“Shining brightly from Canada’s Far North, Adrian Sutherland is pleased to release a second single today in advance of his debut solo album”, explains a press release from RAS Creative that promoted his musical work.
“When I first heard Once That Was You, it struck me as the sound of heartbreak and humility – grace under pain…. And like another conduit of emotion – the great Roy Orbison – Adrian’s voice cried out for strings and atmosphere to deliver the message,” adds Colin Linden, the album’s music producer.
Adrian Sutherland has released more music for your listening pleasure. Once That Was You is one of seven songs within Sutherland’s album debut. Listen to the single on SoundCloud today! The album, “When the Magic Hits” is set to be released in mid-September. Keep your eyes out for the release on September 17, 2021.
“After building his own recording studio in a sea-can out of necessity during the pandemic, Adrian completed tracking for his debut solo album. He also finished scoring his first television series and began writing his first book for Penguin Random House Canada about growing up in Attawapiskat – a remote and sometimes harsh place he still chooses to call home,” reads the press release.
Reviewing the Single by Sutherland
Once That Was You is the second single within the debut album. Sutherland’s smooth voice has continued to provide a beautiful listening experience with such powerful emotions. This song has accurately been described as a “beautiful ballad about yearning for lost connections” by RAS Creative. Co-written with Jay Semko, this song provides such emotion with provoking lyrics.
“Once That Was You is about longing for something or someone who touched your heart deeply. We were writing this song while everything was shutting down by the minute. It felt like the end of the world, that’s how we were both feeling – that line actually opens the song,” says Sutherland. “It’s definitely a ballad, probably the first real ballad I’ve ever written. Jay writes from a place of deep emotion, and that approach was at the heart of our writing session.”
“Sometimes songs are there waiting to be brought into our world. Adrian is such a natural writer and, despite the strange circumstances we were creating under, the words and music just organically flowed. It was an amazing cosmic connection, and I remember feeling a real sense of serenity as we finished writing the song,” Adds Jay Semko.
Other artists on the album include amazing artists such as Chris Gormley and Matt Gormley, Scott Dibble, Tim Vesely, Colin Cripps, and Serena Ryder. Together they combine to create a fantastic album. Once That Was You was produced, engineered, and mixed by Linden. Fun Fact: Linden also performs the guitar throughout the track.
“Colin did an amazing job drawing you into the melody of this song. When he suggested adding strings to it, I loved that idea! It turned out even more beautiful than I ever imagined it could be,” said Sutherland.
Who is Adrian Sutherland?
Singer, songwriter, musician, writer, speaker, and advocate; Sutherland has quite the collection of roles. as a musician, he is a roots-rock recording artist.
There’s more to his work than just talent. With his heart from Attawapiskat First Nation on the James Bay, he’s a traditional knowledge keeper, and respected cultural leader, fluent in Mushkegowuk Cree with a growing family as a father of four and grandfather to four grandchildren.
“Adrian cares deeply about many causes and is using his music and voice to share the first-hand perspective on issues facing First Nations like contaminated water, housing shortages, food insecurity, addiction, and mental health. At a time of growing awareness about Reconciliation, Adrian is hopeful for Canadians to better understand one another, and take further steps together,” reads the press release.
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