Montreal, August 2023 – Allison Russell, the singer, songwriter, poet, activist, and Montreal-based multi-instrumentalist, a 4-time GRAMMY nominee, will release her new album The Returner on September 8th via Fantasy Records.
The album The Returner, written and co-produced by Allison with Dim Star (her partners JT Nero and Drew Lindsay), was recorded during the Solstice week in December 2022 at Henson Recording Studios in Los Angeles. It features Russell‘s Rainbow Coalition band, consisting of Elenna Canlas, Elizabeth Pupo-Walker, Ganessa James, Joy Clark, Kerenza Peacock, Larissa Maestro, Mandy Fer (Sway Wild), Megan Coleman, Meg McCormick, SistaStrings (Chauntee & Monique Ross), Wendy & Lisa (Wendy Melvoin & Lisa Coleman, known as The Revolution), and Wiktoria Bialic.
Since its release two years ago, Allison‘s debut album, Outside Child, has become one of the most acclaimed albums of the last decade. Now comes the second chapter of her story, The Returner. An expression of liberation, self-love, and respect that gives chills, expands the mind and self-respect, serving as a fierce declaration of joy for all survivors who have made it to the other side. Allison, JT, and Drew created The Returner from the ground up with a rhythmic and fluid approach.
The improvisational energy of great female artists has ignited the album’s fierce joy and provided a broader canvas for Allison‘s immense talent. Overall, the new album not only fulfills the promise of the past two years but exceeds all reasonable (and unreasonable) expectations, confirming Allison Russell‘s place as a vital artist and The Returner as one of the essential albums of 2023.
Allison Russell has recently announced a major headline tour in the United States. The shows will start on October 13th in Ann Arbor, MI and will conclude in January 2024. She will perform, among others, at the El Rey Theatre in Los Angeles on November 1st, at the Music-Hall of Williamsburg in Brooklyn on November 30th, as well as at The Basement East in Nashville, Russell‘s adopted city, on January 11th. In the meantime, she will appear at the Bristol Rhythm & Roots Festival, the FreshGrass Festival, Farm Aid, and the XPoNential Music Festival. Find all tour dates at https://allisonrussellmusic.com/tour/
Russell received two nominations at the 2021 Americana Awards, won three Canadian Folk Music Awards, two UK Americana Music Awards, and more. She was recently nominated for Song of the Year and Artist of the Year at the 2023 Americana Awards. Moreover, she has consistently used her newfound platform to uplift, educate, and inspire; organizing the historic event Once And Future Sounds: Roots and Revolution for the Newport Folk Festival in 2021, and mobilizing this year’s Love Rising All-Star benefit concert to support LGBTQIA+ causes in Nashville – raising over $550,000, drawing national attention to dangerous anti/trans and anti/drag laws in Tennessee. Russell has also announced a book deal with Flatiron / MacMillan for her debut novel, a memoir based on her life and the material that inspired Outside Child and The Returner.
The Returner – Track List:
1 Springtime (04:11)
2 The Returner (03:51)
3 All Without Within (03:13)
4 Demons (04:29)
5 Eve Was Black (06:04)
6 Stay Right Here (04:10)
7 Shadowlands (04:13)
8 Rag Child (03:04)
9 Snake Life (04:38)
10 Requiem (06:14)
Crédits:
Lyrics and Music: Allison Russell, JT Nero, and Drew Lindsay
Co-producers: Dim Star and AR
Recording: Brandon Bell at Henson Recording Studios (Los Angeles, CA)
Assistant Engineer: Kelsey Porter
Mixing: Brandon Bell at The Cabin Studio (Nashville, TN)
Mastering: Kim Rosen at Knack Mastering (Ringwood, NJ
Source: Fantasy Records
