ALLISON RUSSELL ANNOUNCES FIRST CROSS-CANADA HEADLINING TOUR IN SUPPORT OF THE RETURNER

20-DATE TOUR RUNS FROM COAST TO COAST IN EARLY 2024

THE RETURNER OUT NOW VIA FANTASY RECORDS

BUY / STREAM THE RETURNER

WATCH ALLISON PERFORM THE ALBUM’S TITLE TRACK ON CBS SATURDAY MORNING

“That same hope permeates the buoyant rhythm of The Returner and continues pushing Russell forward in pursuit of joy.”  - EXCLAIM!

“It was only a matter of time before she made her album for the ages. The Returner is that album.” -UNCUT (9 out of 10) 

“Allison Russell delivers soul-stirring show… She not only demonstrated her wonderful voice, laden with soul, gospel and raw emotion, but also showed she can play multiple instruments, including clarinet and banjo, and craft poignant songs in both official languages.” –

The Ottawa Citizen
"The Returner is a promise that Russell is giving back more than she's received, which has always felt like her ethos. The way the Montreal-raised singer lifts others up — fellow artists and fans alike — is a spiritual experience, no matter your convictions." - CBC Music

"Allison Russell proved to be the strongest vocalist over the two-day festival..." -
Glide Magazine

“With its increased twin focus on grooves and celebration, it might not be inaccurate to call the album a party, albeit with the understanding that the celebration is a hard-fought party.” - VARIETY

"Emblazoned with words as arrows, a banjo as her bow and her clarinet as an extension of her voice, Russell unapologetically wields the wind of her lived experience of violent abuse, sheer survival and remarkable redemption. The result is mesmerizing."- Post & Courier

JUNO Award winning and four time GRAMMY Award nominated singer, songwriter, poet, activist, and multi-instrumentalist Allison Russell has announced 20 dates across Canada in early 2024, marking her first official headlining Canadian tour in support of her new album, The Returner. Making stops from Campbell River, BC to Lunenburg, NS and everywhere in between, the tour will follow a lengthy run of dates that takes Russell criss-crossing the United States this fall.

“I could drink a case of you, Canada - ask and ye shall receive!, says Russell. “I’m coming home and I’m bringing the Rainbow Coalition & The Returner Tour with me for our first cross-Canada headlining tour in 2024. Cannot wait to be in circle & creative communion with you all soon — we are all returners.”

Full dates can be found below and tickets and more information can be found HERE. 

Recently, Russell also performed the title track from The Returner on CBS as part of their Saturday Sessions series. Watch her performance with the Rainbow Coalition ensemble HERE.

BUY / STREAM THE RETURNER

WATCH ALLISON PERFORM THE ALBUM’S TITLE TRACK ON CBS SATURDAY MORNING

MORE ABOUT THE RETURNER
The Returner was written and co-produced by Allison along with dim star (her partner JT Nero and Drew Lindsay) and was recorded over Solstice week in December 2022 at Henson Recording Studios in Los Angeles, CA. It features Russell’s “Rainbow Coalition” ensemble: Elenna Canlas, Elizabeth Pupo-Walker, Ganessa James, Joy Clark, Kerenza Peacock, Larissa Maestro, Mandy Fer (Sway Wild), Megan Coleman, Meg McCormick , SistaStrings (Chauntee & Monique Ross) , Wendy & Lisa (Wendy Melvoin & Lisa Coleman aka The Revolution) and Wiktoria Bialic. 

WATCH / SHARE “SNAKELIFE” HERE

Since the release of her debut solo LP two years ago, Outside Child, Russell’s often devastating, deeply moving, cathartic celebration of survivor’s joy has become one of the most acclaimed albums of the past 10 years. Now comes the second chapter, The Returner, a body-shaking, mind-expanding, soulful expression of liberation, love, and self-respect that serves as a fierce declaration of joy for all survivors that have made it to the other side. Allison, JT, and Drew, built The Returner from the bottom up with a rhythm-first, genre-fluid approach. The improvisational energy of great female artists sparked the album’s fierce joy, and provided a wider canvas for Allison’s immense, unlimited talent. In all, the new album doesn’t just deliver on the promise of the last two years, it exceeds all reasonable (and unreasonable) expectations and affirms Allison Russell’s place among music’s most vital artists⎯and The Returner, as one of 2023’s most essential recordings.

