Canadian Singer-Songwriter Rose-Erin Stokes Set To Release New Album 'When The Sun Goes Away'
By Stevie Connor. Photo by Andrew Sowka.
North Bay, ON based singer-songwriter Rose-Erin Stokes is today announcing the release of her sophomore LP When The Sun Goes Away, arriving September 8th 2023, as well as the release of the album’s final single and accompanying official music video, I Can’t Stay.
When The Sun Goes Away was produced by Jim Bryson (Kathleen Edwards, Kalle Mattson) in Stittsville ON, and features the musical offerings of Andrew Sowka, Vince Aquilina, Philippe Charbonneau, and Kinley Dowling (Hey Rosetta!). The album’s title, (a line taken from the album’s first single ‘The Same Way’) encapsulates themes that emerge throughout the album, such as celestial imagery and a weaving together of moments of light and darkness. Its 11 tracks tell stories of relationships and self-reckoning, capturing nuanced moments in a relatable way that will both break your heart and put it back together again. These tracks merge folk formats and orchestration with elements of country, indie rock, and ambient electronic embellishments, creating a supportive foundation for Stokes’ crystal clear vocals and unique conversational phrasing.
The newest single, I Can’t Stay, is a stirring folk song about self-liberation, driven forward with Vince Aquilina’s tasteful folk percussion and enhanced with Kinley Dowling’s evocative string lines.
Rose-Erin Stokes notes about the song and recording process: “The instrumentation of the album evolved quite organically once we got in the room. ‘I Can’t Stay’ was the first song on which we laid down drums and bass. I still remember the excitement of hearing the full band sound, breathing new life into the songs. “I Can’t Stay’ is about letting go of ways of operating that don’t serve you anymore, and about being the most authentic version of yourself rather than who you think others want you to be”.
The music video for ‘I Can’t Stay’, filmed in northern Ontario, was created alongside collaborators Andrew Sowka and Eric Robillard and exemplifies the song’s themes in its storytale-esque journey of escape, featuring interactions with quirky forest creatures along the way.
Each song on ‘When The Sun Goes Away’ holds a distinctive presence, but one album MVP is breakup anthem ‘The Weight.’ Jim Bryson’s indie production and musical stylings can be heard in this track with a pep that cuts through stark lyrics such as: If you were a song that was stuck in my head, I’d just sleep all the time, until I could forget it. Stokes notes: “I wasn’t sure if this one would make the cut. It felt too sad and maybe too similar to some of the other songs. Jim suggested turning it on its head production- wise. We added in some more rock sounding percussion, and the rest is history. I think through this process the song took on a new power.”
SHOWS
NORTH BAY @ Gateway City Brewing - Sept 9th
SUDBURY @Knowhere Public House - Sept 16th
Album Cover: Original Artwork By Rebecca Clouâtre. Design By Alana Malcolm.
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