Dennis Ellsworth is about to hit his stride. He’s just on the edge of releasing a slew of new material, culminating with an album later this year, but for the moment it looks more like a whittling project. Self- produced and recorded by Adam Gallant at Hill Sound Studios in Charlottetown, the first keeper to emerge from Ellsworth’s apparent treasure-trove is “Sunflowers,” a song drenched in visual of being on tour in England and Holland, away from home.
Ellsworth prettily laments on impermanence. Which might be the most appropriate tone to take, given the context. There’s a whole nation that can probably relate, given the ongoing state of mourning being endured by the country following the loss of Gord Downie.
Ellsworth combines the experiences of visiting a different part of the world along with his interactions with an individual who has been immortalized in our culture, and yet, is gone from us. It’s a lot to take in.
But Ellsworth tells it best:
“There are vague references to things as simple as waking up and looking out a window in Hove, England at a big blue sky hanging over the south sea. I remember the sun was shimmering off the water and I was thinking of being so far from home. Another vague reference is to Holland. I love Holland. The reference is to a very brief first trip to the Netherlands to play in Haarlem and to write with Yori Swart. There is a specific reference to the Tragically Hip playing Canada Day in Trafalgar Square. I spent the day with my friends Amy and Alex and we hung out watching the Hip play. It was the first time I realized you could drink on the streets of England. The title of the song is based on the Van Gogh painting ‘Sunflowers’ which hangs at the National Gallery in London, also right beside Trafalgar square. These memories are jumbled, and I know they happened in two separate trips to that part of London, but nevertheless they are one in my mind,” says Ellsworth.
“I had just collaborated on Coke Machine Glow with Gord Downie and so I checked in with him and let him know that I was in London. He invited me to their show at Koko but I was playing that night at the Old Queen’s Head in Islington with The Good Lovelies. When our show ended, I said my goodbyes and hopped in a black cab and met up with Gord after their show for a few beers and a great hang. That night he kept saying, ‘at the risk of sounding immodest’ and it struck me as something I might one day hear on a Tragically Hip record. That never happened, but that line has been bouncing around in my head ever since that night. I’ve worked it into a few songs, but it’s never found it way to market….we’ll see if it ever comes out.
“Over the past few years, I have really started to feel a pull toward something I can only describe as an overwhelming love that is somehow connected to sadness. I’m working on writing about it but it’s a tough one to pin down. What I do know so far is that not taking love for granted is without a doubt one of the most important things we could ever know in this life.
“This song reminds me to connect with the people in my life. To show compassion, love, and graciousness. It reminds me to let the bad times roll. To not carry them around, because life is too short to invest your energy into darkness. It reminds me to always work out conflict and to never stay mad at anyone I love. This is my chance to enjoy their presence. This life is the one I get and I want to enjoy it while I can. It asks everyone to be kind to strangers because you have no idea what is happening in their lives. Take care of yourself and others. Love is king. Don’t forget it.”
Buckle up, because if this is the spearhead for Ellsworth’s new material, we are in for one deep story.
Tour Dates:
04.26.19 – Moncton, NB @ C’est La Vie Cafe
04.27.19 – Bedford. NS @ Patchwork House Concert
05.3-4.19 – Charlottetown, PE @ East Coast Music Week
06.01.19 – Toronto, ON @ The Rivoli (w/ Lily Frost)
06.07.19 – Berwick, NS @ The Union Street
06.08.19 – Halifax, NS @ Coda Pop
06.20.19 – Prince Edward Island @ Festival of Small Halls
06.22.19 – Mount Stewart, PE @ Trailside Cafe