Hello Our Basement,
A masterful songwriter collects life’s experiences and artfully turns them into songs that capture the imagination of a listener; that contemporary troubadour who utilizes a broad palate of instrumentation to tell intriguing stories through the music they create.

Loosely based on an urban legend about a promiscuous Hank Williams and woven into a story about a childhood friend, “Hank” was written separately from the songwriting phase that produced the 2017 album, Broken Sky, “Hank” has lived as a black sheep of sorts in my live repertoire for a couple of years without garnering an official studio release until now. The song was recorded during the Broken Sky sessions in Montreal back in 2016 and was produced by Jean Massicotte (Patrick Watson, Lhasa, Adam Cohen), and features, among the many outstanding musicians, members of The Barr Brothers, Patrick Watson, and The Luyas.

As the name suggests, “Let It Rain (Reprise)” is a reiteration of the opening track off Broken Sky. This alternate version is lyrically identical, yet musically and conceptually an entirely different piece than the original. On Broken Sky, I explored themes of contrast and counterpoint in both my lyrics and in the record’s production. This recording of “Let It Rain (Reprise)” is the final counterpoint to this collection of songs, offering up a dark and somewhat bruised take.

At home in the rural environs of Whitehorse, Yukon and equally at home in the urban centres of Montreal and Toronto, this broad sense of place comes into play in both of the songs.

Thank you for listening.

Declan O’Donovan