Six years ago, Kathleen Edwards announced she was quitting music. The Canadian roots-rock musician had released four albums and attained a certain level of critical and word-of-mouth success, but she was depressed and sick of the business. Following a heart-to-heart with her friend and collaborator Jim Bryson, Edwards returned to her Ottawa hometown and opened a coffee shop called Quitters. Her fans worried they’d never hear from her again.
Now, she’s back with new song Options Open, and a new album, Total Freedom, will follow on 14 August, released through Dualtone Records/eOne.
“There’s a part of me that’s very electric and raw, and I felt like this record couldn’t just be, ‘Here are my feelings on an acoustic guitar platter,’” Edwards told Rolling Stone. “I really wanted the tone of the record to be set by the pocket of the drums.”
Total Freedom will be her first album since 2012’s Voyageur, which Edwards recorded with Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon producing. The album was recorded in Nashville and Ontario, with Bryson and Maren Morris/Kacey Musgraves collaborator Ian Fitchuk. Morris is a fan and personally asked Edwards to collaborate with her on her 2019 song Good Woman.
“Could there be a Brandi Carlile or a Margo [Price] or a Jason [Isbell] without a Kathleen Edwards?” says Paul Roper, the head of Dualtone Records. “I’m not sure.”
TRACKLIST:
01 “Glenfern
02 “Hard On Everyone”
03 “Birds On A Feeder”
04 “Simple Math”
05 “Options Open”
06 “Feelings Fade”
07 “Fools Ride”
08 “Ashes To Ashes”
09 “Who Rescued Who”
10 “Take It With You”
Live photo – Steve Gerrard
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