced by Gavin Gardiner (The Wooden Sky) and “Champagne” James Robertson (Lindi Ortega), this brief, but beautiful 6-song collection aims to represent one’s emotional experience of the last hour of the day before sunset – the golden hour. For SHEAL: “…it’s about accessing memory, gratitude wells up. I’ve been obsessed with the golden hour my whole life.”
No stranger to writing music, Sheilagh drafted her first song at 17 and boasts appreciation and inspiration for “Golden Hours” from several artists, mentioning Emily King, Natalie Press, and Billie Eilish, to name a few. And for SHEAL, there is nothing like some good inspiration to connect with oneself. “There’ve been times in my life where I deferred,” she shares. “It was hard, but on this record I really honed in on trusting my instincts. I worked at listening to my gut.”
Delving a little deeper, she further reveals: “There’s a lot going on in my brain – I can get robotic. I go through the motions. So, throughout my life, there’s been this coming back down to myself, into my own body, and an awareness of what’s going on within me and my actual relationships.”
Having enjoyed the singles “Unravelling” and “The End” prior to the EP release, since becoming familiar with all six tunes, I find myself keeping “If This Is All There Is” on repeat. Ever fascinated by songs that can speak to listeners across the miles, sometimes it’s easy to feel as if we are alone in the ways we perceive life from time to time, until a verse or two comes along to remind us otherwise.
We all experience the mundane, the repeated cycles, the far too swift return of Mondays. Having a partner to go through the motions with, even when we feel stuck in life’s loop, surely helps. “If this is all there is, I guess it’s fine / Walking down these straight and endless lines / But if I know that I’ll have you by my side / Then that’s just fine with me.” Luckily, I have such a fella in my life that “compels me to stay,” even when dealing with that urge to just get away from it all – and that’s ok with me.
This EP draws together a distinct collection of emotions, wrapped in warm rhythms that match the glow of a setting sun. SHEAL indulges further on the driving force behind this recording: “Golden Hours captures my journey over the past few years, of striving to be more present in my life – in my body, and in my relationships and experiences. In an age dominated by anxiety and the constant rush of everyday life, intentionally cultivating these moments of presence and gratitude has felt more important to me than ever. The songs … are in their own way, snapshots … of striving to be truly present in my life.”
I absolutely urge everybody to set time aside to sit and listen to “Golden Hours,” and then listen again. The transforming quality in SHEAL’s music gives light to seeing yourself through.
Photo Credit: Alyssa Bistonath
Jess has always enjoyed a wide range of music genres and eras. Connecting deeply with classical music, she played cello from grade school through high school, and although no longer actively playing, her affinity for finding an emotional connection to music is still strong. Residing in central PA, she is new to the Canadian music scene and enjoys listening to new artists as a way to break away from “the usual.” Jess is an avid yogi who often finds a sliver of peace while on the yoga mat with good music playing in the background.
