Tenille Townes has announced the forthcoming release of her EP ‘Train Track Worktapes’ out on 21st April, ahead of her return to the UK as part of The Long Road festival.
Following the release of her EP Masquerades, released to critical acclaim last year, Tenille Townes has now announced the release of her forthcoming project – Train Track Worktapes – next month, a five-song project to be released 21 April.
“Being in motion is my favorite state. I love the hum of the engines and the blur of the evergreens out the window, in any mode of transportation. I really do believe that home is not a place, but a feeling that you get,” said Townes. “And being on the road, singing songs for people and feeling a part of a collective brought together through music, that feels like home to me.”
Conceptualised, written, and recorded on a charity train trip that covered nearly 3,000 miles, the Train Track Worktapes is a unique and special collection, with a powerful story. A tradition in her native country, the CP Holiday Train benefits local food banks when their need is greatest, as each attendee brings donations to catch the free concert that occurs right on the train cars, the doors folding down to become a stage. During their 15 days onboard last December, Townes and her band played 65 shows to crowds ranging from dozens to thousands in communities across southern Canada.
“The generosity of everyone bringing donations to their local food banks as we travelled along was a reminder to me of how much good there is in the world, especially in the heart of the smaller, remote communities. In between all these shows, I made it my mission to write about what it felt like to witness that, ride the high and capture what I was feeling on the trip,” said Townes.
Townes, a producer on the project alongside guitarist Jaxon Hargrove, and her band got resourceful with their setup, turning suitcases into kickdrums, teacups into triangles and paperbowls into shakers. They borrowed equipment and microphones from the train cars housing the stage and gear. Recording mainly in the train’s caboose, sometimes capturing takes in 20-minute spurts between shows, the group allowed the rattle and rhythm of the train to sink into each song in its natural, fated manner.
“This collection of songs will always represent that travelling spirit. I hope anyone who listens feels like they are riding right there with us,” said Townes.
