Edmonton's Jessica Jalbert is set to release her debut album as Faith Healer later this spring, but first, Exclaim.ca has got the premiere of new track "Universe."
The project features new music from Jalbert and her longtime collaborator and friend Renny Wilson, and she's released the following statement trying to clear up some confusion surrounding the new moniker:
A long time ago we dicked around with the idea of starting a band together and I thought a cool name would be Faith Healer. We were at a cabin once and our friend Mary was talking about actual faith healers, and weirdo or not, I thought the concept was coooool and the name kind of slips off the tongue. But the band never happened and I still wrote a bunch of new songs that I wanted to release.
Those songs turned into the album Cosmic Troubles. I thought it was the right time to stop using my own name, and Renny wrote to me saying 'hey, you should call this Faith Healer." Until then I had forgotten about the name but liked the idea so I did it.
Now people are asking me "Is Faith Healer just you? Or is it a duo? A band?" The short answer is that it's just me. The longer answer is that for this album, Cosmic Troubles, the only people involved in the album were Renny and I. We both played all the instruments and sang all the harmonies, and he recorded the whole thing in his (very patient) parents' basement. Sometimes I hit record on Pro Tools while he played the drums. He came up with a lot of great production ideas! But at the risk of sounding possessive, I wrote all the songs and get to make all the calls, and since we live across the country from one another, he isn't currently playing in my band. Next time I do an album, I hope I can record it with Renny again because he's great to work with and he knows all the best places for cheap food. Maybe we'll even collaborate more on writing. But if I don't record with him again, it'll still be called Faith Healer. Thanks for listening!
"Universe" showcases Jalbert's '60s and '70s psych-rock influence, delivering hazy vocals and swirling guitar riffs that conjure images of California, Volkswagon vans and free love. It's a fun, modern take on a classic sound.
Cosmic Troubles arrives on March 31 via Mint Records. Enjoy the trip, as you listen to "Universe" in the player below.
The project features new music from Jalbert and her longtime collaborator and friend Renny Wilson, and she's released the following statement trying to clear up some confusion surrounding the new moniker:
A long time ago we dicked around with the idea of starting a band together and I thought a cool name would be Faith Healer. We were at a cabin once and our friend Mary was talking about actual faith healers, and weirdo or not, I thought the concept was coooool and the name kind of slips off the tongue. But the band never happened and I still wrote a bunch of new songs that I wanted to release.
Those songs turned into the album Cosmic Troubles. I thought it was the right time to stop using my own name, and Renny wrote to me saying 'hey, you should call this Faith Healer." Until then I had forgotten about the name but liked the idea so I did it.
Now people are asking me "Is Faith Healer just you? Or is it a duo? A band?" The short answer is that it's just me. The longer answer is that for this album, Cosmic Troubles, the only people involved in the album were Renny and I. We both played all the instruments and sang all the harmonies, and he recorded the whole thing in his (very patient) parents' basement. Sometimes I hit record on Pro Tools while he played the drums. He came up with a lot of great production ideas! But at the risk of sounding possessive, I wrote all the songs and get to make all the calls, and since we live across the country from one another, he isn't currently playing in my band. Next time I do an album, I hope I can record it with Renny again because he's great to work with and he knows all the best places for cheap food. Maybe we'll even collaborate more on writing. But if I don't record with him again, it'll still be called Faith Healer. Thanks for listening!
"Universe" showcases Jalbert's '60s and '70s psych-rock influence, delivering hazy vocals and swirling guitar riffs that conjure images of California, Volkswagon vans and free love. It's a fun, modern take on a classic sound.
Cosmic Troubles arrives on March 31 via Mint Records. Enjoy the trip, as you listen to "Universe" in the player below.