Hook & Nail, an eccentric folk/roots trio from Estevan, uses rich harmony and a unique blend of acoustic and electric instrumentation to tell the stories of the prairies, past and present. Their nine-song debut album, Ghosts of Taylorton will be available on physical media (CD) and on all digital/streaming services on Sept. 28.
To mark the anniversary of the Estevan Riot, Hook & Nail will be celebrating the release of Ghosts of Taylorton with a performance at Art Concepts Custom Framing in Estevan on Sept. 29. For the most up to date information, news and events visit www.hookandnail.ca.
The leadoff track and first single on the debut album, “Adeline”, harkens back to The Great War and a soldier’s reluctant adieu to his beloved before deploying. “Two Tons” and “September 29th, 1931” recount the struggles of depression era miners and the events leading up to the Estevan Riot of 1931, in which three men perished. The title track, “Ghosts of Taylorton”, laments the slow and inevitable destruction of old, abandoned town sites by modern coal mining. The lone instrumental track, “Eight & Sand”, conjures up the thrill of riding the rails at full speed and the album closes with “Boomtown Blues”, and returns us to the present day in an oil-dependent town after a devastating economic bust.
Ghosts of Taylorton combines the diverse talents of Jeff D. Michel (mandolin, electric guitar, bass, percussion, vocals), Mike Davis (acoustic and electric guitar, vocals) and Lindsay Arnold (vocals), and tells the stories you might hear shared around the kitchen table after a meal with friends and family. Deriving inspiration from being raised in the oil-rich, coal-mining area near Estevan, their album delves into the personal accounts of historical events that have shaped life in the area today. The album is a blend of confessions, childhood memories, local history and rural legends and the album release builds on the momentum of their debut singles, “Adeline” and “Two Tons”. “Adeline” was selected for CBC Radio One afternoon programming across Canada and added to the Canadian Singer-Songwriter channel on the streaming CBC Music App and “Two Tons” has been added to over two dozen community and campus radio markets from Nova Scotia to Yellowknife.
