Tenille Townes Wrote And Recorded A New Project During A 15-Day Train Trip
The ‘Train Track Worktapes’ arrives on April 21.
Tenille Townes; Photo by Robert Chavers
Rising country star and Canada native, Tenille Townes’ announced just announced plans to release a five-track project entitled Train Track Worktapes. The collection is coming to listeners on April 21 via Columbia Nashville.
Fans can pre-save/pre-add this special collection HERE.
When asked about the project, Townes said, “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.”
The upcoming project was conceptualized, written, and recorded just as the title suggests, on a charity train trip. Train Track Worktapes is a collection as unique as the experience it arose from. A longstanding unique Canadian tradition, 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 over 3,000-mile and 15-day trip aboard the train last December, Townes and her band played 65 shows to crowds ranging from dozens to thousands in communities all 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.
The five tracks artistically depict the themes of the Townes’ trip like, defining home, living life in motion, fulfilling a troubadour spirit, and feeling joy so all-consuming you fear its end. These five songs came faster than Townes had ever experienced, with an urgency that reflected the constant momentum she and her band were feeling on their travels.
She couldn’t deny the burning need to capture the experience in the way that they all knew best: through song. With stripped-down, roots-driven sonics that call back to her debut release, Living Room Worktapes, Townes’ vocals shine with the raw and down-home style she is best known for.
Townes, a producer on the project alongside her guitarist Jaxon Hargrove, and the rest of Townes’ band got resourceful with their recording setup while on the trip. A suitcase turned into a kick drum. Tin foil and paper bowls became a shaker. Teacups made the perfect substitute for a triangle. 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 resourcefulness they had to exhibit was an impressive feat, adding to the unrefined mastery of the project.
“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.
Tenille Townes has several dates planned now through November. Fans can visit her website for a complete list of tour dates and ticking information.
They can also keep up with the singer/songwriter on Instagram.
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