Ollee Owens Finds “Common Ground” Ahead of New Album – Interview

by | Oct 30, 2026 | Interviews

Long before Nashville, there was a stack of old cassette tapes in a Manitoba home. Ollee Owens and her brother would dig through them looking for music that spoke to them, and they found it in the Delta blues. Years later, those discoveries have led the Calgary singer and songwriter to the most ambitious music of her life. Her soulful new single “Common Ground” is out today, the first taste of her third album, ‘From Now On,’ arriving February 26, 2027. At a time when political, ideological, racial, and religious divides are pulling families, communities, and nations apart, “Common Ground” speaks straight into the space between us. Owens wrote it with Phil Hughley, whose credits include CeCe Winans, TajMo, and The War and Treaty, along with Kornelius Colyn. The song asks listeners to face the fear, greed and exclusion that have been allowed to take root, and to recognize that none of us stands entirely outside the problem. For ‘From Now On,’ Owens teamed up with one of Canada’s most celebrated roots musicians. Toronto-born producer and guitarist Colin Linden is a Grammy winner and nine-time JUNO Award winner. He co-founded Blackie and the Rodeo Kings with Tom Wilson and Stephen Fearing, and he spent years as Bruce Cockburn’s guitarist and co-producer. He has also worked with Bob Dylan, Emmylou Harris, and The Band, and served as music director for the TV series Nashville. He’s a big believer in her too. “Ollee Owens is the voice of empathy,” Linden says. “Blues, soul, music of the spirit all emanates from her with joy and compassion. Her music is a balm for the troubled, the restless, the hopeful and the seekers in this world. Dig deep and take comfort.” Owens travelled to Nashville to record the album’s 10 songs live in the studio over just four days. Linden played guitar alongside bassist Johnny Dymond, drummer George Receli and keyboardist Mike Hicks, and the sessions favoured instinct and chemistry over polish. That spirit mirrors the album’s message: these are songs about connection, collaboration and staying honest as we move forward, even when the road ahead isn’t clear. Some very special guests joined her. The album opens with a reimagined take on Rev. Dan Smith’s “Just Keep Going On,” lifted by gospel harmonies from The McCrary Sisters. Americana great Buddy Miller adds baritone guitar to “I See You Coming,” and Grammy honoured songwriter Tommy Sims joins Owens for a duet on the title track. She also pays tribute to Julie Miller, a longtime inspiration, with a cover of “Broken Things.” “The blues has always been at the heart of my music, but it isn’t the only sound that shaped me,” Owens says. “I grew up surrounded by music that moved across genre lines, and with this album, I wanted to give all of those influences room to breathe. Colin understood where those threads connected. He helped me bring them together in a way that remains deeply rooted in the blues while revealing more of who I am as an artist.” Those threads go back to her childhood home on the Canadian prairie. Her mother loved Elvis and the Beatles, and her father played outlaw country and gospel. Growing up in a small Manitoba farming community, Owens became the go-to singer for local weddings, funerals and fairs. She wrote her first songs at eight and picked up the guitar at 12, then stepped away from music for years to raise her three daughters before coming back in 2022 with ‘Cannot Be Unheard.’ Her comeback has been remarkable. Her 2024 album ‘Nowhere to Hide’ won the 2025 Canadian Blues Music Award for Emerging Blues Artist or Group of the Year. It spent more than 35 weeks in the Roots Music Report’s Canadian Top 10, including five weeks at #1, and her video for “Shivers and Butterflies” drew nearly 800,000 views in a single month. She has shared festival stages with Matt Andersen and Dawn Tyler Watson and become a fixture across Western Canada, including the Calgary Blues Festival, the Camrose Blues Festival and the Nanaimo Blues Festival. “We all want to know what’s around the bend, but life doesn’t usually give us that kind of certainty,” Owens says. “That’s really the heart of this album for me. From Now On doesn’t mean everything suddenly gets easier. It means we stop waiting for easy before we start living again. We let ourselves be loved, we make room to grow, and we keep taking the next step — together.” That hope echoes across the record. Her cover of Tom Waits’ “Come On Up To The House” plays like a benediction, an open invitation to rest and lean on the people around you. “Lines of Your Love,” with its percussive pulse and searing electric guitar, explores the balance between loving yourself and loving others. “Boyish Man” holds space for women waiting on partners to grow up, “Up and Away” traces the path from trauma to healing and “No Place” celebrates a battle-tested love that grows stronger every year. It’s an album about resilience, recovery, community and momentum, and a love letter to the music that has carried her all her life. The girl who once dug through cassette tapes on a prairie farm is now using music to help other people find their own way, and she’s inviting everyone to meet her on common ground.

