The Tragically Hip’s Gord Downie Preps Kevin Drew-Produced Double-LP
The Tragically Hip singer Gord Downie recruited Broken Social Scene‘s Kevin Drew to produce his new double-LP, Introduce Yerself, out October 27th. Drew – who also helmed the fellow Canadian singer’s 2016 solo album, Secret Path – co-wrote several songs on the upcoming, 23-track project.
In a teaser clip promoting Introduce Yerself, Downie narrates, “This is my solo record. Each song is about a person,” alongside footage of the musician consulting a handwritten track list and crooning over glacial piano.
Downie recorded the new material across two four-day sessions in January 2016 and February 2017, with much of the final product assembled from first takes. The CD and digital editions will come out with a vinyl release following on December 1st. Pre-orders will be available Friday, September 29th via Arts & Crafts and Downie’s website.
The Tragically Hip announced last May that Downie had been diagnosed with terminal brain cancer. The vocalist toured with the group that summer in support of their 14th LP, Man Machine Poem, with their triumphant final concert held August 20th in Kingston, Ontario.
Both Downie and the Tragically Hip remain beloved acts in their home country, with nine of the band’s albums, including Man Machine Poem, having topped the Canadian charts.
Two other Broken Social Scene collaborators, multi-instrumentalists Charles Spearin and Ohad Benchetrit, contributed to Secret Path. The indie-rock collective released their fifth album (and first in seven years), Hug of Thunder, in July.
Introduce Yerself Track List
1. “First Person”
2. “Wolf’s Home”
3. “Bedtime”
4. “Introduce Yerself”
5. “Coco Chanel No. 5”
6. “Ricky Please”
7. “Safe Is Dead”
8. “Spoon”
9. “A Natural”
10. “Faith Faith”
11. “My First Girlfriend”
12. “Yer Ashore”
13. “Love Over Money”
14. “You Me And The B’s”
15. “Snowflake”
16. “A Better End”
17. “Nancy”
18. “Thinking About Us”
19. “The Road”
20. “You Are The Bird”
21. “The Lake”
22. “Far Away And Blurred”
23. “The North”