There’s something very rewarding about watching the evolution of an artist. I first saw Meredith Moon about eight years ago and she was doing mostly folky Appalachian style music on a banjo, claw hammer style. She was very good at it, but you’d could see she had only scratched the surface of her musical soul. I watched her evolve into the artist she is today and it was like watching a caterpillar turn into a beautiful butterfly and I think with this new album Meredith Moon has become that beautiful butterfly.
Her latest album From Here To The Sea finds Moon springboarding off her base from the Appalachian old-time roots of the new album's predecessor, Constellations, as she finds her voice and calling.
Produced by veteran producer Colin Linden whose production credits include Lucinda Williams, T-Bone Burnett, Bruce Cockburn and features contributions by Rebecca Lovell of Larkin Poe, Lillie Mae Rische & Dominic Davis, Julian Taylor, George Receli and the incredible Jerry Douglas, among others, the album explores different genres and styles like blues, folk and folk-rock while incorporating elements of old-time jazz. Moon’s signature instrument, the banjo, still makes an appearance, along with the roots music that shaped her sound, but instead of being the anchor to the sonic landscape, it creates a subtle backdrop as she allows her songwriting to take centre stage.
Recorded at Jukasa Studios within the Six Nations of the Grand River, Oshweken, Ontario wand at Pinhead Recorders in Nashville, Tennessee, the album is preceded by the first single “Sapphire Blue”an acoustic-based song that evokes a feeling of mystery in the search for an escape from a “dark force” of sorts, telling the story of driving across the continent looking for the light to lift it, with Moon’s plaintive vocals answered by Linden’s soulful guitar work.
Meredith Moon started writing songs at the age of eight. Growing up immersed in folk music with the music of her Dad, Gordon Lightfoot and some of his peers and friends like John Prine, she taught herself to play guitar by the age of 14 and a few years later, she found her sound as a busker on sidewalks from Halifax to Vancouver. She spent years traveling across Canada and the world by road and rail, finding inspiration for her unique style of songs, which are crafted in a true storyteller's fashion.
Meredith has been described as a “gem” in both the old-time and contemporary folk music scenes for her unusual expression of the genres, combining influences of folk-punk with traditional Appalachian sounds. Besides playing traditional tunes often in her own non traditional style, Meredith shines with a powerful voice and a highly contemporary clawhammer banjo style, which has earned her acclaim in the international roots music community. She is a multi-instrumentalist, incorporating fingerstyle/Travis picking guitar, piano and lap dulcimer, among other instruments, into her performances.
The lead single “Saphire Blue” is sure to be a door opener for the rest of this great collection of tunes. The whole album is riveting, “all killer no filler” with standout tracks such as “East City Blues”, “Lulu Gal”, “No Closing Time” and “Louisiana Trees”.
It’s time for Meredith Moon to take her place among the stars.
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