Kate Weekes is set to unveil her album Better Days Ahead on February 3, 2023
On February 3, 2023, Quebec-based singer-songwriter Kate Weekes is set to release her album Better Days Ahead.
Given that Weekes’ songwriting has typically been inspired by her travels, which have seen her dog mushing-for-hire in Norway, touring China with a swing band, and canoeing far-north Canadian rivers as a wilderness guide, Better Days Ahead required an entirely new way of writing, using internal cues to map a moment in time.
Composing mainly in the Gatineau Hills of Quebec before collaborating with producer and multi-instrumentalist James Stephens at Stove Studios in Chelsea, Quebec — where the pair also cut 2019’s critically acclaimed Taken by Surprise — Weekes found that “the boreal forest and Canadian Shield were beautiful places to pass a challenging period.
“I learned to play clawhammer banjo and have been thrilled to discover how it dances with fiddle,” she says. “The relationship between the banjo and fiddle, the support of the sousaphone, the beauty of the flugelhorn, and the mysterious dance of the percussive sounds… creating a beautiful piece of music together, as a band, was healing and important, underscoring a need to believe there would be better days ahead.”
Indeed, the wildly eclectic songs assembled on Better Days Ahead — which Weekes variously (and fabulously) describes as “Appalachian-influenced murder-suicide ballads, anthemic folk-pop, whimsical instrumental waltzes,” and “moody, horse-riding cowboy meets British rock” among other descriptions —announce an artist fiercely unbound by musical convention yet precisely able to articulate her vision.
Weekes’ bright, crystalline voice is front and center on Better Days Ahead, guiding her ace core band — Rob Graves (myriad percussion instruments) and Brian Sanderson (flugelhorn, trumpet, and other horns) plus producer Stephens (fiddles, harmonium, fretless bass, electric mandolin, vocals, electric tenor guitar) — through a dizzying array of moods and sonic excursions.
“On this album in particular, the band had a big impact on the songs,” Weekes confirms, adding that, as with the previous record, Better Days Ahead was crowd-funded by supporters. “We had been playing as a band before heading into the studio and did some workshopping of the songs before recording them.”
Another key difference this time around was the recording approach. “On the last album, we did bed tracks,” Weekes explains. “This one we kind of came in Kate-first, especially with the banjo tracks,” an instrument Weekes — already an accomplished guitarist who adds acoustic and electric hollow body guitar to Better Days Ahead— only picked up about two years ago.
Also complementing the album’s ten new original songs are vocalist Christine Graves and percussionist Philip Shaw Bova who mastered at Bova Sound, Ottawa, ON.
“The instrumentation on this album is sparser than on the last album, but it’s also more focused, so I’d say there is a bit more room within the songs.”
Weekes continues:
“I think my writing style shifted to become a bit more direct. Maybe just saying what I need to say lifted a weight.” That’s evident in the sunny, upbeat “Red Brick Buildings” which Weekes says almost wrote itself and which “has some heavy stuff but it’s coming from a place of innocence.”
Watch the video for her single, “Floating Face Down,” below and learn more about Kate Weekes via our Five Questions With segment.
Care to introduce yourself to our readers?
Hi there! My name is Kate Weekes, and I’m a songwriter and musician based in Wakefield, Quebec. I play original contemporary folk music on banjo and guitar. I grew up in a musical household and have been influenced by the independent Canadian folk music scene.
Tell us a bit about your most recent release.
I’m releasing my 4th album, Better Days Ahead, on February 3, 2023. This album was composed and recorded during the pandemic. The Gatineau Hills of Quebec were a beautiful place to pass a challenging period of time. The album was produced by multi-instrumentalist James Stephens and features a core band of James, Brian Sanderson (horns), and Rob Graves (percussion).
Where do you tend to pull inspiration from when writing?
My writing is often inspired by my adventures and travels. I have lived and worked as a wilderness guide in northern Canada and am drawn to share my experiences through song. My recent writing is influenced by the addition of clawhammer banjo to my musical pallet. With limitations on travel, I have been exploring the liminal space created by the collective isolation we recently shared.
Do you have any upcoming shows you’d like to tell us about?
I’m heading out on a tour of British Colombia in February of 2023 to release the new album as a duo with James Stephens. In March, we’ll release the album in Ontario and Quebec, touring with Brian Sanderson and Rob Graves.
What’s your goal for 2023?
I’m really proud of Better Days Ahead, and my goal is to reach a broader audience with these new songs.
Upcoming Tour Dates:
February 8 – Nanaimo, BC Harbour City Concerts
February 9 – Vancouver, BC Songbird North @The Roundhouse
February 10- Port Alberni, BC Char’s Landing
February 11 – Courtenay, BC House Concert
February 17 – Brentwood Bay, BC Village Emporium
February 18 – Gabriola Island, BC Bird Song House Concert
February 19 – North Vancouver, BC House Concert
March 2 – Ottawa, ON Red Bird Live
March 3 – Wolfe Island, ON Hotel Wolfe Island
March 4 – Toronto, ON House Concert
March 5 – Kingston, ON House Concert
March 12 – Maberly, ON Maberly Hall: Double Release with Christine Graves
March 24 – Montreal, QC Ursa: Opening Act Allysann Foehring