Singled Out: Martha Scanlan's Brother Was Dying

10-20-2018

Martha Scanlan released new album" The River and The Light" today (Oct 19th) and to celebrate we asked her to tell us about the song "Brother Was Dying". Here is the story:

This whole record was pretty improvisational - from recording together in the studio to laying down overdubs and mixing. This song came together lyrically right before we recorded it; the words were all there, they just hadn't settled into a flow. So this was the first take. Both Jon Neufeld and I like working that way - Jon's so great as a musician and a producer in that regard - there is this vulnerability in the not knowing but so much possibility there too.

I am curious to see how the songs land for other people; to me this album is a collection of human stories told by rivers, these different musical currents and narratives flowing through the songs and throughout the record. It continues to be a process of discovery. I am really looking forward to touring with Jon and playing the songs live.
Hearing is believing. Now that you know the story behind the song, listen for yourself and learn more about the album right here!