Diamond-selling and multi-JUNO Award nominated singer-songwriter Amanda Marshall is set to release a brand new original song collection entitled ‘Heavy Lifting’ on June 9, 2023.
Marshall is also hitting Canadian stages this summer with her ’25 & Counting: The Heavy Lifting Tour’, including a stop at Budweiser Gardens in London, Ontario on June 18, 2023.
Get your tickets, here.
SWOMP caught up with Marshall for a Q&A ahead of her tour and album release.
Her responses are in quotes and our questions are in bold, below:
New music, new album, and you say you wanted it to be special and you wanted it to say something. So, what makes it special and what does it say?
“Heavy Lifting marks the first time in my recording career that I was at the helm in nearly every way – writing, arranging, producing, and playing. That is a remarkable change. I had time to experiment, and working outside of the traditional parameters of the music business made me creatively fearless. This is not a “trendy” album; I’m not chasing anything. The album is fun, but these songs comment on serious topics and stories – everything from domestic violence to consumerism, religion, and sexual harassment. The album has depth. It was entirely a labour of love, and an opportunity to use everything I learned by watching the extraordinary mentors that I’ve had, from Don Was and Carole King to Peter Asher and everyone in between. Don Was told me years ago that I was capable of producing my own records. I didn’t believe him. Turns out, he was right.”
You list an array of diverse influences as having an impact on your musical career, Streisand, AC/DC, the Rolling Stones, Run DMC, John Lennon, Prince, Anita Baker, Bonnie Rait, etc… what would you say to an up and coming singer/artist that lists Amanda Marshall as one of their influences, and what would they say about you?
“Well, first I would compliment them on their impeccable taste, lol. I have no idea what anyone would say about me, but I would hope that they might be inspired by my commitment to honesty in performance. Music is a physical expression of an emotional experience – doesn’t matter what genre. If there’s no blood pumping to it, audiences know. You can’t fake that.”
You talk about how “making music” and “being in the music business” are two different animals… Given the time between your last album and your new album, how has this dynamic changed and evolved from then till now?
“I don’t know a single musician who loves the music business. Musicians love music – we tolerate the music business. The good news is, the power dynamic has shifted almost completely; musicians seem to be in charge of their own creative destiny more than ever. The bad news is, it feels like music (and most other art) has been largely devalued by the notion that anyone and everyone can do it well, and therefore it should be available for free.”
Speaking of the music industry now, and social media, and media influencers etc. You had a unique moment earlier in your career when Sir Elton John gave you a ringing endorsement on the Rosie show… can you tell us about that moment? When you first heard about it, what it did for you etc.?
“The funniest part of that story actually happened about a week after the moment itself. I was sitting in a restaurant in Whistler, B.C., and an ashen waiter came over to the table – ‘Ms. Marshall, there’s a phone call for you’. It was Elton John. It was just his thing – he would buy all the new releases on Tuesday and listen to them, and he loved ‘Dark Horse’. Everyone around me freaked out about it; I was just really tickled by the whole thing.”
And that being said, who are some other current artists now that you recommend your fans check out and listen to?
“Right now, I’m in a bit of an ‘Americana storyteller’ phase – Jason Isbell, Mary Gauthier, The White Buffalo. It’ll pass, lol.
Your tour gets rolling in June, coast-to-coast across Canada, including some Ontario dates – the closest to our home base is London, Ontario at Budweiser Gardens on June 18, 2023 – what can fans expect at the shows?
“An older musician once told me, ‘Don’t matter how many gold records you got. Records is business. Stage is soul.’ Remember what I said about not faking it? Yeah. Truth. Music has to have blood going to it, or it lays there, dead. We know people want to hear ‘Dark Horse’ and ‘Birmingham’ and other older songs, and I love singing those songs. My favourite performers are the ones who are capable of re-inventing their songs live – recognizable and familiar, but fresh. It’s going to be great.”
Can you tell us a bit about Sophia Fracassi, who’s supporting you on this tour?
“Sophia is a singer/songwriter from Everett, Ontario. This will be her first tour. She writes, plays and sings her own songs, and this is a terrific opportunity for a national audience to be introduced to a new recording artist that they might not otherwise get the chance to see.”
And lastly, you’ve mentioned that you’re now onto a new musical chapter in your life and career. What are some of those opening words in this chapter and can you give us a teaser of what the next chapter will be?
“‘Nobody knows anything’. (Except Don Was, apparently. He was right).”
Website: https://www.amandamarshall.com/
Instagram: @theamandamarshall
Twitter: @TheMarshallMix
Facebook: /theamandamarshall
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCH04LKfQrVh9afKOdDgccSA
TikTok: @theamandamarshall