Kathleen Edwards at Fixed Hinge Recording

September 10, 2020September 9, 2020 by haterhigh

. : : August 25th, 2020 : : .

Kathleen Edward‘s Total Freedom album came as a bit of a surprise to me.

I mean, I knew she’d started live performances again but these shows seemed sporadic and without much fanfare; I thought them little more than a way for her to pay some favors, pad the pockets, and perhaps even provide a wee bit of ego bolstering.

When clips of her in the studio started showing up on Instagram, I must admit: it still didn’t feel real. It had been too long. She had been too adamant. But then the pre-order page went live.

Test pressings, autographed vinyls, CDs, t-shirts, Quitters Coffee, and all kinds of incentives littered the campaign. There was one in particular that caught my eye, especially in light of the COVID-19 pandemic…

A private, online concert for a fan and up to 24 friends.

Kathleen Edwards @ Quitters Coffee

August 20, 2020August 23, 2020 by haterhigh

. : : August 14, 2020 : : .

Future readers (hello from the past!) may not immediately connect the dots, but summer of 2020 is … different. We’re in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the doors to public places have been shuttered indefinitely. Live music venues, legally unable to assemble audiences and artists but still obligated to pay rent, are closing up shop all over the world. Restaurants struggle with having been shut down for months; some have begun re-opening with extremely limiting restrictions, others have likewise been unable to stay afloat and closed their doors permanently.

Kathleen Edwards, six years after retiring from music and opening a coffee shop in the Ottawa suburb of Stittsville, picked one hell of a time to try and transition back to music.

Justin Rutledge @ National Arts Centre

August 19, 2011June 30, 2020 by haterhigh

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