By Katie Ryan
Chloe Albert is preparing for the test every burgeoning musician dreams of taking – their first cross-Canada tour. In the midst of packing and gearing up for the tour, Albert stole a moment to chat with the Source before piling into a car with fellow folk musician, Emma Cook.
“We just really dug each other’s music and got along well. We’ll be travelling across the country in a tiny, little car together,” chuckled Albert, who is focussed on avoiding the flu and staying healthy as she treks across the Great White North with her guitar throughout November.
“I am not nervous, but the only thing that will be really interesting is that I have not played so many shows in so many days before. Just staying healthy and hoping my voice can take it because I have never really tested my voice in that way before.”
Albert will be hitting the stage in Lloydminster on Nov. 16, promising concert goers an intimate show, chalk full of stories.
“For the most part they are story-songs,” said Albert, whose influences range from Bonnie Raitt to Ella Fitzgerald, to Joni Mitchell and Stevie Wonder.
The award-winning musician enjoys weaving her music and stories together and is particularly proud of her song, “Love Will Come Around.” While working the night shift at a cafe in Edmonton, Albert was inspired to write the “story-song” by one of her regulars, a man who lost his wife and son to a drunk driver.
“Over the time that I worked there we became friends and I really got to know him, so I wrote a song for him and it always kind of gets me going,” she said.
Despite the challenges of working as an independent artist, Albert said she will continue to carve a niche for herself in the music scene. Last November, she brought home Emerging Artist of the Year from the Canadian Folk Music Awards for her first album, “Dedicated State.”
“The whole thing was really quite surprising,” said Albert, of winning the award in Newfoundland. “When you are an independent artist, going with the wind, you really don’t know what you are doing. I remember just randomly applying for a bunch of things, submitting my stuff and then forgetting about it and so being nominated was really a big surprise.”
Given the volatile nature of the music industry, Albert said it’s important for independent artists like herself to take charge of their careers.
“We’re not sitting around waiting for someone to sweep us off our feet and do things for us,” she said, adding camaraderie between musicians is growing. “It’s neat to see this real community building between independent musicians in Canada. There’s a real tight network of people who are starting to emerge and I think that it’s because we all realize in a sense we all need each other.” Albert and Emma Cook will play the Singing Waitress Cafe on Nov. 16.