The North Sound Release A Gorgeous Record

A new album from The North Sound brings out such a gorgeous and warm set of tonalities and soundscapes that you end up getting engulfed by this inviting atmosphere almost straight away.

The songs on the What It Takes album have such lush approaches with beautiful instrumentation and almost constantly harmonizing duet vocals between Forrest Eaglespeaker and Nevada Eaglespeaker, a duo and married couple that perform and write everything you hear on this gorgeous record.

This is an album that you listen to from start to finish. Listening to one or two tracks may give you an idea of what you could expect, but it will not give you the full spectrum of what the whole album has to offer.

This is a record with stories to be told. There are memorable lyrics that draw you into that storyline, and you end up paying a lot of attention to those.

There are more than a few surprises around the corners, and the vocal approach between the two of them is just absolutely thriving throughout this entire record, giving off a subtly vivacious undertone that blends Americana, classic country, folk, singer-songwriter.

You can tell there's a lot of attention to detail when it comes to the arrangement and composition of these songs, which is where Nevada Eaglespeaker comes in. A Forrest is a multi-instrumentalist and songwriter, and I would say that the two of them vocally share the record pretty evenly.

The record opens up with one of the best songs on it called "'Til The Love Runs Out", which is a banger of a single that features like tars, that southern kissed tonality, and this sort of raw energy that pulls you right into it.

The thing that wraps itself around you about this record is the atmosphere that it delivers.

Although each track has something a little bit different to offer, there is a confluent soundscape, and this brings an aesthetic that grabs hold of you and brings you into their world for a chunk of time.

This whole record is almost like an escape. You listen to those stories, you get swallowed up by all these beautiful layers of textures between the guitars, rolling snares, and robust vocals.

That first song is an excellent one to introduce the record because it does showcase some of the best staples that you hear throughout the album itself.

As I mentioned before, this is a record you listen to all the way through.

There are massively cinematic feels and vibes throughout this record, including a song called "Wash Me Away", which comes through powerfully, and I feel like the reason it's cinematic is because of the emotional backbone that it boasts.

These songs also have this beautiful breed of honesty that it's kind of like a rarity these days.

The lyrics are so open, again, they tell stories at times, but sometimes those stories are from personal perspectives, and you just know they came from a genuine place.

There's an authenticity behind the lyrics of the record and the way they are performed.

These two have a real love for their craft, and when I say that, I don't just mean singing or composing or even playing instruments. I mean writing songs together that have an impact.

They do this because they have a real love for it, and this is something that shows throughout the album itself.

Some songs lean far more towards the country style than others. Songs like "If I Sleep" feel like a vintage country banger that you've heard on the radio 100 times but just never knew who it was.

You can hear those many classic and vintage folk, country and Americana influences flowing throughout the veins of this record.

The beauty of it is that they've created something that's all their own.

This is a unique approach that isn't reinventing the wheel, but it's taking matters into their own hands, giving it their own fire, purpose, and heart.

One of the biggest aspects of this record that really kept me in it was the characters and personalities portrayed throughout its course.

This is an album that is oozing with stories, inner thoughts spilling out for all the soak in, and this beautiful personality that just shines through.

I also have to admit that I love their performance because it puts you in the moment, almost like a live performance would.

It's rare that you hear a record and immediately want to see them perform it live, but this is one of those rarities.

This was a bountiful and robust country and Americana record that did an outstanding job of showcasing this duo's pure love for the genre and the craft of songwriting from start to finish.

Again, I would suggest listening to this all the way through because then you get the full experience. Listening with headphones is even better, that's just a personal note though.

After listening to this record, we wanted to chat with the two of them to find out where this all came from and what might be coming up next for the project.

 Here's what happened

RAG: Let's talk about What It Takes! This album was packed with lush harmonies and flowing,  southern toned approaches! Gorgeous record!!  Where did this release come from? 

Thank you! That’s very kind of you to say. 

This record came from lived experience, honesty, transparency and a willingness to trust the process without controlling every aspect of it. It really is an album of growth, which is rarely comfortable but that’s where the magic is. 

RAG: I'm hearing a few different approaches to this record! Who are some of your biggest musical influences?

Gram Parsons and Emmylou Harris (as a duo and as solo artists), Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, The Trio, Blue Rodeo, Neil Young, The Band, Steve Earle and honestly we could go on and on ahah. We love good songwriting, honest lyricism and something surprising. Some that makes you go back and listen again. 

RAG: Did you record this at a home setup, or at a big studio?

A bit of both! This record was made between the Layman Drug Company and New Sun Music head quarters in Nashville, a Toronto apartment and our bedroom closet in Saskatoon. 

RAG: How did this all start for you as a band?

Oh man that’s a big question ahah. The simple answer is we’ve been together for 16 years. Somewhere along the way when everything lined up in the right way we were able to start this part of our life. It happened officially after a trip to New Orleans Folk Alliance in 2020. That cemented us officially as a duo. 

RAG: Are you guys performing live right now? 

We are! It kinda feels like we’re on shift work these days. 2 weeks on 2 weeks off. You can find all of our tour dates on our website thenorthsoundmusic.com 

RAG: Now that this is out, what's next for you?

Tour, a new album, spend time with our family and try to make sense of what’s going on in the world while trying to avoid it all. 

RAG: Who's in all your headphones right now?

Ordinary elephant, Jason Isbell, The Trio, and a bunch of lofi meditation beats/music. 

RAG: What would you tell people they can expect on this release?

Kind of like most music good being released these days we’re trying to connect and relate to people with real stories from our lives. Share some of our pain and struggles and hope others hear it, relate to it, feel less alone and give some meaning to all the hard shit we’ve been through. 

RAG: Before we go, what would you like to express to fans of the music? 

Thank you. You listening to us means the world to us in the most sincere way possible. Each day isn’t promised so the fact that you spent a portion of yours listening to us or reading this is a gift we hold near and dear.  

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