ATHABASCA – For many people, Americana music invokes strong imagery of the American South — Appalachian mountain men, bootleggers, and coal miners are all groups that have historically championed the sometimes-twangy sound.
Lynne Hanson is none of those things. Dubbed Canada’s “Queen of Americana,” a title that may seem inherently contradictory at first glance, the acclaimed singer-songwriter has put her own twist on the genre, with a focus on capital-T truth.
“I listened to a lot of bluegrass and jazz in my formative years, and I think that really stretched my ear melodically. I’m drawn to a lot of those blues notes and those melodies,” said Hanson.
Hanson will be the first act to take the stage for the Heartwood Folk Club’s Fall Season, and the award-winning artist said there’s a good reason to take the time out of your evening to see her perform Oct. 5.
“I’m entertaining as hell,” she said, laughing in the midst of an early September interview. “It’s not just about the music, it’s about the interaction with the audience. I’m a bit of a storyteller and I like to be funny.
“My shows tend to hit you hard with the song, but then in between I love the idea of being a stand-up comedian.”
Hanson will be in the middle of an Alberta-wide tour when she stops in Athabasca — “I love Alberta, my stuff always plays well there” — but the when the curtain drops at 7:30 p.m., she’ll be staring out into a brand-new audience. Despite yearly tours to the province, October will be her first stop in Athabasca.
“By the end of the show, I want people to have really gotten to know me as an artist, but also as a person,” said Hanson. “I’m genuine when I’m on stage. I’m the person I am in real life, and I think that’s something not a lot of artists are comfortable doing because you need to be vulnerable and invite the audience in.”
Hanson’s show is family friendly — no cursing involved — although the subject matter of some songs is more mature. She’ll be playing a combination of songs from her storied career, which has featured nine studio albums, but the main draw is her newest album, Just a Poet.
The album came out earlier this year, and Hanson’s lyricism runs wild through the 12 songs. Songs about heartbreak, loss, and wanderlust ring out over her guitar chords, but the only constant is Hanson’s gift as a writer.
“(Hanson is) one of the most beautiful and interesting voices of the entire Americana scene of the last ten years,” wrote a reviewer from Roots Highway earlier this year.
Despite the sadder themes, Hanson encouraged any families with children to let them get up and dance, noting it was her favourite part of shows.
“That’s the part I love, especially having young kids at the shows because they’ll dance, and there’s nothing more entertaining than watching kids get into the music with their body and not just with their ears.”
As always, tickets for the shows are available at Athabasca’s Value Drug Mart, Whispering Hills Fuel, and Athabasca Health Foods. A season’s pass costs $100, and individual tickets for the shows can be purchased for $35. Children under the age of 16 get in for free.
