Information/Write-up
Jordan Klassen is a songwriter from Western Canada (Vancouver, Calgary) who quietly released an EP entitled Kindness last year. After steady increases in accolades, radio play and live crowds, Jordan’s new full length Repentance will be a lot less quiet.
Is there such a thing as unsentimental sincerity? If so, this could be it. A resonate warmth carries Klassen’s crafted, literate lyrics through vivid images and stories. Repentance juxtaposes a multi-textured simplicity with a trembling confidence and a fresh familiarity. Playful and wise, vast and intimate, the album travels from the jubilant in “Go to Me” and “Piano Brother” to the quiet intensity of “The Horses are Stuck” and “Strengthen Me With Raisins.” These are songs that fuse melody and poetry, stinging the imagination and summoning forgotten emotion.
Recorded at Buena Vista Audio with Producer/Multi-instrumentalist Jonathan Anderson (Aidan Knight, In Medias Res, Sheree Plett), the album employs diverse instrumentation. Ukuleles, strings, horns, choirs, glockenspiels, omnichords all make appearances alongside guitars, pianos, and drums with Klassen’s floating falsetto drawing everything together.
Set for release across North America in the fall of 2013 on the quickly expanding indie label Nevado Records (Library Voices, John Grant, Bahamas, Royal Canoe, GROUNDERS, Yukon Blonde, etc) Repentance is an engaging and beautiful record, steeped in sonic whimsy and alluring melodies.
The first single from Repentance, “Go To Me,” will be available this summer with an accompanying video and remix courtesy of long time Jordan collaborator Teen Daze. The summer will also see Jordan playing festivals in Western Canada along with select shows in Los Angeles, New York, Seattle, Toronto and Montreal. With the release of Repentance in the fall, Jordan will embark on extensive Canadian and American tours.
Repentance will also have an accompanying illustrated lyric book featuring art from Vancouver artists that will be available for sale at Jordan’s shows in the fall as well as jordanklassen.com and nevado.ca.
released 24 September 2013
'Repentance' was recorded at Buena Vista Audio in Langley, BC.
Produced by Jonathan Anderson and Jordan Klassen.
Engineered, mixed and mastered by Jonathan Anderson.
Album cover art and design by Peter Komierowski.
Released by Nevado Records.
Piano and Jocelyn's vocals were recorded at Fadermaster Studios in Vancouver BC, with the engineering expertise of Paul Boechler.
All songs written and sung by Jordan Klassen. Song arrangements by Jordan and Jon.
All instruments played by Jordan Klassen with the exception of the following:
Jonathan Anderson played some of the percussion, drums, synths, omnichord, electric guitars, bass, and sang some of the harmonies. He played all of the organs, trombones, lap steel, pedal steel, and high strung guitars.
Jocelyn Price contributed vocals to 'Balcony' and 'Strengthen Me With Raisins'.
Katy Postlethwaite sang sweetly on 'Balcony' and 'I Am A Collector'.
Indiana Avent masterfully represented the orchestra on 'Sweet Chariot'.
Colin Nealis played viola and did most of the string arrangement on 'One Thousand Parasailors' and played on 'I Am A Collector'.
Conrad Dykman played drum kit on 'Balcony'.
Nick Koole played trumpet on 'Go To Me'.
Nathan John Moes, Jordan Kurtz, Josh Daignault, Nick Koole, Andrew Koole, Katy Postlethwaite and Nicole-Irene Dyck ganged out some gang vocals for either 'The Horses Are Stuck' or 'One Thousand Parasailors' or both.
Thank you to my cool cool family - Randy, Lianna, Adam, Vanya, Nathan and of course Primrose. Thank you to my band of reckless adventurers and joy-hunters: Jocelyn Price, Simon Bridgefoot, Brian Chan, Andrew Koole, Indiana Avent, Nathan John Moes, Ben Appenheimer. You are all my other family and I am baffled that I get to travel around with and be inspired by you. Jon Anderson for being so good at what you do and for believing in this project. Blair Purda for liking my songs and thinking they're worth having people listen to. Jason Rouleau for your enthusiasm and incredible ability to get things done. Ken Beattie for your insight and occasional outrageousness. Nick Bernal and your team for getting behind this project and making me a happy boy. Josh Daignault for being a good friend and a hard worker. 102.7 The Peak and MusicBC for giving me the opportunity of a lifetime. FACTOR Canada and Brent Bain for actually liking art and doing something significant about it. Thank you to everyone who comes to shows and listens and encourages and likes me and my band. Also: Peter and Joyelle Komierowski, Amanda Schweers, Rob Wright, Steven Himmelfarb, Matthew VanderKwaak, Andy Shauf, Justin West, James Sutton, Rhys Scott, Joe Schweers, Josh Huculiak, the whole PPP 2012 family, Tamara Stanners, Todd Postlethwaite, Bob D'Eith, Matchstick Coffee, Conrad Dykman, Colin Nealis, Nick Koole, Katy Postlethwaite, Boreal Sons, Mike Edel, Dear Rouge. Also anyone I'm forgetting.
buy the album here: http://jordanklassen.bandcamp.com/music
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