British born, Nova Scotia raised, and now Toronto, ON resident, singer-songwriter T. Thomason releases an all new version of his composition, “Bliss,” today. As the fourth (and final) single from his “Part II Project” – a collection of reimagined songs from his self-titled album from last year, which includes a stunning collaboration with Rose Cousins on “King Of Spades Part II” – the indie-pop star is joined here by legendary Canadian artist Sarah McLachlan for “Bliss Part II.”
Written by T., and produced by Dave Henriques (Justin Nozuka, Julian Taylor Band), upon envisioning the Part II Project, Thomason knew that he really wanted to collaborate with Sarah McLachlan on this particular track. “I’ve been a huge fan of Sarah’s music for a long time and thought this could be a wicked fit musically,” T. shares. “But getting to know her a little bit in the last couple years and seeing the relationships she has with her daughters and lifelong friends was really what catapulted this collab into my mind.”
With over 40 million albums sold, and a string of accolades (numerous GRAMMY and JUNO Awards, The Order of Canada, and The Order of British Columbia), McLachlan originally met T. a couple of years ago on The Launch and was immediately drawn to his humility and artistry. “When he reached out earlier this year to ask me to lend my voice to his reimagined version of Bliss, a hauntingly simple ode to self-discovery and resilience, I was thrilled,” Sarah recalls. “T. has a deep emotional connection to the songs he writes and a soul-baring truth to his performances, and I’m so proud of what he’s accomplished with Bliss Part II.”
Splitting the verses, before combining their harmonies for the choruses, Sarah takes the lead with the opening verse: “My father said / ‘Get out there and look around / Get out of your head and be glad for the ground / Cause you never know, you never know, you never know what’s coming’.” Following a few more lines, the torch is passed to T.: “My mother said / ‘Hey son, when you coming home? / And can you call me more when you’re gone? / Cause you never know, you never know, you never know just what’s coming’.” Cue the short pause, preparing the listener for the powerful chorus to follow, delivered by both artists in full stride: “She taught me this / Past all your fears you will find bliss / She taught me this / Past all your fears you will find bliss / Bliss.”
“Bliss is precious to me, and the only way I could imagine reimagining it was if it felt right all the way down to the bones,” offers T. “I’m so excited to have Sarah bringing her magic to Bliss Part II, she’s had a bigger impact on me as a mentor than she probably realizes.” Following the chorus, Sarah once again takes the lead: “Well I just walk and the farther I go / Footprints I leave ain’t mind no more, no / Stepping, stepping, stepping with a changing shadow.” “I just walk and hope I’m getting close / Catching up with all the ghosts / I’d like to get to know,” delivers T., setting up another emotionally-charged chorus to follow.
Accompanying the release of “Bliss Part II” is an animated official lyric video, designed and created by Nova Scotian artist Megan Green, whose illustrations appear in the lyric booklets for T.’s album and the Part II Project. “I’d always wanted to do something more with Megan’s two page illustrated spread for Life On the Farm and Bliss in my lyric booklet,” shares T. A video drawn in real time as the music plays, the illustrations start out as simple black outlines, before adding splashes of color and the calming nature of birds flying across the screen in lieu of lyrics during the instrumental moments. “Being able to bring it to life with Josh Owen via animation was the cherry on top of making Bliss Part II,” he adds. “It brings me so much joy that the talent and hard work of fantastic artists like Megan and Josh is all wrapped up in this release. I hope this tune brings you bliss and joy and a little bit of a pinch yourself thrill like it does me!”
“She taught me this / Past all your fears you will find bliss / She taught me this / Past all your fears you will find bliss / Bliss.”
Photo Credits: Meghan Tansey Whitton / Kharen Hill
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.
