Guitar 2017
PHOTO : ROB WAYMEN
can read her poetic and powerful words and let them linger a bit longer .
Curran ’ s current favourite of her new batch of songs is the title cut , which ended up being the perfect moniker that encompasses the overall theme of the songs . “ I don ’ t know how much I intended it at the get go , but as I went along , the album became an activism offering ,” she says . “ It ’ s where my head is these days with the political climate . As I ’ ve worked as a mental health advocate for the past couple of years , I ’ m surrounded by it , and I ’ m too close for comfort to politics . I think it ’ s a responsibility for an artist or anyone in the public space that if there is standing up that can be done , it should be .”
The first single , “ Gravity ,” is another one of these powerful songs . Curran describes it as her “ Hey activists , we are going to be ok song .” She elaborates : “ I was thinking of my good friend and label mate Tanya Tagaq writing that one because she does such great work . Some cowards have the nerve to be mean to her on social media . Activists need to be empowered . That song is about fighting the good fight , even though I hate that expression .
“ Music is just a hammer ,” she adds . “ It ’ s incredibly useful even if you don ’ t know how to use it .”
One thing Curran knows how to use well , and which is always standing by her side , is her trusty Gibson J-45 . When it comes to guitars , the songwriter likes to keep it simple , and in fact , she writes all of her music on guitar . Besides her workhorse J-45 , she also plays a 1965 Guild M20 , a little parlor guitar that is always within reach around home .
Catherine MacLellan
When we chat in late March , the JUNO Award-winning Catherine MacLellan was in the middle of finishing the recording and mixing of a new record , which she admits she has wanted to make for a long time : a tribute album to her father , Gene MacLellan , and his music .
“ It ’ s been over 20 years now since my dad passed away and I felt it was time to honour him from my point of view and share his songs with a new audience ,” MacLellan explains .
The artist admits it was hard to choose which tunes to include , since her father ’ s song chest is so large and daunting . After all , this was the man behind Anne Murray ’ s “ Snowbird ” and the perennially covered “ Put Your Hand in the Hand .”
“ Some were surprises ,” she says . “ Songs like ‘ Bidin ’ My Time ,’ it never occurred to learn over the years , but as we were getting ready for this record I started playing that song live and the audience really responded . It ’ s such a sad and perfect song .”
Another that made the cut – seemingly unsurprisingly unless you ’ re in-the-know – is “ Put Your Hand in the Hand .” MacLellan was doing a mini tour last year with Dave Gunning and J . P . Cormier and they were looking for a good , communal encore . Gunning suggested that one .
“ Over the years I have not sung that song a lot ,” says MacLellan . “ Maybe I was avoiding it for a reason . But the three of us doing it was amazing and we decided to record it in a totally new way . That was a really fun surprise .”
The record started with her partner , guitarist Chris Gauthier , in the new backyard studio they built in the woods behind their PEI home . “ Now I have a space to work from at home and this is our first big project we ’ ve recorded there ,” she shares .
Learning her father ’ s songs and interpreting them has been a very special , sometimes challenging , but ultimately rewarding experience . “ I knew them , but I hadn ’ t really learned them in a meaningful way before ,” she explains . “ Some sound a lot like when dad put them out and some are a lot more modern .”
When it comes to finding her unique sound , the musician relies on a number of guitars . For two years now she ’ s had a Collings D2H dreadnought acoustic . “ It ’ s my baby ,” MacLellan says . “ It ’ s an amazing instrument . A lot of stuff I ’ ve been recording has been on that .”
While she ’ s had to retire her father ’ s old Gibson J-45 from touring since it was getting too fragile , she still plays this classic acoustic around the house . “ It ’ s got this really warm sound and some mystery surrounding it too ,” she explains . “ It ’ s from the mid-1950s and it ’ s had weird stuff happen to it over the years . It ’ s got a lot of soul , that guitar .”
52 • CANADIAN MUSICIAN