Calgary blues and soul artist Ollee Owens releases powerful new single “Common Ground” ahead of her third album, From Now On

Long before Nashville, there was a stack of old cassette tapes in a Manitoba home. Ollee Owens and her brother would dig through them looking for music that spoke to them, and they found it in the Delta blues.

Years later, those discoveries have led the Calgary singer-songwriter to some of the most ambitious music of her career. Her soulful new single, “Common Ground,” is out today, October 30, offering the first taste of her third album, From Now On, arriving February 26, 2027.

Ollee Owens Releases “Common Ground” Ahead of New Album

At a time when political, ideological, racial, and religious divides are pulling families, communities, and nations apart, Ollee Owens’ “Common Ground” speaks directly to the space between us.

Co-written with Phil Hughley, whose credits include CeCe Winans, TajMo, and The War and Treaty, along with Kornelius Colyn, the song encourages listeners to confront fear, greed, and exclusion while recognizing the importance of empathy and understanding.

For From Now On, Owens teamed up with Grammy-winning, nine-time JUNO Award-winning producer and guitarist Colin Linden, known for his work with Blackie and the Rodeo Kings, Bruce Cockburn, Bob Dylan, Emmylou Harris, and The Band.

Linden has nothing but praise for Owens.

“Ollee Owens is the voice of empathy. Blues, soul, music of the spirit all emanates from her with joy and compassion. Her music is a balm for the troubled, the restless, the hopeful and the seekers in this world. Dig deep and take comfort.”

Recorded live in Nashville over just four days, the album’s 10 tracks bring together an impressive lineup of musicians, including bassist Johnny Dymond, drummer George Receli, and keyboardist Mike Hicks.

The album also features appearances from The McCrary Sisters, Buddy Miller, and Tommy Sims, alongside covers of songs by Julie Miller, Tom Waits, and Rev. Dan Smith.

Ollee Owens Embraces Her Blues Roots on From Now On

Growing up in a small Manitoba farming community, Owens was surrounded by music. Her mother loved Elvis and the Beatles, while her father introduced her to outlaw country and gospel.

She began writing songs at eight and picked up the guitar at 12, eventually becoming a familiar voice at local weddings, funerals, and fairs.

After stepping away from music to raise her three daughters, Owens returned in 2022 with Cannot Be Unheard.

Her 2024 album, Nowhere to Hide, earned her the 2025 Canadian Blues Music Award for Emerging Blues Artist or Group of the Year and spent more than 35 weeks in the Roots Music Report’s Canadian Top 10, including five weeks at #1.

The album also featured the title track, “Nowhere to Hide,” which Owens revisited with a music video in March 2025. Canadian Beats previously covered the video’s release.

Now, with From Now On, Owens is expanding her sound while staying connected to the blues influences that started it all.

“The blues has always been at the heart of my music, but it isn’t the only sound that shaped me. I grew up surrounded by music that moved across genre lines, and with this album, I wanted to give all of those influences room to breathe. Colin understood where those threads connected. He helped me bring them together in a way that remains deeply rooted in the blues while revealing more of who I am as an artist.”

Throughout the album, Owens explores resilience, recovery, community, and the importance of moving forward, even when the future feels uncertain.

“We all want to know what’s around the bend, but life doesn’t usually give us that kind of certainty. That’s really the heart of this album for me. From Now On doesn’t mean everything suddenly gets easier. It means we stop waiting for easy before we start living again. We let ourselves be loved, we make room to grow, and we keep taking the next step — together.”

What’s Next for Ollee Owens?

With “Common Ground” now available, Owens is preparing for the February 26, 2027 release of From Now On.

The upcoming album promises a heartfelt blend of blues, soul, gospel, and Americana, celebrating the connections that carry us through life’s challenges.

