Photo Credit: Tèa Mei

Debra-Jean Creelman – Five Questions With

Jenna Melanson·July 23, 2024

Vancouver’s Debra-Jean Creelman Releases Collaborative Ego Death LP feat. Buoyant Horn Filled “Heavy Blow”

Vancouver experimental pop singer-songwriter Debra-Jean Creelman is releasing Ego Death, her brand new LP which is a musical odyssey of soul and jazz that transcends both time and space.

Penned and recorded amidst the final days of the COVID-19 lockdown period, this album emerged from a place of true collaborative spirit.

After coming up with the concept of horns to provide the main harmonic foundation in lieu of typical band instrumentation, Creelman sent a few song ideas to renowned experimental trumpeter JP Carter (Destroyer, Dan Mangan). Together with producers Jo Hirabayashi (Jo Passed) and Sean Cronin (Very Good), they created the foundational demos.

Ego Death features the focus track, “Heavy Blow,” an optimistic and buoyant song that includes R&B-infused vocal arrangements. Speaking of the song, Creelman references the drum groove in Al Green’s “So Glad You’re Mine” as the song’s impetus.

First off, care to introduce yourself to our readers?

My name is Debra-Jean Creelman, and I’m a musician from Vancouver, BC.

Tell us a bit about your recent release.

This record was very much a collaborative effort. It features arrangements by JP Carter (Destroyer), Jo Hirabayashi (Jo Passed), & Sean Cronin (Very Good). Horns provide the main harmonic foundation, in lieu of typical instrumentation. The vocals weave in out of time with the horns, to create a surreal musical landscape.

How do you typically go about the songwriting process? Do you have a specific method or creative routine that you follow?

It tends to be a bit different every time. Most often, I settle on a chord progression and loop it till melody ideas come.

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?

With each record I make, I gain more confidence in my instincts and abilities. I am moving towards finding my own sound, and making a record I want to perform live – after a very experimental / exploratory period.