Nick Earle is best known as one half of Newfoundland’s award-winning blues duo, Earle & Coffin. Together they’ve won a Canadian Folk Music Award, two MusicNL awards, received several ECMA nominations, and they’ve been doing it since before they were legally old enough to play in most venues. But what duo doesn’t eventually need a little space to grow? With the release of his latest single, Nick Earle is literally “Breaking New Ground” as he branches off on his own.
The single is just the first in a full album that shares its name. Crafted over the course of the past year, Earle says the collection of tunes has been the product of working solo, along with some co-collaborators, but ultimately still keeps the blues at its heart.
“This project is very much Folk/Rock oriented, with some slight nods to the Blues,” says Earle about the new album. “This here is the starting point for a new musical endeavour, and I’m beyond excited for the journey to come.“
While the new track has a sort of classic-rock John Cougar Mellencamp putting-down-roots vibe, Earle says it’s no more than a happy coincidence that “Breaking New Ground” should coincide with a solo direction. That being said, he does hint it might be something of a theme for the album.
“Earle and Coffin is very much organic, but when writing and creating new music, it’s super easy to get lost playing with plug-ins and fx, at least that’s how I find it,” admits Earle.
“Instead of sitting at a computer, programming midi instruments, and putting lyrics over that, I wanted to go back to the basics and just sit down with a notepad and an acoustic guitar.”
Fans of Earle & Coffin will be happy to know that the band haven’t broken up simply for Earle to pursue a little solo side action. The band is hale and hearty and will be releasing a new album this year as well.
Nick Earle’s Breaking New Ground is being released June 1, 2019 on Citadel House Records. Earle will be performed a special album release show at the Ship Pub in St John’s, NL with several more summer tour dates yet to be announced.