Stranger Still 'The Songs Which Are'

You can hear my interview with Pete Johnston in the latest episode of Harmonious World.

Pete is a musician and composer and his ensemble - Stranger Still - has just released The Songs Which Are.  All the tracks are composed by Pete, based on the poetry of Alden Nowlan.

Based in Toronto, Pete is more usually a bassist, but for Stranger Still he hands bass duties to Rob Clutton and concentrates instead on acoustic and electric guitars and banjo. Organ is played by Andrew Killawee, with vocals from Mim Adams and Randi Helmers. This is experimental music that blurs the lines between folk and jazz, with a tip of the hat to celtic roots. In our podcast conversation, Pete discusses that relationship between the UK/Ireland and Canada, particularly the impact on the Maritime music world.

When I began Harmonious World, I wanted to explore music that I perhaps otherwise wouldn't have listened to, and that is certainly true of Stranger Still. The Songs Which Are is a fascinating collection of compositions that take Nowlan's words, wrapping them in undulating melodies and rhythmic complexity.

During the podcast, you can hear Pete talk about I Icarus and how he played with the lyrics to produce a chorus that repeats to emphasise the story of the boy who flew too close to the sun.

The Songs Which Are comes across as an homage to the Maritime provinces and particularly Nova Scotia. This is a land I've never visited but the album makes me want to jump on a plane right now.