WATCH / SHARE “STAY RIGHT HERE” HERE
WATCH / SHARE “THE RETURNER” HERE

MORE PRAISE FOR THE RETURNER

“Allison Russell’s second solo album brings to mind a verse from the Bible: ‘Weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.’ After reflecting on her escape from abuse on her 2021 breakout, Outside Child, Russell is celebrating her freedom on The Returner. The album has its heavy moments, but it’s largely brighter — and funkier.” - VULTURE

"The resilient songwriter maintains a throughline of gratitude with an impeccable knack for storytelling.  If you’re looking for an enduring album to seek refuge and celebrate the ambivalence of life, this one’s for you." - RANGE Magazine

“On her second album, The Returner, she delivers a sequel that holds togetherness at its heart as she delves into the personal and political.”  - THE LINE OF BEST FIT 

"Bolstered by a female-centric circle of VIPs and fuelled by defiant joy, the ascendant singer-songwriter grooves her way into the big leagues with this upbeat charmer." - Tinnitist

“The Returner, another powerful effort, also represents a next step in Russell’s career and life as she leaves her trauma in the past and steps forward in what she calls “fierce joy.” - POLLSTAR

"It takes a village to make deep, meaningful change in the world around you, and Russell is ready to build that village from the ground up.” - BILLBOARD

Photo Credit: Dana Trippe // DOWNLOAD HIGH-RES

THE RETURNER 2023-2024 TOUR DATES
Sep 22 - FreshGrass Festival - North Adams, MA
Sep 23 - Farm Aid - Noblesville, IN
Sep 24 - XPoNential Music Festival - Camden, NJ
Oct 13 - The Ark - Ann Arbor, MI
Oct 17 - LOVELOUD - Washington, DC
Oct 19 - Terminal West - Atlanta, GA
Oct 20 - Princess Theatre - Decatur, AL
Oct 21 - Toulouse Theatre - New Orleans, LA
Oct 25 - 3TEN ACL Live - Austin, TX
Oct 28 - The Lensic - Santa Fe, NM 
Oct 29 - MIM Music Theater - Phoenix, AZ
Nov 01 - El Rey Theatre - Los Angeles, CA
Nov 03 - HopMonk - Novato, CA
Nov 04 - Sweetwater - Mill Valley, CA
Nov 05 - The Center for the Arts - Grass Valley, CA
Nov 07 - Hult Center for the Performing Arts - Eugene, OR
Nov 09 - Mississippi Studios - Portland, OR
Nov 10 - Admiral Theatre - Bremerton, WA
Nov 11 - Tractor Tavern - Seattle, WA
Nov 13 - The State Room - Salt Lake City, UT
Nov 15 - Boulder Theater - Boulder, CO
Nov 16 - Bluebird Theater - Denver, CO
Nov 17 - Roaring Fork Sessions - Aspen, CO
Nov 29 - World Cafe Live - Philadelphia, PA
Nov 30 - Music Hall of Williamsburg - Brooklyn, NY
Dec 02 - Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts - Katonah, NY
Dec 03 - Infinity Hall Hartford - Hartford, CT
Dec 07 - The Sinclair - Cambridge, MA
Dec 08 - Portland House of Music - Portland, ME
Dec 09 - Levon Helm Studios - Woodstock, NY
Jan 11 - The Basement East - Nashville, TN
Jan 13 - Sheldon Theater - St. Louis, MO
Jan 14 - Thalia Hall - Chicago, IL
Jan 16 - St. Cecilia Music Center - Grand Rapids, MI
Jan 26 - Tradfest - Dublin, IE
Jan 28 - Oran Mor - Glasgow, UK-SCT
Jan 29 - Brudnell Social Club - Leeds, UK
Jan 30 - Lafayette - London, UK

2024 CANADIAN TOUR DATES
Feb 23 – Vancouver, BC – Commodore Ballroom
Feb 24 – Campbell River, BC – Tidemark Theatre
Feb 26 – Lake Country, BC – Creekside Theatre
Feb 27 – Kimberley, BC – Kimberley Arts Council
Feb 29 – Sherwood Park, AB – Festival Place Theatre
Mar 1 – Calgary, AB – Taylor Centre for the Performing Arts: Bella Concert Hall
Mar 2 – Saskatoon, SK – Broadway Theatre
Mar 3 – Winnipeg, MB – Park Theatre
Mar 6 – Hamilton, ON – The Studio (Hamilton Place)
Mar 8 – Toronto, ON – The Danforth Music Hall
Mar 9 – Guelph, ON – War Memorial Hall (University of Guelph)
Mar 10 – London, ON – London Music Hall
Mar 12 – Kingston, ON – Isabel Bader Centre
Mar 14 – Ottawa, ON – National Arts Centre
Mar 15 – Montreal, QC – Le Studio TD
Mar 16 – Quebec City, QC – Imperial Bell
Mar 18 – Fredericton, NB – Wilmot United Church
Mar 19 – Moncton, NB – Capitol Theatre 
Mar 21 – Halifax, NS – The Lighthouse Arts Centre
Mar 22 – Lunenburg, NS – Lunenburg Opera House

