Joanna Bronson Unveils Heartfelt Country-Folk Singles “Highway 28” and “Norwood” From Forthcoming Debut Album
Canadian country-folk artist Joanna Bronson steps into the spotlight with two stirring singles that capture the emotional landscape of small-town life and love. “Highway 28,” and “Norwood,” both out now, mark the arrival of a songwriter whose voice feels both timeless and deeply personal. These tracks offer the first glimpse into Bronson’s forthcoming debut album ‘Highway 28,’ slated for release in March 2026, a collection that serves as an intimate love letter to her hometown and the roads that shaped her.
Recorded with acclaimed East Coast musician and producer J.P. Cormier in his studio outside Halifax, the album showcases Bronson’s gift for emotional honesty and grounded, roots-driven storytelling. Cormier—a lifelong musical hero of Bronson’s—played all additional instruments, and handled the mixing and mastering, building a sonic world around songs Bronson recorded exactly as she wrote them: just her voice, her guitar, and the stories she needed to tell. The collaboration represents a significant milestone in Bronson’s artistic development, with the result being a record that sounds the way these songs were always meant to be heard – warm, intimate, and achingly real.
“At its core, this record is a love letter to my hometown,” Bronson reflects. “Every song began with something real – a feeling, a conversation, or a moment that actually happened.”
The album explores acceptance, memory, and the quiet wondering of what might have been, written from the perspective of time and distance when the heart has had space to heal and reflect, beautifully portrayed in the title track “Highway 28″. Holding both reflection and a wishing-well curiosity for the life that almost was. “Norwood” takes listeners down a different road exploring different aspects of letting love back in. Together, the songs create a small-town world of love and loss – the kind of places that never really let go of their memories.
The recording process itself became a defining moment in Bronson’s journey.
“Hearing J.P sing harmony on Norwood for the first time was a moment I’m not sure I’ll ever top,” she shares.
The organic approach – Bronson laying down her vocals and guitar parts while Cormier built the instrumentation around them – resulted in an honest, intimate record that honors the songs’ original essence while elevating them with nuanced production. Each track maintains the story-forward authenticity that has become Bronson’s signature, rooted in the kind of lived experience that connects with audiences on a deeply human level.
Over the past three years, Bronson has honed her craft performing alongside her father and fellow entertainer Danny Bronson. The duo has connected with audiences at local venues, jamborees, and headline performances including the Millbrook Fall Festival, building a reputation for intimate, story-forward shows. Her work has garnered attention from YourTV, where she appeared on Making Music and The Skinny to discuss her music and creative process. With a growing regional presence and a commitment to authentic songwriting, Bronson is establishing herself as an emerging voice in the Canadian country-folk scene, equally at home on small stages and festival lineups.
Bronson’s songwriting carries additional significance as she draws from relationships and experiences that lend her work a distinct sense of perspective and offers authentic LGBTQ+ representation to the country-folk genre. Her approach to storytelling is universal in its emotional resonance while remaining deeply personal and true to her lived experience. This authenticity extends beyond subject matter – it’s woven into every aspect of her artistry, from the vulnerability in her vocal delivery to the careful attention she pays to each lyrical detail. The songs on ‘Highway 28’ invite listeners into a world where honesty and heart create the kind of connection that transcends genre boundaries.
With “Highway 28” and “Norwood” paving the way, Bronson is building a body of work that celebrates the kind of songs that bring people together. Whether on stage or in the writing room, she continues to grow her craft and share her journey – one song, one story, and one listener at a time. The full album ‘Highway 28’ promises to be a defining statement from an artist who captures the quiet beauty and raw honesty of life in small towns, weaving heartfelt stories that resonate long after they’re heard.
Hi, Joanna! Good to meet you! Care to introduce yourself to the readers for those not familiar with your music?
Hi, nice to meet you too! I’m Joanna Bronson. Born and raised in Peterborough, Ontario. I’m a country/folk singer-songwriter. I love songwriting. I try my best to write music that feels good and true to me. I find when a song is written like that, the listener can feel it, regardless of genre preference. If I’m not writing or performing, you can probably find me outdoors. Happiest hanging with family and good friends, my dog, and somewhere near a few horses. I’m a Pisces too, by the way, if that helps paint the picture!
“Highway 28” feels like both a real road and a metaphor. When you look back now, what does that highway represent in your life?
