Canadian singer/songwriter Abigail Lapell watched a ban on Muslim immigrants happen right before her eyes struck and it struck a generational chord with the woman who’s family escaped the Holocaust by immigrating from Eastern Europe to North America. The resulting song, “Land Of Plenty,” presents a look at the hopes and hardships of immigrating to a new world as the opening track from her upcoming album, Stolen Time.
Lapell explains:
When the Trump administration first brought in the Muslim ban, I remember watching something about it and just crying; it made me think of my whole family. They didn’t have an easy life here. You get here and you have no money, you have nothing to call your own, but you’re still rich. It’s not about romanticizing life in Canada, or ignoring the ills of our society. We were just raised with this idea, that as shitty as it is, it’s better than any other place or time in history. This is the land of plenty.
The upcoming Stolen Time strikes a balance between Lapell’s acoustic debut, Great Survivor, and her two rockier Chris Stringer-produced records, Hide Nor Hair and Getaway, while bringing a live-off-the-floor 70s Folk-Rock vibe and more structural experimentation to the table.
Stolen Time also marks the collaborative meeting of two important music communities for Lapell, who spent formative years in Montreal’s Mile End before returning to her hometown: From Toronto, Dan Fortin (bass), Dani Nash (drums, vocals), Christine Bougie (lap steel, guitar) and Rachael Cardiello (viola); and from Montreal Katie Moore (vocals), Chris Velan (vocals), Pietro Amato (French horn) and Ellwood Epps (trumpet); Nashville pedal steel player Fats Kaplin and Vancouver cellist Peggy Lee also play on the album.
Catch Abigail Lapell On Tour:
March 19 – Austin, Texas – SXSW – Second Play Stages @ Fairmont Austin
Maerch 20 – Austin, Texas – Rawhide Trail House Concerts
March 24 – Boise, Idaho – Treefort Music Fest – Boise Co-Op
March 25 – Boise, Idaho – Treefort Music Fest – Pengilly’s Saloon
March 26 – Boise, Idaho – Treefort Music Fest – The Hideout
March 26 – Boise, Idaho – Treefort Music Fest – Treeline city bus
June 25 – Hamilton, Ontario – Mills Hardware