ALLISON RUSSELL ONLINE
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FANTASY RECORDS 

GOODBYE KARELLE’S DEBUT LP OUT TODAY

GOODBYE KARELLE, THE MUSICAL PROJECT OF ACTRESS AND POET KARELLE TREMBLAY - DEBUT LP HUGH GREENE & THE LUCIES MADE ME
OUT TODAY

LISTEN / SHARE “CONWAYROAD” HERE

BUY / STREAM HUGH GREENE & THE LUCIES MADE ME HERE
PURCHASE FIRST RUN VINYL OF HUGH GREENE & THE LUCIES MADE ME HERE

Photo Credit : Fred Gervais // DOWNLOAD HIGH-RES

Today, singer-songwriter, actress, and poet Karelle Tremblay’s debut album, Hugh Greene & the Lucies Made Me, is available everywhere. Produced by Jean-Philippe Levac, the music of Goodbye Karelle invokes the hushed tones of spoken word icons like fellow Montrealer Leonard Cohen or Tom Waits but sits inside sharper, modern production associated with contemporary artists like Mitski, Snail Mail, and Japanese Breakfast.

The project is thematically driven by the award winning actor ending a lifelong career in film and television to pursue her musical talent, amidst a new desire for personal expression. Conflicts in gender, sexuality, and relationships form a unique and deeply expressive world for the listener. Goodbye Karelle emerges as storyteller and protagonist, a new voice in the musical wilderness.

LISTEN / SHARE “CONWAYROAD” HERE

BUY / STREAM HUGH GREENE & THE LUCIES MADE ME HERE

MORE ABOUT HUGH GREENE & THE LUCIES MADE ME

Entitled Hugh Greene & the Lucies Made Me, the journey to this record is best shared in the artist’s words (translated from French). The title itself is a reference to her masculine identity, the narrator of the LP.

“I am coming to the end, after almost three years, of my first album as a singer-songwriter. Having no professional training in music, but having practised this art since my childhood, I drew my inspiration from the simplest details of the vagaries of the heart, as well as from the most complex experiences I have had throughout my young adult life.

LISTEN / SHARE “DEVIL TOWN” (DANIEL JOHNSTON COVER) HERE

WATCH / SHARE “MOONROAD” HERE

I've been in the film and television business in Quebec and English Canada for over 10 years, so I already have an image and a profile. But does it represent me? With this project my goal was simple: reveal myself as my truest self.

My gender identity is complex. In certain moments, I speak about myself as masculine. I don't identify myself completely as a woman. However, because of my job as an actress, in a still very hetero normed environment, I am always labeled as one. 

WATCH / SHARE “SNEAKERS” HERE

LISTEN / SHARE “RAINBOWROAD” HERE

This was also due to a lack of confidence in my voice. But suddenly, music has allowed me to express my gender through the deployment of my creative force. This did not come without struggle. When I started making music, I was unable to hear myself without effects. I tried to camouflage it as best I could, which was counter to what I wanted to project; something assumed, between male and female, a husky and deep voice, a buried voice that was still mine. 

I have always been inspired by the power of words and their potential poetic assembly. I am particularly fond of writing lyrics. While my acting job required me to recite other people's words, music offered me the opportunity to write them, to play with them.

During my years of acting, I too often felt dispossessed of my own words, sometimes even obligated to defend values that could go against the ideas that inhabited me.

Strengthened by this muzzling, by the inability to express myself fully, was born this need to create my own artistic identity. I had pages and pages of text in my phone, which I collected every day, written at any time. They came to form the skeleton of compositions to come. 

My goal was to gather this album around the beautiful and painful complexity of the emotional relationships that have marked me in recent years.

