Song is the second preview of debut album from new project by Alberta Métis singer/songwriter Cynthia Hamar
After Alberta-based singer/songwriter Cynthia Hamar unveiled her new identity BirdBelly last month with the single “Black Horses,” today she is sharing “Desert Khaki,” the second preview of the debut BirdBelly album The Wind The Wood, set to be released on Oct. 17.
“Desert Khaki” adds more atmospheric vibes to BirdBelly’s stellar production values—imagine Stevie Nicks collaborating with The War On Drugs.
As Cynthia describes,
“’Desert Khaki’ is a meditation on moving through a season of unknowns—on the pause, the quiet space we hold when the world is loud and divided. In that waiting, we can feel invisible and insignificant, like a pebble on the beach getting hammered by waves—hidden, yet still part of the whole. It’s about holding that space long enough to understand before we speak, so that when we finally answer, what comes out is love.”
BirdBelly marks the latest stage in Cynthia Hamar’s artistic evolution that began in her teens with homemade cassettes and later, two albums comprised of raw, personal folk-pop.
By 2019, Hamar was feeling a growing desire to get closer to the core of her music making process, prompting her to enrol in the Recording and Production program at MacEwan University in Edmonton, through which she earned a Bachelor of Music degree with distinction in 2023. In the midst of her studies, she recorded Joint & Marrow, an album that received international praise, and earned Hamar a Canadian Folk Music Awards nomination for Indigenous Songwriter of the Year.
All of that has laid the foundation for BirdBelly, created with a trusted group of collaborators that includes producer Paul Johnston, bassist MJ Dandeneau (whom Hamar also credits with mentoring her throughout the project), keyboardist Chris Andrew and drummer Richard Irwin.
For Hamar, transitioning to BirdBelly just seemed to make sense, given all the other changes she has made to her musical approach.
“I feel my new music showcases a more mature lyrical depth and vocal expression, and I also have been very intentional about writing material for my live show, creating more interesting moments and stories for people to be immersed in.”
The combined themes of faith and resilience are prominent throughout the record, which also helps explain the album title The Wind The Wood. Hamar says,
“I think there’s definitely a correlation between community and trees—deep roots provide strength. The truth is that adversity can destroy us or strengthen us and that is very dependent on what kind of ‘roots’ we have, or if we have any at all.”
That sentiment leads back to “Black Horses,” which features Joey Landreth on slide guitar. It’s the story of Hamar’s daughter praying for a black horse after she fell in love with the book Black Beauty, and their family eventually ending up with four black horses on their farm years later. Such personal touches are all a part of Hamar’s artistic evolution that has now in many ways kicked into overdrive with BirdBelly as she understands more about her Métis heritage and becomes more connected to the land.
Hamar says bluntly,
“I want to create music that matters—songs with words that inspire, melodies that soften hearts, and chord progressions that open minds and spirits. I can’t be afraid to try, and to not rise to the occasion.”