Sue Decker Uplifts with “Hummingbird” from New Album, Keeping Time
Sue Decker’s rich and warm voice, distinctive slide guitar playing, and authentic songwriting make for a powerful combination. Her music inhabits the borderlands where blues, folk, country, and soul meet, now witnessed in her second album, Keeping Time. She collaborated with sought-after roots producer Steve Dawson to record at The Henhouse Studio in Nashville. In 2019, Sue had released her debut full-length album Outskirts of Love to international acclaim.
Her latest single, “Hummingbird,” finds solace in nature. She explains, “In the first several weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic, I had the precious experience of watching a hummingbird build her nest on a tree branch right outside my window, tend to the eggs, and feed the hatchlings. Then I got to see the little ones learn to fly. It helped me get through those bewildering and dark days.”
On Keeping Time, Sue’s unique capacity for pairing meaningful and topical lyrics with ear-catching melodies shines through. True to her aim as a songwriter, she uses ordinary language to fuse everyday moments with the unspeakable and the extraordinary. The recording process was mostly live-off-the-floor playing music together in real time. The powerful, intimate, and playful songs hold a lifetime of experiences within small moments—looking back on the past and what was not meant to be, current challenges we’re all facing, and preparing for what the future may hold.
First off, care to introduce yourself to our readers?
Hello Canadian Beats readers! I’m a singer-songwriter and slide guitar player. I live in Victoria, but I started playing music and writing songs while living in Edmonton. That’s where I learned to play my first guitar chords in a bluegrass jam at the age of thirty-five. Ever since then, I have been discovering my truth in song. I released my first album, Outskirts of Love, in 2019. These days, my music inhabits the borderlands where blues, folk, country, and soul meet.
Tell us a bit about your most recent release.
My album “Keeping Time” was released on March 22nd. I collaborated with producer and fellow Canadian Steve Dawson to record the album. I feel like the album shows my growth as a songwriter to pair meaningful and topical lyrics with melodies that move. Killer playing by Steve on guitars and pedal steel alongside supreme Nashville session musicians Dave Jacques on bass and Justin Amaral on drums gave me a first-rate platform to lay down the emotion of each song in the vocals. Although there’s a range from country to blues to folk-rock flavours on the album, recording live-off-the-floor gave the record the unified sound I was after.
How do you typically go about the songwriting process? Do you have a specific method or creative routine that you follow?
My songs usually come from observing everyday moments that inspire the muse in some way. For me, songwriting is all about space and time to let ideas percolate. Most of the time, a lyrical line comes first, often with a melody but not always. The process for one of the songs on the album, “Hummingbird”, was different. It all started with the precious experience of witnessing a hummingbird build her nest on a tree branch right outside my window at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Then I heard a side guitar lick in my head and started playing it on my lap steel. Having a lick or instrumental drive the songwriting process was new for me (and I loved it!).
Looking ahead, what are your plans for supporting this new release? Are there any upcoming tours, music videos, or additional content that fans can look forward to in connection with this project?
I have had really positive response to the first single, “The Lost Ones”, which is a compassion song for everyone affected by opioid addiction. And I continue to get the word out about the album release supported by publicity teams in Canada and the UK. I’m booking shows in Western Canada for the spring, summer, and fall. Plus, we are in the process for creating a lyric video for “Hummingbird” that I can’t wait to release!
Looking back on your musical career, is there a particular moment or accomplishment that you consider a turning point or a highlight?
My recent album release party was such a fabulous night. It felt so good to celebrate the hard work, pushing through moments of doubt, and the support I’ve had to launch these songs into the world. At the release show, the full house reflected back the joyful energy that my band and I were putting out. The most satisfying moments for me as a songwriter and performer are when someone shares that your song hit home for them. That’s what music is for—human connection between people and within ourselves.
Last but not least, it’s time to pay it forward, what upcoming band or artist would you recommend your fans check out?
Oh goodness, so much great music to share. I would love to for people to check out Erin Ross from Calgary. She just released her album “The Wind Will Lead Me Home” and I’m looking forward to sharing the stage with her in Calgary on May 11th!