From discovering the Delta blues on old cassette tapes to recording alongside some of Nashville’s most respected musicians, Owens continues to build a career rooted in authenticity, compassion, and powerful storytelling.

Hi, Ollee! Good to see you again! Care to introduce yourself to the readers for those not familiar with your music?

I am a Blues/Roots/Americana artist based in Calgary – originally from a small prairie community in Manitoba. I grew up with gospel, country, rock and blues – and you’ll hear a little of all of that in my music. In the songs I write and sing, I offer room for the hard things we carry…but also joy, connection, and strength to keep going.

Common Ground” arrives at a time when political, religious and ideological differences seem to be pulling people further apart. What inspired you to write this song with Phil Hughley and Kornelius Colyn, and what role do you think music can play in helping people find compassion and understanding when they disagree?

We were sitting around at Phil’s place, deep into all sorts of topics, and were trying to get beneath the noise to understand what’s really driving folks apart these days. Our different backgrounds made that conversation quite enlightening, and it became the starting point for “Common Ground.” Ultimately, the song invites us to look at what we’re planting in our own relationships and to take responsibility for what grows as a result. This is the power of music – it can exist as a safe third space for people to meet on difficult topics. I also believe music can help us see ourselves and each other more honestly…opening a door to compassion and connection without asking anyone to give up their identity or convictions.

You worked with Grammy-winning producer Colin Linden on ‘From Now On,’ recording 10 songs live in a Nashville studio over just four days. What was it like collaborating with someone whose musical history includes Bob Dylan, Emmylou Harris and Bruce Cockburn, and how did his approach challenge you or bring out something new in your music?


Working with Colin was an incredible experience. Given his legendary history, I knew he’d bring something special…and his commitment to honoring the core message of each song through the arrangements was truly inspiring. Recording ten songs live in just four days brought an intense, performance-like pressure to the studio. Colin’s profound skill and steady presence anchored us…making it possible to capture that raw, emotionally charged energy in real time. Every track holds deep meaning for me, and Colin beautifully stewarded my vision, ensuring each song found its own unique, honest place within this body of work.

Your musical journey began in a small Manitoba farming community, listening to Delta blues cassette tapes with your brother, and you eventually stepped away from music to raise your three daughters. What brought you back to songwriting and performing after all those years, and how has returning to music later in life changed the stories you want to tell?

I never stopped songwriting. I journaled to process life, and those brain dumps often became roadmaps for songs. Eleven years ago, a good friend invited me to Bill Dowey’s open mic at Calgary’s Blues Can. Onstage, I felt that beautiful exchange between artist and audience again… and it sparked something. I wanted more of that connection. Coming back with life experience has brought patience and intention to how I shape a song. I’m drawn to stories of loss, hope and quiet resilience, rather than chasing trends. I want my music to hold space for people and give voice to things they haven’t found words for yet.

Your new album brings together blues, soul, gospel and Americana, with contributions from The McCrary Sisters, Buddy Miller and Tommy Sims. How did you decide which musical influences and collaborators belonged on this record, and what does the title ‘From Now On’ say about where you are in your life and career today?

I wrote the title track with my dear friend Tommy Sims and, when I explained my vision for the project, he introduced me to Colin Linden – who lives so naturally where those traditions meet. Colin’s guitar playing helped weave those influences together, bringing blues feeling, roots textures and a musical sensitivity that runs through the whole record. George Receli’s New Orleans background on drums, Johnny Dymond’s grounding in folk, country and blues on bass, and Michael Hicks’ gospel, soul and funk influences on keys brought even more depth to that musical conversation. He also brought in The McCrary Sisters, whose gospel harmonies carry so much soul, and Buddy Miller, whose playing connects country, blues and gospel. With Colin’s guidance, all those contributions came together to reflect a sound that’s always felt like home to me.

At this point in my life and career, From Now On feels like a love letter to the music that’s sustained me – and a commitment to keep growing. These songs carry the sounds I grew up with and the perspective I’ve gained along the way. I’ve lived enough to know how much we need one another, and how music can help us find our footing again. I want to keep making honest songs that help people recognize themselves, feel less alone, and find strength to move forward. That’s what this album title means to me: carrying what has given us life into whatever comes next. I can’t wait to share this new album in February 2027!

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