WATCH AND SHARE “WAITING” HERE
BUY / STREAM “WAITING” HERE
LET ME SLEEP OUT JUNE 4, 2021 VIA GHOST PEPPER RECORDS
PRE-ORDER LET ME SLEEP HERE
Photo Credit David Clark : // DOWNLOAD HIGH-RES
With one month to go before Alyson McNamara releases her third LP, Let Me Sleep, the acclaimed songwriter is sharing the new video for the album’s second track, “Waiting”. The song “really sits in that feeling of being alone that we’ve all experienced,” says McNamara. “It’s about wanting someone you can’t have and being haunted by their misleading presence. The verses of this song came so easily, as they are fairly observational, but I was stuck on the chorus for months. I kept coming back to it, and finally in the studio I realized what I wanted to say, and it was really cathartic. This song is about coming to a place of bitter-sweet acceptance and moving on.”
WATCH AND SHARE “WAITING” HERE
BUY / STREAM “WAITING” HERE
“Waiting” Single Artwork // DOWNLOAD HIGH-RES
MORE ABOUT LET ME SLEEP
Produced, mixed, and engineered by Daniel McNamara and recorded in a whirlwind week at Taurus Recording in Toronto, Let Me Sleep sees Alyson moving from a four piece band to a trio with her longtime collaborators, Daniel McNamara (bass) and Kevin Richards (drums). The stripped-down sound overhauled the direction of Let Me Sleep. “Through performing as a trio, I realized how much space there was left for my vocals,” Alyson explains. “I was always curious about where the middle ground was between having that full-band sound and maintaining the intimate feeling of watching a singer songwriter.”
Out June 4, 2021 via Ghost Pepper Records, Let Me Sleep was written in various locations including The Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity and a sun-soaked apartment in Toronto. No matter the place, Alyson was alone during her writing sessions. “My favourite ideas always seem to arrive freely when the house is empty.” she says.
WATCH AND SHARE “SHUTTING DOWN” HERE
BUY / STREAM “SHUTTING DOWN” HERE
This solitude culminates in an album full of thoughtful musings on love and regrets, and reminds listeners to be patient with both themselves and others. “That’s Today” finds Alyson talking through her mistakes with her shadow but on the interlude “Worry Not”, Alyson is alone playing the piano and, showing off her incredible vocal control, assures us: ‘worry not for me’.
“I think music and songwriting is so important for me because I have a very jovial personality in social settings, but my music is so pensive and calm - it’s a real part of my true self,” Alyson says. “Sharing my songs is an opportunity to be seen fully.”
WATCH AND SHARE “AFTER HOURS” HERE
BUY / STREAM “AFTER HOURS” HERE
Despite the solitariness behind the lyrics, there’s a heartening communal feeling to Let Me Sleep. On “Won’t Be Sold”, Alyson touches on the heart of this feeling when she assures listeners, ‘You are not the only one who’s feeling lonely.’
“I want people to see me when they listen to Let Me Sleep,” says Alyson. “But I also want people to be able to listen to the record and see themselves.”
PRE-ORDER LET ME SLEEP HERE
Alyson has toured across Canada with JUNO Award-winning band Said The Whale accompanying on-going collaborator Dave Monks (Tokyo Police Club). She has recorded and performed with Canadian supergroup Anyway Gang and has opened for artists such as Sloan and Gregg Allman. She has accompanied and shared the stage with Canadian trail blazers Catherine Maclellan, Kaia Kater, and Sarah MacDougall. Alyson has appeared on Paste Magazine NYC, BTR Live Studio and CBC First Play Live and has recorded with acclaimed producers Rob Schnapf (Elliott Smith, Beck), Gus van Go (Sam Roberts, Whitehorse) and Howard Bilerman (Arcade Fire, U.S Girls).
