Local musicians releasing new CDs without the payoff of live shows
Emotional bonds with audiences drive CD sales, but artists have adapted during the pandemic
WATERLOO REGION — A unique celebration of the region’s musical talent — spearheaded by the prolific singer-songwriter Lynn Jackson — is on hold because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Next Saturday, Jackson had planned a CD release party at the Starlight in Waterloo. Every track on her new CD — “Lionheart” — includes some of the area’s top musicians. It took months to get everyone’s schedule synchronized for the show, only to see it cancelled.
But she is releasing the CD as planned on May 22 anyway. She wrote and produced all but one of the songs on her 11th CD. But because of the number of musical guests, Jackson describes it as a community project.
“I really took care to get players I really wanted on each song, and how I wanted each song presented,” said Jackson. “Sometimes I had to wait a couple of months for someone to be free, but I was really patient.”
There are 12 musical guests, including — Don Featherstone (sax) Chris Boyne (electribe), Rob Deyman (guitar), John Stuart (guitar), Silvia DiDonato (keys), Jonny Sauder (drums), Scott Fitzpatrick (bass), The Divines (Wendy Carraro, Emily Barkley and Danica Guenette), Allison Corbett (violin) and Wendy Wright (violin).
All of them are busy, gigging musicians so a CD launch party was scheduled for May 23 at the Starlight in Waterloo — the first date when everyone could perform together. Then the pandemic hit.
Writing the songs, recording the material and packaging her new CD took more than a year of work. Now, with the closure of all live music venues, it feels like there is a big hole in the creative process.
“It’s like you haven’t completed a cycle,” said Jackson. “Part of the reward of that cycle is to have a big show, a bunch of people come out, you get feedback, release the album and then go on tour. That whole process is now stunted and you don’t quite get the same feeling of satisfaction.”
Her new music, however, is deeply satisfying, and includes a beautiful tribute to Leonard Cohen.
Jackson was performing the night of Nov. 7, 2016, when she heard Cohen had died.
“Then I came home and started playing Leonard Cohen albums in my studio space,” said Jackson. “I opened some wine, I was just really mourning, and all of a sudden the tears started to flow.”
She grabbed a pen and paper and wrote the first verse of what would become “The Sound of Everything (for Leonard Cohen).” After that first verse the lyrics came quickly. When she returned to them a couple of months later, Jackson made only two small changes.
“Those lyrics are what came out at that moment,” she said.
It sounds like something Cohen would have loved — a mournful and beautiful remembrance with Featherstone on baritone sax and Boyne on Electribe.
“Lionheart” will be released on Busted Flat Records. The only cover is “Working Class Hero,” by John Lennon. With Corbett and Wright both playing violins on this track, Jackson’s cover is unlike any other.
“We did three takes and chose the best one, nice and simple,” said Jackson.
Not only is the CD launch party cancelled, Jackson had shows booked for Ottawa, Calgary and Edmonton that were also scrapped. So, the CD is available at www.bustedflatrecords.com or www.encorerecords.ca or from lynnjackson.bandcamp.com.
Kitchener’s Matt Weidinger knows what it’s like to release a CD when all the venues are closed. He released “Breakage” on May 1, which has nine tracks. Eight are original songs, and one is a cover of Led Zeppelin’s “Going to California.”
Weidinger played guitar on all tracks, and added keys in later. Ben Rollo is on drums and Mark McIntyre plays bass.
“We just wanted to get that live feeling, so we just set up in a studio in Toronto, played through the songs a bunch, we picked the best take and then I would start adding stuff onto it,” said Weidinger.
He wrote the material during the first half of 2019. He had CD release shows booked in Ancaster, London, Toronto, Collingwood, Stratford, Kitchener and the Starlight in Waterloo. All of the shows have had to be postponed.
“I am tyring to think about how it is possible to do something without having those live shows,” said Weidinger. “It has been tough trying to get my head around that.”
Musicians depend on the magic of live performances, when the emotional connections with audiences produce CD sales. Weidinger’s new CD is available on Bandcamp, which is a platform he likes a lot.
“They really do support the artists,” he said.
When listing the new CD on Bandcamp, Weidinger set the price at $20. But there is also an option to pay more to support the artist, and Bandcamp does not take any of that money.
“I’ve had people be very generous and say: ‘Hey, I know you are not working so we are going to give you a little extra for that,’” said Weidinger.
During the shutdown Weidinger said he is learning the art of recording. That’s a good way to spend his time during the pandemic because he has his own label.
“It is along the lines of that goal, making my own sound, putting my own stamp on the music. If I can learn how to record my own albums from home, in my own studio, I will be able to put material out more frequently and save myself a lot of money.”