Victoria indie-folk musician Claire Coupland released her album, New Light, on February 10.
This nine-song collection is arguably her most impressive work to date, highlighting her growth as a songwriter.
Like many other artists, the stasis of the pandemic left Claire Coupland with a substantial period of reflection. Without live performances and the usual music engagements, her creative focus was turned inward toward a collection of partially written songs that had long been lying dormant in her imagination. Deeper, darker, and more vulnerable songwriting exploration unearthed stories of fragile family dynamics, the struggle to belong, homesickness, painful goodbyes, and hope for the future.
After half a year of email and phone correspondence, COVID-19 vaccine rollouts, and easing of border restrictions, the stars finally aligned, and Coupland made a trip to Los Angeles to join creative forces with JUNO award-winning musician and producer Sam Weber (Bahamas, Terra Lightfoot, Madison Cunningham). Together, with a hand-picked selection of LA’s finest musicians (including members of Dawes, one of Claire‘s biggest musical influences), the team laid down a collection of exciting new songs with bluegrass, folk, soft rock, and grunge flavours, and thus her brand new album, New Light, came to be.