While the classical harp may not be the most accessible instrument, it was singer-songwriter Janelle Nadeau’s passion at first sight.
“My parents took me to the symphony when I was about three-years-old,” says Nadeau. “ It was there that I saw and fell in love with the harp. I then started playing when I was seven-years-old and I never looked back.”
Combining aspects of Spanish, Celtic, blues, country, and original music, Nadeau will be releasing her debut album These Roads on Oct. 8 at the West End Cultural Centre (WECC).
Although this is her debut album, Nadeau’s resume over the years is wide-ranging. She has toured with such organizations as the National Youth Orchestra of Canada and the Manitoba Arts Council.
Nadeau has serenaded audiences at close to 200 concerts in care homes and hospitals in working with the Health Arts Society. She even backed up Kanye West during one of his Vancouver shows.
On top of being a musician, Nadeau stays true to her roots. While she spends the winter months recording and playing the harp in Vancouver, in the summer months the classically trained harpist can be seen working farm machinery on her family’s grain farm in Fannystelle, Man.
In regards to how she transitions from the sprawl of Vancouver to Manitoba farmland, Nadeau says, “All of this just seems so natural and the way it should be.”
These Roads can be seen as an account of the uniqueness of Nadeau’s ever changing settings.
“I chose this title because I feel that this album is an account of the many roads I have travelled throughout my life,” says Nadeau.
“I grew up on Manitoban country roads; I have traveled city roads as well as many around the world. All of these experiences have influenced me, my music and my stories thus creating my debut album These Roads.”
Nadeau recruited the assistance of local singer-songwriter Jaylene Johnson to compose the songs. Johnson has had her music featured on programs such as Pretty Little Liars and Degrassi: The Next Generation.
The two musicians immediately clicked.
“I am so lucky that [Johnson] and I have always been on the same page,” says Nadeau. “We connected from the beginning.
“Though most of our interactions have been through songwriting, I told her the other day that I feel like I know her so incredibly well even though we haven’t known each other for a long time. Maybe that’s the magic of songwriting.”
The outcome of their relationship has led to seven co-written songs for Nadeau’s album.
Nadeau says while the upcoming performance will be harp-heavy in nature, fans should expect more than just strings.
With a backing band featuring drums/percussion (Ian Mackie) and added guitar, bass and vocals (Stephen Fisk), Nadeau’s live performance will not be made up entirely of classic harp music and will also feature Nadeau sharing introspective stories behind the music.
“It’s not a typical harp concert,” she says.
Catch Nadeau at the WECC on Oct. 8. Tickets are $25 in advance and $30 at the door (available at the WECC, Music Trader, Winnipeg Folk Festival Music Store and Ticketmaster). Doors open at 7:15 p.m. with music starting at 8 p.m.
