Once The Sun Goes Down a bright new star rises. Meet Lynne Hanson. This Ottawa-based singer/songwriter is poised to light up Canada’s roots music landscape with this compelling new album (to be released on Sept. 15). She is justifiably proud of it, calling it the fullest expression yet of her artistic voice. “I am willing to live or die by this record,” Hanson declares.
Spend some time with this record, and it will burrow deep into your heart, never letting go. Hanson’s poetic and passionate songs are neatly framed by an all-star supporting cast. Her core band comprises multi-instrumentalist David Baxter (Justin Rutledge, Bob Snider), drummer Blake Manning (Blue Rodeo), bassist Brian Kobayakawa (Creaking Tree String Quartet) and keyboardist Jason Sniderman (Blue Peter). Making invaluable contributions are Justin Rutledge (banjo), Gilles Leclerc (mandolin, backing vocals), Kevin Fox (cello), Paul Reddick (harmonica), Roman Tome (percussion), and background vocalists Lynn Miles, Jack Marks, Max Heinemann, and Joshua Cockerill.
Baxter produced, recorded and mixed Once The Sun Goes Down at his knob & tube studio in Toronto. “We worked together so well,” says Hanson. “David pointed me in the right direction though I never felt pushed. The sessions were actually great fun. For me to play with that calibre of musician is just a joy. It means you bring your A game, as you want to show your best.”
In turn, Baxter was highly impressed with Hanson’s talent and work ethic. “Lynne means every word she sings. She uses traditional song forms and stories to tell a very personal story. A terrific, direct singer and a great guitar player. If she was a boxer, they'd say she punches above her weight.”
The warm and intimate vibe of their sessions is neatly captured here. It’s a musically rich record, but the centre of attention is always Hanson’s hauntingly pure vocals and emotionally eloquent songs. Reference points for her country-folk rooted style include Gillian Welch and Lucinda Williams, though, intriguingly, Hanson only began listening to those artists once the comparisons kept coming up. “It may be that I just listened to the same stuff they did,” she says.
Hanson’s early love of jazz was later replaced by bluegrass and traditional country , while teenage years included singing and playing Neil Young songs at home. If pressed, Lynne will describe her sound as “porch music with a little Texas red dirt. I write these songs on acoustic guitar in my kitchen. I want them to sound like the original concept, except with a band. I call it porch music, as it’s like everyone in the neighbourhood comes over and brings their instruments.”
It is hard to fathom that Hanson only began writing her own songs five years ago. She released a well-received debut album, Things I Miss, in 2006, followed by 2008’s internationally-acclaimed Eleven Months. Lynne credits fellow songsmith Paul Bourdeau as a mentor, and he co-wrote five of the new tunes. Travelling the international folk circuit has kept Hanson’s muse fired up. “The more I am around great songwriters the more I learn about how to try to be a good songwriter,” she says.
There’s no cause to be modest about songs as strong as those on Once The Sun Goes Down. Many of them have been strip-mined from Hanson’s personal life, and she dissects matters of the heart with scalpel-like precision. She calls “Three Times Bent” “the story of my emotional life over the past five years. Music has saved me during a very difficult time personally.”
The album takes the listener on an emotional rollercoaster ride, beginning with the anguish of “When Lovers Leave,” moving through the hesitancy of “Here We Go Again” and ending on an optimistic note with “Lilacs Dancing” (“you answered the call and turned my heart around”). The most character-driven song here is the powerful tale of “Mary Mary.” “Every record needs a good murder ballad,” laughs Lynne.
Appearances in the Finals of the New Folk Competition at [famed Texas folk festival] Kerrville, an unofficial showcase at South By Southwest in Austin and appearances at Folk Alliance in Memphis last year brought unanimously positive audience responses. These have been duplicated at her frequent appearances at folk festivals and clubs in Europe and the U.K. in recent years. Whether solo or opening up for such folk greats as Dar Williams and Lynn Miles, Hanson’s relaxed and warm persona has won fans at every stop. No surprise that she is now in real demand on the house concerts circuit as well. Lynne’s profile at home is also increasing, as shown by a Canadian Folk Music Awards nomination in 2009.
A notable recent appearance at Stanfest in Canso, Nova Scotia elicited a warm reaction. Hanson laughingly recalls that she brought good weather karma to the event. “I told myself ‘I won’t take rubber boots and it won’t rain ‘cos I’m not prepared!’ It was the first time in years it had been sunny!” A bluegrass workshop she performed with JP Cormier was a festival highlight.
Not that festival organizers need Lynne Hanson’s good weather luck to justify a booking. Once The Sun Goes Down strikingly demonstrates she deserves a place in their events (and your CD collection) on musical merits alone.