It’s been more than 15 years since Edmonton chanteuse, Chloe Albert, began her foray into live performance.
Now the countrified folkie is courting her sophomore album, Dream Catcher (2013), in front of audiences across the country, including a Nov. 2 performance at Cochrane’s Legacy Guitar and Coffee House at 8 p.m.
Her June release is certainly the product of patience and persistence — closing the gap since her debut 2008 album, Dedicated State.
“It’s so cliché, but after my first recording I had this fear that I wouldn’t be able to write again,” laughed Albert, whose influences span from Ani Difranco to Sam Cooke.
Judging by the response of the Alberta folkies, this fear was unfounded, as Dream Catcher reached number one this summer on Alberta’s popular indie radio station, CKUA.
It was kicked off to a good start back in 2008, when her formal emergence onto the scene won her an Emerging Artist of the Year award at the Canadian Folk Music Awards, as well as support from CBC and CKUA, showcase spots in folk festival including Calgary and Nashville and praise from the likes of Jim Cuddy (Blue Rodeo front man).
When it comes to live performance, Albert has socked away countless hours. Her schedule is filled with dates that include her own band (Chloe Albert) as well as her role as co-front woman in classic country cover trio, The Carolines and regular shows with the Blue Chair House Band; The Blue Chair Café is a well-known live performance venue in Edmonton.
Overwhelmed with the workload faced by many self-managed musicians – the bookings, the self-promotion, the social networking – sandwiched in between her work in three bands, Albert said she felt there was little time for songwriting.
“I was so tied up in navigating that end of things…” she said, adding that she now makes it a point to give her songwriting chop the time it needs to cultivate.
“For me, it’s a combination exercise with the heart and the mind…sometimes something comes through that’s worth exploring.”
Even though Albert has built her following under the folk umbrella, she said she likes to test the waters by letting her funk, soul and blues influences come through, evident in the album’s last track, “When The Night Fell”.
A multi-instrumentalist, Albert plays percussion, as well as guitar and mandolin. Be it on her Blueridge Acoustic, her Fender Telecaster or her Seagull acoustic guitar, Albert describes her style as rhythmic and percussive.
Next on her radar is booking beyond Canadian borders and into international markets.
Learn more about Chloe Albert at chloealbert.com. Tickets to the Cochrane show are available at legacyguitarhouse.com.
