Erin Costelo is a powerhouse. She’s won the East Coast Music Award for R&B/Soul Album Of The Year, been longer-listed for Polaris Prize, nominated for seven 2016 Music Nova Scotia Awards, was runner-up for the Folk Music Ontario – ACTRA RACS Recording of the Year Award, and made history by being the first woman to take home the 2017 Nova Scotia Music Award for the 2017 Producer Of The Year. So when she says that she was visited during aliens during the recording of her upcoming album, Sweet Marie, we’re inclined to believe her.
Recorded in Pictou Country over 10 short days, the album was kept to a deadline by the extravaganza built around it. Costelo brought in a who’s who of musicians including Glenn Milchem on drums (Blue Rodeo), Anna Ruddick on bass (Randy Bachman), Leith Fleming-Smith on organ (Matt Mays) and Clive MacNutt on guitar. To top it off it was filmed as a documentary by musician-turned-producer Amelia Curran.
Elbowing your psyche right in the ego (complete with a helping of funk and a side-order of Oedipus Complex), “All in Your Head” immediately preys upon your paranoia. As the title suggests, Costelo signals there’s at least something to be worried about.
She doesn’t mince words about it.
“The song is about aliens,” says Costelo.
“All in Your Head” was recorded late in the album’s process. Maybe it was the pressure, maybe it was the wine, but just maybe Costelo was being visited by extra-terrestrials.
“It is the most lighthearted on the album. Written just before the last day of tracking after seeing a creepy green glow out the master bedroom window during a snow storm. I woke up wondering if it was ‘All in my Head’, and the song kind of wrote itself.”
Costelo describes the visitors as green orbs, rather than little green people of alien persuasion, but is still unable to confirm exactly what it was that she saw.
“Since then people have told me about this thing called the Green Flash. I had a physics teacher in high school who used to say he was going to retire and search for the green flash which is supposed to bring some sort of enlightenment. So, maybe I am filled with wisdom now?”
Sweet Marie is out on October 19th, 2018 in Canada on my label Venue Records, and worldwide on Compass Records on November 2nd, 2018.
Tour Dates:
10.18.18 – DT Concert Series – Paris, ON+ (w/ MonkeyJunk) – S/O
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*
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+
11.24.18 – Joe’s Pub – New York, NY
11.25.18 – Fête Music Hall – Lounge – Providence, RI
11.27.18 – Club Passim – Cambridge, MA
11.29.18 – Cabaret at Germano’s – Baltimore, MD
12.02.18 – Down Home – Johnson City, TN
12.05.18 – Analog – Nashville, TN
12.07.18 – Uncommon Ground – Chicago, IL
12.08.18 – Square Cat Vinyl – Indianapolis, IN
12.09.18 – Steiner’s Speakeasy – Chillicothe, OH
12.13.18 – Philadelphia Folk Song Society – Philadelphia, P
12.16.18 – Portland H.O.M.E. – Portland, ME
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^
04.04.19 – The Almanac – Edmonton, AB %
04.05.19 – The Basement – Saskatoon, SK %
04.06.19 – The Artesian – Regina, SK %
* w/ Shannon McNally
% w/ Don Brownrigg
+Full Band
^ Duo
*MORE DATES TO BE ANNOUNCED*