Moody offers breath of fresh air

Ruth Moody will play a concert Sunday Oct. 21 in support of “The Garden,” her first full-length solo album.

A founding member of the Billboard-charting folk group the Wailin’ Jennys, she has long been recognized for her captivating voice, musicianship and songwriting.

The first seeds of “The Garden” were sewn in the southern Manitoba summer, where she and producer David Travers-Smith recorded demos and sat by the river and discussed the songs. The bed-tracks were recorded in the fall in Toronto, and the songs took root in the winter with further recording in Toronto and Winnipeg. By spring, “The Garden” had come to full fruition.

“Gardens, like the seasons, are symbols of life and its cycles.” Ruth says. “They have always been magical places for me - where the tiniest seeds are planted and grow into beautiful expressions of life.”

The album opens with “The Garden”, which refers to an awakening, according to Ruth. “It was inspired by a theme from Voltaire’s Candide - the idea that we must work on our garden and make our little corner of the world beautiful, in whatever way we can.”

Stretching beyond traditional acoustic sounds, the record uses organ, horns and pedal steel to create radio-friendly pop tunes like “Travellin’ Shoes” and “Closer Now.”

The sweet and catchy duet “We Can Only Listen” was co-written with Matt Peters of the Waking Eyes. In addition to Peters, Moody is joined by an all-star musical cast that includes neo-bluegrass band Crooked Still, Kevin Breit, Luke Doucet and a guest appearance by The Wailin' Jennys. Sure to be a hit with Americana and folk fans, Moody’s verdant garden of songs is a breath of fresh air.

At a glance…

Who: Ruth Moody

When: 3 p.m. Sunday Oct. 21

Where: Oak Center General Store, Highway 63, rural Lake City

Cost: $5-$15 based on ability to pay

More info: 507-753-2080 or www.oakcentergeneralstore.com

Tags: arts and entertainment, lake city, entertainment, lifestyle