It’s one of those things I’ve come to notice. When something big happens in your life, it ripples into the little corners of you. Places, smells, songs, hold those memories far longer than we care to admit. For a long time, I avoided that stretch of road. Then one day, I found myself driving the same route I once thought I’d be on forever—but everything felt different. It all kind of hit me. I was over the relationship, yet the “what ifs” still found their way in… how people can change so much over the years, and somehow not at all. Small towns have a way of holding time like that. Seven years can pass, and you look around and feel like both everything and nothing has changed.
So now, Highway 28 feels like a wishing well of that chapter—of those people, that life, those memories. I truly hope everyone is doing good. It’s just a road for me again, but there will always be a place in my heart for that little stretch of highway.
Working with J.P. Cormier must have been meaningful, especially since he was a longtime hero of yours. What did it feel like to finally sit across from him and make a record together?
Yeah, it was an amazing experience. It was my first time seriously recording on my own, so I was pretty nervous. I drove from Peterborough to Enfield, Nova Scotia, with ten songs I felt really good about. It was something I knew I needed to do for myself as an artist. When I arrived at his studio, I’ll never forget him standing on the balcony. I walked up, sat down, and we just chatted for a bit. J.P. made me feel at ease right away. That true East Coast hospitality.
Then he said, “Alright, play me one.” I played Highway 28, and he told me we’d be cutting the record live off the floor. He set up a chair and a mic in the middle of the room, and we were off. I had no idea what to expect from the recording process, but it wasn’t that and it was incredible. The next week was spent collaborating in that same way. I’d play him another song, and he’d let out some expletives that gave me the sense he thought they were really something special.
Coming from the guy who wrote songs like Kelly’s Mountain, Molly May, and Another Morning—and that’s just on one record—I was pretty awestruck. J.P. has worked with incredible, iconic musicians. He is one himself. It’s hard to fully put into words what it means to have someone like him believe in my songs, but I can say it truly solidified my decision to pursue songwriting.
There are special moments from that week that I keep close to my heart. I hope to work on many more projects with him, as a mentor, collaborator and a friend.
“Norwood” explores letting love back in after reflection and time. How do you decide when a song is ready to move from private memory to something you share publicly?
I knew right away that Norwood would be one I’d share. I started writing it in the summer of 2023. I posted a clip on my Instagram story, and one of my mom’s friends said she’d love to hear it with a more upbeat tempo. I’m naturally better at writing slow, reflective songs, so the upbeat ones take a little more work. It became a bit of a back-and-forth—I shared the progress from the very beginning up to the moment I figured out the chorus. It’s the only song I’ve ever written in that way.
As long as I believe a song is good, I’ll share it. Some of my most personal songs—the ones I’d almost rather not sing—often end up being fan favorites. I’ve learned to give myself some distance from the stories by adding touches of fiction, which makes them easier to share. But honestly, at this point in my career, and from what I know as a fan, the more personal a memory or song is, the more universal it becomes. That’s what really resonates with listeners.
So if I feel a song is worth sharing, I will—no matter how close to home it hits. I try not to bring anyone else into it if I can help it. It’s one thing to share my own journal, another to share someone else’s experience. But sometimes a good story is a good story, and people want to hear good stories!
You have performed for years alongside your father, Danny Bronson. How did those early shows shape your confidence as a storyteller?
My dad is an entertainer through and through when he steps on stage. He wants the audience right there with him every step of the way—laughing, dancing, singing along. I’ve been really lucky to grow up watching him do his thing. On top of that, he’s a world-class musician and singer. He’s brought me on stage with him every chance he’s had. In the early days having him there beside me playing and singing really allowed me to feel comfortable and grow my confidence as a performer.
So yeah, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. There’s a natural confidence and instinct that comes from being his daughter. It’s funny too because I used to have the worst stage fright growing up. Like, I would cry if I had to get on a stage. Somewhere along the way though I reached a point where I wanted to be on stage sharing my music more than I wanted to be afraid of it.
There’s no better feeling than being on stage, fully in the moment with the audience—laughing together and hearing them sing my songs back to me. But it all started with watching my dad. Pretty lucky, I know.
As listeners discover you through these singles, what do you hope they understand about who Joanna Bronson is and the stories you feel called to tell?
I hope to be seen as a genuine, authentic songwriter. I want my music to feel like a safe place—somewhere people can let themselves feel whatever they’re feeling. I hope listeners feel seen and represented in my stories.
The stories I feel called to tell are about love and loss in all their different forms, and about noticing the small, pretty moments in between.
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