Never Thought It Could Be That Sweet

In October 2016, Simon Bridgefoot and I started an Artistic Residency at the Abbotsford Arts Council’s Kariton Gallery. Our goals were: 1. Record music somewhere pretty; and 2. Build and strengthen musical friendships in our lil town/region. We made a whole album, but this song alone checked off all of our boxes, including the ones we didn’t know we had.

A couple of friends did, in fact, help us create this song: You Say Party’s Becky Ninkovic, Blessed’s Drew Riekman, and Cat Janzen.

As part of our Residency, Simon and I had to design and run low-barrier workshops related to our “craft”. That turned out to be a pretty intuitive and enjoyable part of the process for me. I focused my workshops on singing and songwriting as part of a mental health practice.

On days we held the workshops, participants cried, got jazzed, felt uncomfortable, and learned a thing or two. After hours, when we recorded this song, I felt music’s subtle but persistent healing properties. Listening to Becky and Cat express their distinctive souls through their contrasting voices. Watching Drew pick up my dad’s acoustic guitar and compose a part of unexpected delicacy. I felt grateful then and I still do now.