Not one to rest on her laurels, Erin Costelo is releasing a fresh album just a year after making history at the Nova Scotia Music Awards. Last November, Costelo became the first female producer to take home Producer of the Year among a slew of other awards and nominations for her self-produced album Down Below The Status Quo.
Now she’s following it up with “Lights Down Low,” the first single from her upcoming LP, Sweet Marie. Needless to say, our expectations are a bit high.
With a self-directed video full of carnival footage, “Lights Down Low” possesses the surreal sensation of a slow groove mixed in with a circus waltz wrapped in a warm fluorescent glow.
“I wanted this song to feel like floating,” says Costelo about the single. “An out-of-body experience. It is about being able to turn your brain off at the end of the day. As a worrier, I wondered what it would feel like if you could put your brain next to you in bed and leave it for the night.”
The song was recorded as part of a 10-songs-in-10-days project, during which Costelo holed up in a timber-framed home in Little Harbour, Nova Scotia, with some of the best musicians in the country.
The album features Glenn Milchem of Blue Rodeo on Drums, Anna Ruddick on bass (Randy Bachman, Ben Caplan), Leith Fleming-Smith on organ (Matt Mays, Hawksley Workman) and Costelo’s long-time guitarist and partner, Clive MacNutt.
If you think that claim of these being some of the best musicians in the country is a bluff, they’ve got the footage to back it up.
The whole collaboration was also documented by JUNO-winning songwriter and filmmaker Amelia Curran. The documentary will be aired on CBC in Atlantic Canada on September 1st, 2018 at 8:00pm and Canada-wide on November 24th. The documentary can also be streamed online at CBC.
Sweet Marie is being released October 19th, 2018, with Erin Costelo & Company immediately following the release with a kick-off tour. More dates are expected to be announced in the near future.
Tour Dates:
10.18.18 – DT Concert Series – Paris, ON*
10.19.18 – The Dakota – Toronto, ON*+
10.20.18 – National Arts Centre – Ottawa, ON*+
10.21.18 – The Casbah – Hamilton, ON*+
10.23.18 – Crow Bar – Collingwood, ON*
10.24.18 – Diggin’ Music Kingston Concert Series – Kingston, ON*+
10.25.18 – Upstairs Jazz Bar – Montreal, QC+
10.27.18 – House Concert – Grimsby, ON+
11.02.18 – Sanctuary Theatre – St John, NB*
11.03.18 – Pourhouse – Charlottetown, PE*
11.07.18 – Lane’s Privateer Inn – Liverpool, NS*
11.08.18 – Fort Massey United Church – Halifax, NS*
11.10.18 – Evergreen Theatre – Margaretsville, NS*
01.15.19 – Norman Ritchie Community Centre – Kindersley, SK^
01.16.19 – Moosejaw Cultural Centre – Moosejaw, SK^
01.17.19 – Centre Street United Church – Shaunavon, SK^
01.18.19 – Sky Centre – Swift Current, SK^
01.19.19 – Trinity United Church – Preeceville, SK^
01.20.19 – Anne Portnuff Theatre – Yorkton, SK^
+Shannon McNally opening
*Full Band
^Duo