Happy New Year everyone! I absolutely loved reading all the reflective facebook posts and tweets as 2013 came to a close. 2013 was a pretty amazing year for me. I became a mum, I recorded my second album, I travelled to Palm Springs, Montana, Mexico and did a little tour of the greater Vancouver area (to visit family – not musically). My mum had her one year follow up appointment after 2012’s Breast Cancer disaster, and was given the all clear. After 2012 being a pretty trying year, 2013 was a beautiful blessing.
Following along with my little “song by song” story line here, I thought a fitting song to share about with the new year upon us, is a song I wrote with a phenomenal Edmonton singer/songwriter – the lovely Chloe Albert. We wrote this song in late 2012 when I was coming to the end of the “trying year” I referred to earlier. I kept noticing in my everyday conversations and experiences the overwhelming theme of the changing seasons of life. The good, the bad, the growth… Coincidentally enough we wrote this song and then 2013 was definitely a year of new seasons for me as a mum, and as an artist.
I have been a huge fan of Chloe’s since we met back at school when we were both attending Grant MacEwan. She is just an all around lovely human being. She is so sweet and sincere, and her music reflects exactly that. I loved her first album “Dedicated State” and pretty much harassed Chloe at every opportunity offering my back up singing services for her next album. She was kind enough to humour me and 5 days after I had given birth to Asher I was at Sound Extractor Studios (with a pretty raspy post labour voice I’ll admit) to sing on her song “Million Reasons Why” for her new album “Dreamcatcher” (which was the #1 album of 2013 on CKUA – wow!!!)
I am in love with this song. I was so proud of Chloe and I for capturing exactly what I was feeling after a rough year, with hope for the new year. If anyone reading this had a hard year last year or is even just having a tough day, I want to dedicate this song to you. My favorite lyrics are:
It’s just a season, it comes and goes right before your eyes
There is a rhyme and reason, for everything you’re feeling deep inside
It’s just a season, it’s just a season, it’s just a season
And you’ll surivive.
But don’t just survive, this is your life
Let’s make the most of these trying times.
Not only did Chloe co-write this song with me, she also is featured on the song singing the second verse and harmonies! If you haven’t heard of Chloe yet, please do yourself a favor and check her out here.
***UPDATE – Since this blog, Chloe has been nominated for a JUNO Award for her new album “Dreamcatcher” and several Edmonton Music Awards, so proud of her!!! (02.05.2014)***
I so sincerely hope this song speaks to you! As always, it is available on my new album “Tree of Life” that you can download on iTunes. BETTER YET – hard copies will be available at my cd release show coming up next week on January 19th, 2014. Details here.
Cheers!
LNG xo