NEWS: CAPE BRETON'S CARMEL MIKOL LAUNCHES NEW ALBUM CREATURE THIS WEEK WITH COMPANION BOOK, CONTINUES TO TOUR CANADA & US
Hailing from Cape Breton, folk songwriter Carmel Mikol's second album Creature is being released nationally on Sound of Pop/Fontana North today. Creature is uniquely accompanied by a book of poetry and prose titled Creature of Habit.
A triple ECMA nominee and award-winning songwriter for her debut album In My Bones, Mikol reveals further poise and stature as a poet and storyteller with Creature and the companion book. Giving fans a deeper look into the artistic context of Creature, the book is also available in ebook format and can be purchased in several packages with the new album at carmelmikol.com/store.
Carmel has toured extensively across Canada and the US and is a fan favourite at festivals in Atlantic Canada (Lunenburg Folk Festival, Celtic Colours International Festival, Deep Roots Music Festival) and the US (30A Songwriters Festival), having shared stages with David Myles, Jimmy Rankin, Garnet Rogers, Meaghan Smith, David Francey, and Matt Andersen. Following the celebration of her album release with two shows in Nova Scotia (August 12th in Cape Breton and August 13th in Halifax) Mikol's tour continues into the US in September with shows from New England to the Midwest, including shared bills with JUNO Award winner Amelia Curran.
"Mikol's sure way with a melody, straddling country and folk traditions, is warm and organic... It announces her as a hardcore troubadour and a softcore cynic, winning either way," reviewed The Coast.
Recorded live off the floor with her band in Cape Breton, Creature's eight songs pay homage to the folk songwriters she grew up listening to, employing the varied textures of acoustic guitars, mandolin, banjo and piano. From the overtly political fan favourite "Twenty Something Girl" to the deeply personal "I Miss The Moon", Creature is a fresh take on traditional folk song fodder: wayward politics, social change, and poignant fictional 'true' stories. The title track also reveals the album's more subtle themes: the dark and light sides of the human experience. It unapologetically confesses basic human desires while "Made" condemns those same base instincts. "Lion or Lamb" admits we can't escape where we come from while "Somewhere Else" begs for that very escapism. "Leaver" is a tongue-in-cheek caricature of non-commitment while "In My Bones" aches for companionship.
Mikol has built her life around crafting songs, collecting stories, and carving poetry out of the human experience. "I'm a creature of habit. I'm a creature of spite," she sings in the album's opening lines. What follows is a smart look at ourselves and our world, from the inside out. Creature's stories, legends and conversations follow in the footprints left by folk-legends of the past and forges links between our world and theirs.
TOUR DATES
Aug 12 @ The Lobster Galley Upper Room, ST. ANN'S BAY, NS (*album release show)
Aug 13 @ Company House, HALIFAX (*album release show)
Sept 5 @ Club Passim, CAMBRIDGE, MA (**Boston's Campfire Festival)
Sept 9 @ Black Eyed Susan, ANGELICA, NY
Sept 14 @ Espresso Yourself Music Cafe, POWELL, OH (w/ Amelia Curran)
Sept 16 @ Mother Fools, MADISON, WI (w/ Amelia Curran)
Sept 17 @ Cafe Carpe, FORT ATKINSON, WI
Sept 19 @ Stage Left, WOODSTOCK, IL
Sept 23 @ Rock Island Cafe, NEENAH, WI
Sept 24 @ Images by Camela Studio Space, RACINE, WI
Oct 10 @ North River Community Hall, NORTH RIVER, NS (**Celtic Colours Festival)
LINKS
http://carmelmikol.com
http://www.facebook.com/CarmelMikolMusic
http://twitter.com/carmelmikol
http://www.myspace.com/carmelmikol
A triple ECMA nominee and award-winning songwriter for her debut album In My Bones, Mikol reveals further poise and stature as a poet and storyteller with Creature and the companion book. Giving fans a deeper look into the artistic context of Creature, the book is also available in ebook format and can be purchased in several packages with the new album at carmelmikol.com/store.
Carmel has toured extensively across Canada and the US and is a fan favourite at festivals in Atlantic Canada (Lunenburg Folk Festival, Celtic Colours International Festival, Deep Roots Music Festival) and the US (30A Songwriters Festival), having shared stages with David Myles, Jimmy Rankin, Garnet Rogers, Meaghan Smith, David Francey, and Matt Andersen. Following the celebration of her album release with two shows in Nova Scotia (August 12th in Cape Breton and August 13th in Halifax) Mikol's tour continues into the US in September with shows from New England to the Midwest, including shared bills with JUNO Award winner Amelia Curran.
"Mikol's sure way with a melody, straddling country and folk traditions, is warm and organic... It announces her as a hardcore troubadour and a softcore cynic, winning either way," reviewed The Coast.
Recorded live off the floor with her band in Cape Breton, Creature's eight songs pay homage to the folk songwriters she grew up listening to, employing the varied textures of acoustic guitars, mandolin, banjo and piano. From the overtly political fan favourite "Twenty Something Girl" to the deeply personal "I Miss The Moon", Creature is a fresh take on traditional folk song fodder: wayward politics, social change, and poignant fictional 'true' stories. The title track also reveals the album's more subtle themes: the dark and light sides of the human experience. It unapologetically confesses basic human desires while "Made" condemns those same base instincts. "Lion or Lamb" admits we can't escape where we come from while "Somewhere Else" begs for that very escapism. "Leaver" is a tongue-in-cheek caricature of non-commitment while "In My Bones" aches for companionship.
Mikol has built her life around crafting songs, collecting stories, and carving poetry out of the human experience. "I'm a creature of habit. I'm a creature of spite," she sings in the album's opening lines. What follows is a smart look at ourselves and our world, from the inside out. Creature's stories, legends and conversations follow in the footprints left by folk-legends of the past and forges links between our world and theirs.
TOUR DATES
Aug 12 @ The Lobster Galley Upper Room, ST. ANN'S BAY, NS (*album release show)
Aug 13 @ Company House, HALIFAX (*album release show)
Sept 5 @ Club Passim, CAMBRIDGE, MA (**Boston's Campfire Festival)
Sept 9 @ Black Eyed Susan, ANGELICA, NY
Sept 14 @ Espresso Yourself Music Cafe, POWELL, OH (w/ Amelia Curran)
Sept 16 @ Mother Fools, MADISON, WI (w/ Amelia Curran)
Sept 17 @ Cafe Carpe, FORT ATKINSON, WI
Sept 19 @ Stage Left, WOODSTOCK, IL
Sept 23 @ Rock Island Cafe, NEENAH, WI
Sept 24 @ Images by Camela Studio Space, RACINE, WI
Oct 10 @ North River Community Hall, NORTH RIVER, NS (**Celtic Colours Festival)
LINKS
http://carmelmikol.com
http://www.facebook.com/CarmelMikolMusic
http://twitter.com/carmelmikol
http://www.myspace.com/carmelmikol
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