I want to use this opportunity to solidify my narrative and add more pages to the story I want to tell. I don't want to take any intellectual shortcuts: this is not a side project. This is Goodbye Karelle.”

PURCHASE FIRST RUN VINYL OF HUGH GREENE & THE LUCIES MADE ME HERE

LP Artwork // DOWNLOAD HIGH-RES
HUGH GREENE & THE LUCIES MADE ME TRACKLIST
Intro
Sneakers
Moonroad
Devil Town
Rainbowroad
Interlude For You
Gambetta Club
Conwayroad
Interlude
Bird Brain
Appleton Marina

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LOONY REVEALS VIDEO FOR NEW SINGLE, “A GOOD NIGHT”

WATCH / SHARE “A GOOD NIGHT” HERE
BUY / STREAM “A GOOD NIGHT” HERE

"wistful and silky smooth" - The FADER

"one of the artists leading Canada’s new class of R&B singers." - Complex

"Blending retro soul inflections and moody grooves with punchy pop synths" - The Line Of Best Fit

"I Love That LOONY, this is sure to make waves" - Elton John

"taps into the restless but relatable flutters of first love." - Refinery29

Photo Credit : SXMBA // DOWNLOAD HIGH-RES

Today, Scarborough blue collared R&B / soul-singer LOONY, aka, Kira Huszar, shares her new single “A Good Night” which follows this year’s previous single, “Old Friends”, and is the second song in a surprising succession of new moments from LOONY, doubling down on the breaking of over a year of musical silence.

Working together with Grammy Award nominated collaborators Akeel Henry (Jasmine Sullivan, John Legend) and Adam Pondang, the song begins with a traditionally LOONY sounding harmony stack, ominous and haunting with a barely noticeable vocal sample quietly sitting in the background. After a quick 8 bars we shift into a slappy guitar based loop that excels within its restrain, the restrain being what truly allows LOONY’s heartfelt lyrics and supernatural vocal ability to shine.

Contextually, LOONY muses “I’ve definitely ruined what was supposed to be a good night before, because I wasn’t willing to let something go. I had questions that needed answering, or feelings I had to get off my chest. It’s not always worth it, you definitely end up being the villain. But I can’t really pretend like everything’s cool if it’s not.

“This song itself came together quickly - ‘Akeel, Adam and I were out at this little cottage in the middle of nowhere, in the middle of the night, scream-singing this song. We were kinda loopy and over-tired and we had so much fun just playing with a bunch of random objects to create different textures. We mic'd a leaf at one point. It somehow ended up staying in the song.”

WATCH / SHARE “A GOOD NIGHT” HERE
BUY / STREAM “A GOOD NIGHT” HERE

“A Good Night” Single Art // DOWNLOAD HIGH-RES

MORE ABOUT LOONY
LOONY has already gained fans at FADER, Complex, Line of Best Fit and more for her lush, earnest voice; she's also been featured on lauded Apple and Spotify curated playlists alike. There's a method to Kira Huszar’s madness. From the outset of her 2018 debut EP, PART 1, through the 25 million+ streamed JOYRiDE and most recent, soft thing, LOONY has been offering listeners revelatory, neo-soul-inflected pieces of her reality.

LISTEN TO LOONY CHAT WITH CBC q ABOUT PREVIOUS SINGLE “OLD FRIENDS” HERE

WATCH / SHARE “OLD FRIENDS” VISUALIZER HERE

BUY / STREAM “OLD FRIENDS” HERE

LOONY has come a long way from skipping musical theater classes in high school to make mixtapes in her basement: Working with Adam Pondang and Noah ‘40’ Shebib protege Akeel Henry (Ty Dolla $ign, Jeremih, Jazmine Sullivan) on soft thing, LOONY summons musical shades of gospel, jazz, hip hop, and R&B, as on “faceless” and “raw,” which recall early Erykah Badu, The Roots and peak-era D’Angelo in both their enigmatic funkiness and Huszar’s poignant mastery of vocal inflection. At its core, the quarantine-made EP was a diligent exploration of love in many forms, from the euphoric expectation of flirtation to the inextricable hope for a grandparent to stay safe in the midst of a global pandemic. With the release of "Old Friends" we enter into a new chapter of her inextinguishable spirit and verve for finding the beauty in being vulnerable. There's much more on the horizon for LOONY this year. 

LISTEN / SHARE "FIRST THING SMOKIN'" HERE
BUY / STREAM “FIRST THING SMOKIN’” HERE

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