Nova Scotia’s Lawrence Curry Unveils His Debut LP I Sail To Thee, An Ode To Celtic Roots, Enchanting Listeners With Soulful Storytelling
Nova Scotia singer-songwriter Lawrence Curry has released his debut LP I Sail To Thee, out now. Curry’s full-body voice and well-seasoned guitar skills carry through his album, but the masterwork of it all is his storytelling ability–undoubtedly an ode to his Celtic roots.
From track to track, the multi-instrumentalist pulls inspiration from real-life tales and his own experiences to weave individual, specific stories.
Inspired by his travels in Scotland, the storyteller extraordinaire recounts the tale of a shipwrecked mariner’s rescue in his atmospheric closing track and first single “Of Which Mortals Only Dream.” The song’s melody follows the arc of the story perfectly. It begins with mysterious guitar picking, inviting the listener to be part of the song, feeling as though they themselves are lost at sea. Curry sings:
I was wrecked and washed upon the shore
so very close to death my friends its true
for six nights I would shake and shiver
until the seventh morn when she found me
I’d not seen a living soul
and only heard the rolling of the sea
As the narrative reveals a rescue by a mystery woman, the melody follows suit with a steady strumming evoking a sense of safety of being found. Percussion slowly emerges, eventually leading into a light groove. The story of “Of Which Mortals Only Dream” came to Curry during his time overseas but only made it to paper during the pandemic.
Having started playing the guitar and writing folk songs at fourteen years old, Curry’s musical career has taken different shapes over the years. After taking a small step away from music, the singer-songwriter returned as a semi-professional composer and sound designer. Nevertheless, the calling to write music and share stories is rooted so deep within him that he never stopped writing songs. The pandemic made this calling clear and most of the tracks that make up I Sail To Thee were brought to life during that time.
“I realized during the pandemic, with all that time for self-reflection, that life is too short and fragile not to do what you love and be who you are,” says Curry. Rightfully so, the musician practices what he preaches.
The 9-track album is a complete ode to who he is and the people who have come before him. Interlaced with small parts of him, the album reflects the history of his home province, his Celtic roots, his travels to Ireland and Scotland, and his affection for his wife. The Canadian folk artist has managed to intertwine the past and present through united tales of longing, and the product is an album that has the power to carry listeners across oceans and time.
Curry’s hope is that each song is a story that will stay with the listener, long after the music stops.
Care to introduce yourself?
My name is Lawrence Curry, I’m a singer-songwriter and composer based in Stellarton, Nova Scotia.
Tell us about the process of writing and recording “Of Which Mortals Only Dream.”
The idea for the song came to me while I was traveling in Scotland on a little shuttle bus going through the beautiful Scottish Borders en route to Edinburgh. I had recently read a book about maritime shipwrecks, and I started thinking of the contrast between the cold harshness of the rocky sea and the soft warmth of the hills and forests that I was driving through. I began to outline a story in my head where two people, one from each of these worlds, would meet on a shoreline. The only thing I wrote down at the time was what would become the opening line of the song; “I am the mariner Thomas Grey and I’ve a story to share with you”. I spent a few more weeks travelling with my wife though the awesome land and seascapes of the Scottish Highlands and islands and continued to formulate this story of a shipwrecked mariner, though I didn’t write anything else down. When I returned home to Nova Scotia, I put the lyrics to paper and began to write the music.
“Of Which Mortals Only Dream” is the closing track on the new album and the last one that we recorded. It’s also the only one that features a full band arrangement. I had recorded a demo at home with acoustic guitar and the vocal, along with some atmospheric keyboards and a simple drum beat. I liked the demo and originally wanted to stick fairly close to the same arrangement in the studio. Scott Ferguson, who plays drums on the track and also recorded and co-produced it, suggested I do some layered electric guitar instead of the keyboards – which was a great suggestion. So, we started out by recording my acoustic guitar and vocal as a guide track, then with Scott on drums and myself on bass, we laid down the rhythm track. I then layered the three different electric guitar parts. The idea was to create a sense of dreaminess and rolling waves with the music, and I think we achieved that.
What’s it like being a musician in Nova Scotia?
The music scene in NS is pretty laid-back and unpretentious, which I love. I’m a bit of an introvert myself, I prefer writing and being in the recording studio to live performance, however, I think there are lots of opportunities for people to get out there to perform and network – which is great, but it’s also easy to kind of stay below the radar if you wish.
Who was the first and most recent Canadian artist to blow you away?
The first Canadian artist to influence and inspire me was Neil Young. What can I say about him? Legend. More recently, I would say The Weeknd is an artist that really impresses me. Though I don’t gravitate towards pop music these days, I feel like there is something very special and timeless about his music.
You’ve been making music for a while now, what’s one piece of advice you can offer to those starting out?
My advice would be not to shy away from what you’re good at. I spent much of my early years trying to write music that I thought others would like, not music that I liked. Once I got over that, good things happened. I’m not saying that you shouldn’t try new things or step outside your comfort zone, just don’t be afraid to play to your strengths.
Connect with Lawrence Curry:
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