Songs from Birch Island is streaming on Spotify!

 

It's a first for me, but I'm really pleased to say that all of my instrumental guitar music from the past 7 years is now streaming on Spotify, iTunes, YouTube, Apple Music and probably wherever you listen to music.

Here's the Spotify link: Songs from Birch Island

Songs from Birch Island is a compilation of all three of my guitar albums, a total of 26 short, jubilant pieces, in collaboration with Allister Thompson, who is also the editor of my books. 

Or find  Songs from Birch Island on YouTube.

My favourite tune from Songs from Birch Island is probably All the Stars (at least today). But that could change! I hope you'll listen and choose your own favourite. The songs are inspired by a wide variety of guitarists from John Fahey to Bruce Cockburn, from Django Reinhardt to Adrianne Lenker. The beautiful compilation cover art is Birches in Autumn, paper collage by Baye Hunter. Check out more of her lovely art at bayehunter.com.

And someone has asked me if there is a particular Birch Island? There is (mine is in Algonquin Park), but I think most Canadians have a favourite lake with a Birch Island on it, so this music tries to capture that Canadian ubiquity: hearing music through the birch trees wherever you may be.

I'm delighted to bring you this compilation, especially right now during the pandemic. Creating is a great release, artists have it luckiest at this time, I think. I hope you'll listen to Songs from Birch Island, and gain a little calm in the storm.

Update! You can also listen to Songs from Birch Island on CD!  If you'd like a CD, contact me via email (contact info in the sidebar at right). 

More about my music on this blog.

Songs from Birch Island is a compilation of
the following albums and one single:

The Crow's Nest, April/2021
10 songs, click link to listen on Bandcamp

Cover art by Shawna Daigle

Birches, October, 2017
8 songs, including me singing on Moonlight
Click to listen on Bandcamp

Cover art, Birches in Summer, by Baye Hunter

Fifth Season, October 2015
7 songs on Bandcamp

Cover art, Lake Nipissing, photo by Allister Thompson

The Gargoyle Shuffle, April, 2019
Single on Bandcamp

Cover art by Emma Dolan

Release day for The Crow's Nest, a new instrumental guitar album by Philippa Dowding and Allister Thompson!

 

Today is RELEASE DAY for The Crow's Nest, my latest instrumental guitar album, with musician and editor Allister Thompson.

Listen on Bandcamp now: The Crow's Nest 

This is my third album with Allister, and our first since 2017. These 10 songs are inspired by my guitar heroes like John Fahey, Django Reinhardt and more recently, Adrianne Lenker. 

I love all these tunes, I hope you do, too. If I had to choose a favourite (and tomorrow it may be different), listen to Fahey. 

Or All the Stars.

Or any of them! I have been incredibly lucky in my musical and writerly collaborations with Allister. He has edited 12 of my children's books and counting, and made my music sound so good. Many thank yous, once again, to him.

Also, the lovely cover art for The Crow's Nest is by the wonderful Shawna Daigle, who illustrated all six of my Weird Stories Gone Wrong series of horror stories for kids. Thank you to Shawna, too.

I hope you'll visit Bandcamp, and give our latest album a listen! Enjoy!

Also today, our complete work of 26 songs is released on SPOTIFY: Songs from Birch Island
Beautiful cover art by Baye Hunter.

Includes 3 albums:

Fifth Season (2015)

Birches (2017)

The Crow's Nest (2021)

The Gargoyle Shuffle (single, 2019)

Mountains of Madness on the Free Music Archive Playlist

Birches in Summer, by Baye Hunter. Paper collage.

Been away in the wilds of Ontario all week, without wifi or my computer. 

Came home to this lovely surprise: my acoustic guitar piece, Mountains of Madness, was selected as part of the Listening Party Playlist this week on the Free Music Archive.

HOW COOL! Thank you!

Here's the complete Playlist Link: 
Free Music Archive Listening Party, "Mostly Unhyphenated Folk", Vol. 57, July 16/2018. 

I love that this week's selections are mostly by female musicians. I ALSO love the cover for the playlist appears to be our cover for Birches, the beautiful art is by my friend (and flute and guitar duet partner), Baye Hunter.

"Mountains of Madness" was of course inspired by the H. P. Lovecraft story of the same name, which I read at the suggestion of my editor, Allister Thompson, a few years ago. I wrote the song after reading that chilling ending, then Allister added his own musical genius to it (that's his voice screaming) and produced it on the album Birches, our second musical collaboration, from October 2017.

You can also listen and pay what you wish on Bandcamp, if you want to throw some money at us (with our thanks)! Hope you give a listen to the playlist and enjoy some tunes!

More about BIRCHES on this blog:
Videos using BIRCHES
Music with Allister Thompson
Fifth Season, Philippa Dowding and Allister Thompson, October 2015