Photo by Mary Rozzi
“There’s no place like home”. These iconic lines from The Wizard Of Oz ring especially true for Canadian singer-songwriter Serena Ryder. With two gold records and three Juno Awards to her credit, some might argue that the heat was on for Ryder to continue her winning ways with her latest album Harmony. Judging by the strength of the songs on the record, adding a third gold-selling album certification should be a relatively easy task.
Serena Ryder recently spoke with Here Magazine about the road to Harmony and what the future has in store:
You made your latest record in your home studio. Was that a freeing experience?
I love being in my studio at home. I was on the road for forever and since we are in the age of self-reliance, I realized that you can have absolutely everything you need at your disposal. I loved the experience. My studio smells like a sauna. [laughs]
When were the songs on Harmony written?
In the time leading up to the making of Harmony, I had written 65 songs. I tried as hard as I could to put my heart and soul into those songs but then my manager said that it sounded as though I was trying too hard. I went back to the drawing board to help push the record over the finish line.
So what do you anticipate becoming of those original 65 songs?
Three of those 65 songs are included as bonus tracks when you buy the record but otherwise, I am just looking at it as though I have another two or three records worth of material to play with and expand upon. I am still really proud of those songs because many of them fit together and represent a very specific period of time.
You only completed the record this past June and it has already been released. This goes against the typical lead time that labels want when it comes to releasing new product. That has to be a nice benefit of where the industry is at these days?
It is so refreshing! It is a definite sign of where things are at these days in the music business. Knowing that this record was just created this past summer and knowing that it is already in people’s hands is inspirational. I have never had the opportunity to get to know my new songs along with those listening to them. I love that.