Edmonton Music Awards
We are so thrilled to be nominated for the 2019 Edmonton Music Awards (Best Adult Alternative Recording). Thank you Edmonton! It’s been a busy few months sharing the album across western Canada, and we are full of gratitude and personal reflections.
With the nomination, we feel that it would be nice to celebrate some of our collaborators who brought this album to light. So I’m sharing a bit about the wonderful artwork of the album. We certainly are indebted to the talented contributions of Amy Freelend (illustration) and Francis A. Willey (photos).
Amy’s original drawing is amazing. She’s created two charming local characters that still inspire us! The magpie and hare are recognizably Edmonton; a community F&M is happy to be a part of. These animals reflect the resiliency needed to be an artist in a fast-paced modern world that values quick profit over deep thought. This album was always intended to encourage a reflective creative spirit.
Photos used on the album were shot in slow film by Francis A. Willey. (Amongst other accomplishments, he is a contributor to Vogue). The album’s themes revolve around taking the time to create, “beautiful losers;” perhaps a nostalgic look back to when people allowed themselves time to engage and be still. The romantic and intense black and white film photos are especially endearing to this central theme. The back-cover photo calls to mind Tarkovsky-like movie stills and is somewhat reminiscent of the direct piercing gaze in many Leonard Cohen covers.
These album images are at once restful and on high alert. This tension is reflected yet again in the music itself which is often taut with emotion; suspended in fuzzy waves of slow reverberating organ. At once there is both great stillness and intense energy.
Thank you Amy and Francis for accenting our work with your talents. And special thanks to Glen of Shameless Designs for putting all the images together and ensuring our vision was complete!
Good luck to all the 2019 Nominees! We look forward to celebrating with you soon.