Debra-Jean Creelman is about to release her EP, Triggers & Mirrors on November 22, 2019. Today, we are happy to unveil the video for the first single from the release, “How Many Times”.
Debra-Jean shares,
“I was pretty sure from a very young age that I wouldn’t be a mother. My relationship with my mother was complex and challenging and resulted in my not knowing her for most of my adult life. This song is about freeing myself from the traditional restrictions and societal obligations of being a woman and not passing on the programs and patterns I inherited to a child of my own.
I knew I wanted Barbara (Bourget of Kokoro Dance) for the video, and I’ve known her son Jo (Passed) for years. So I asked him for an introduction, and who he thought would be the best fit to work with his Mom. It just so happened that he had recently bought a bunch of film gear and had some experience shooting his own videos for his previous band Sprïng. I knew of Alex MacKenzie’s (Iris Films Collective) projection work through his live collaborations with both Barbara and Peggy Lee. I couldn’t be happier with the way it all lined up. Seemed like some kind of serendipity.”
Check out the video below, and find out more about Debra-Jean via our Five Questions With segment.
Care to introduce yourself to our readers?
My name is Debra-Jean Creelman. I was a founding member of Mother Mother, and have been making music professionally in Canada for around 25 years.
Tell us a bit about your music and writing style.
I started making this record right in the middle of a crash course in mortality, upheaval, and loss. The version of myself and the life that I had been clinging to had been shattered.
This recording was a true collaboration if there ever was one. These songs are just as much James Meger’s (Peggy Lee’s Echo Painting, Sick Boss) as they are mine at this point. He built tracks around my hesitant demo vocals, and he, Jesse Zubot (Tanya Taqaq), and Molly Guldemond (Mother Mother) supported me musically and otherwise as I gained confidence and momentum throughout the process. Coming out the other side of it, I feel stronger, happier, and more inspired to make music than I have in a very long time.
Do you have any upcoming shows? For someone who has yet to see you live, how would you explain your live performance?
I’m not playing any shows anytime soon, as I have already started working on another recording. I’m a bit tunnel-visioned, so all of my energy is going to be focused on that for a while yet…
My performance style is that of a person who gets very anxious leading up to getting on stage, and then usually all of that angst turns into something moving/entertaining when it comes out of me. I guess you could call it my outlet.
If you were asked to suggest only one of your songs for someone to hear, which would it be?
“How Many Times”
Canadian Beats is all about Canadian music, so who are your current favourite Canadian bands/ artists?
Louise Burns
Peggy Lee
Jenn Bojm & Khingfisher
Wallgrin
Jopassed
Connect with Debra-Jean Creelman:
Website
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram