UPDATE: Alanna has let us know that she will be playing Homegrown Hamilton on Friday December 9th with fellow Guelphites Modern Field Recordings.
Over the past decade, Canada’s biggest cities have drawn thousands of young, creative kids from the hinterland into their vertical villages and crowded, chaotic streets. This has given places like Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver well-earned reputations as being the country’s artistic incubators.
It’s no coincidence that these metropolises are homes to some of our biggest indie-rock acts, and that these bands often form the nucleus of a larger music scene that permeates their hometown. Toronto’s recently-departed Broken Social Scene maybe best illustrates how one tiny seed can germinate into a sprawling tree, with each branch bearing delicious fruit (Feist, Metric, Stars, to name a few).
But to be honest, a lot of my favourite Canadian music is the stuff created solo artists in our rural hinterland. Whether its a single-minded genius cocooned in an abandoned grain silo (Great Lake Swimmers), or a passionate environmentalist writing odes to her favourite rural retreats (Sarah Harmer), the country is just as capable of nurturing brilliance as the city.
Nearby Guelph is well kn
own for its natural beauty, its association with farming (it’s home to the Ontario Agricultural College), and the annual Hillside festival. This piece of Southern Ontario also seems blessed with a surplus of talented musicians like Jane Siberry, The Constantines and Royal City.
Now you can add Alanna Gurr to the list of young Guelph artists eager to get out and make a name for themselves
A newcomer to the folk-rock scene, Alanna independently released her first LP Oh, Horsefeathers last month to solid reviews, and she passed along a few of her songs hoping we might play a few. We couldn’t be happier to fulfill that request, since Alanna’s sweet, smoky voice and strong songwriting have monopolized our attention for the past few days.
Having previously opened for the likes of Bruce Peninsula and One Hundred Dollars, you might have already been lucky enough to see Alanna in person. If not, it sounds like she’s trying to line up a Southern Ontario tour in support of Oh, Horsefeathers, so keep your eyes open for local shows. In the meantime, enjoy a couple of Alanna’s tracks here before we play one on the show this week!
