When East Coast singer-songwriter Jenn Grant was forced off the road and into isolation at the beginning of the pandemic, she decided to make the most collaborative album of her career. Separated from her fellow musicians, she found herself wanting to forge connection more than ever.
"What a rare and special moment in history, where I had the opportunity to make a time capsule of togetherness in a time of distancing," she tells Exclaim! "I knew I could draw on close friends, especially on the East Coast, but i wanted it to span over as much of the country as it could. I pictured it like a quilt."
The result is Champagne Problems (out June 21), a collaborative project that crosses genres and timezones. There's a featured guest on nearly every song — spanning from the East Coast with Joel Plaskett and Tim Baker, across Central Canada with Hannah Georgas and Kevin Drew, up north with Iqaluit's Joshua Qaumariaq, and all the way to the West Coast with Dan Mangan.
Lance Sampson, leader of Halifax's Aquakultre, tells Exclaim! that Grant had previously asked him to collaborate on holiday-themed music — but "ya boy don't mess with the Christmas stuff," he jokes. When they finally worked together, it was one of his first-ever face-to-face co-writing experiences, and he's thrilled with the resulting song, the soul-pop throwback "Nobody's Fool."
Sampson's friendship with Grant now goes way beyond music, as they have hung out with their spouses and children. "I've begun to love her and her family, which means my support for what she does will always be there," says Sampson. "All I can do now is help out in any way I can — as long as it's not for a Christmas show."
Her connection with Dan Mangan is similarly deep-seated, and was forged through off-stage hangs and on-stage performances — even if not many people were around to witness the latter. "I have always known Jenn, so it was impossible to meet her. No chicken, no egg, just hangs," Mangan tells Exclaim! of his earliest encounters with Grant. "I did support a tour of hers at some point in the late 2000s. I remember we shared an audience of about 14 people at the Lo Pub in Winnipeg once."
Joel Plaskett similarly connected with Grant when their paths converged on Nova Scotia's live music circuit, and they've remained friends since the '00s. "When she reached out to collaborate, it was an easy yes," Plaskett reflects. "She's a such a unique writer and singer. I get the sense some of her songs come to her a cappella, which is something I can relate to."
These friendships, now immortalized on Champagne Problems, exemplify how Grant's collaborative network flourished, even when it was put to the test by the pandemic.
"Each person pushed me and showed me new ways of writing," gushes Grant. "Having had the chance to write with so many incredible Canadian artists was such a gift that will literally last more than my lifetime, spinning on vinyl."
"What a rare and special moment in history, where I had the opportunity to make a time capsule of togetherness in a time of distancing," she tells Exclaim! "I knew I could draw on close friends, especially on the East Coast, but i wanted it to span over as much of the country as it could. I pictured it like a quilt."
The result is Champagne Problems (out June 21), a collaborative project that crosses genres and timezones. There's a featured guest on nearly every song — spanning from the East Coast with Joel Plaskett and Tim Baker, across Central Canada with Hannah Georgas and Kevin Drew, up north with Iqaluit's Joshua Qaumariaq, and all the way to the West Coast with Dan Mangan.
Lance Sampson, leader of Halifax's Aquakultre, tells Exclaim! that Grant had previously asked him to collaborate on holiday-themed music — but "ya boy don't mess with the Christmas stuff," he jokes. When they finally worked together, it was one of his first-ever face-to-face co-writing experiences, and he's thrilled with the resulting song, the soul-pop throwback "Nobody's Fool."
Sampson's friendship with Grant now goes way beyond music, as they have hung out with their spouses and children. "I've begun to love her and her family, which means my support for what she does will always be there," says Sampson. "All I can do now is help out in any way I can — as long as it's not for a Christmas show."
Her connection with Dan Mangan is similarly deep-seated, and was forged through off-stage hangs and on-stage performances — even if not many people were around to witness the latter. "I have always known Jenn, so it was impossible to meet her. No chicken, no egg, just hangs," Mangan tells Exclaim! of his earliest encounters with Grant. "I did support a tour of hers at some point in the late 2000s. I remember we shared an audience of about 14 people at the Lo Pub in Winnipeg once."
Joel Plaskett similarly connected with Grant when their paths converged on Nova Scotia's live music circuit, and they've remained friends since the '00s. "When she reached out to collaborate, it was an easy yes," Plaskett reflects. "She's a such a unique writer and singer. I get the sense some of her songs come to her a cappella, which is something I can relate to."
These friendships, now immortalized on Champagne Problems, exemplify how Grant's collaborative network flourished, even when it was put to the test by the pandemic.
"Each person pushed me and showed me new ways of writing," gushes Grant. "Having had the chance to write with so many incredible Canadian artists was such a gift that will literally last more than my lifetime, spinning on vinyl."
