Tenille Townes Embraces Orchestral Sounds with Calgary Philharmonic After Intimate Album Release
Grande Prairie's Tenille Townes is embarking on a new musical journey, collaborating with the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra following the release of her most personal album to date. This orchestral venture marks a significant evolution in her career, blending her country roots with classical arrangements.
A Nashville Night with Emmylou Harris
Several months ago, Townes found herself performing at Brown's Diner, a modest burger joint in her adopted hometown of Nashville. The evening was organized by her friend, songwriter Daniel Tashian, as a tribute to the legendary Emmylou Harris. Various artists took turns performing tracks from Harris's iconic 1995 album, Wrecking Ball.
Tashian specifically requested Townes perform Blackhawk, a song penned by the album's producer Daniel Lanois that references steel mills in Hamilton, Ontario. "Daniel literally said, 'As our resident Canadian, I think you should do Blackhawk,'" Townes recalls.
To everyone's delight, Harris herself attended the event. The iconic singer took the stage to perform another classic from Wrecking Ball, Steve Earle's Goodbye, leaving the audience in awe. "We all just kind of wept," Townes admits, describing the emotional impact of the performance.
The Heartbeat of Nashville
Reflecting on that memorable evening, Townes shares, "It was just one of those moments where you look around, and it's like, 'This is the heartbeat of Nashville to me.' These are the kind of things that just happen on a Tuesday night. That is so special, and I feel so inspired still, even after 14 years, of that creative current."
This wasn't Townes's first encounter with Harris. "I got to have tea with her a few years ago," she reveals. "She spoke so much wisdom and spoke about building a life-long career in music and how important it is to make music with your friends and enjoy the ride. She was like, 'I've gotten everything I've ever dreamed of. I'm making music with my friends, and I have a dog rescue in the house. I'm so happy in life.' I really respected her bar for success. That's been a guiding force for me."
Collaborative Inspiration on The Acrobat
Another performer at Brown's Diner that night was Sarah Jarosz of the Americana band I'm With Her, another act clearly inspired by Emmylou Harris. On Townes's recently released fourth album, The Acrobat, the trio joined the singer-songwriter for Grey Like Emmylou.
This melancholy song, co-written with Jordyn Shellhart and Kat Higgins, explores the end of a friendship while wishing the person well, hoping they will age gracefully and 'go grey like Emmylou.' Townes explains the song's origin: "My friend Jordyn had a couple lines started about how beautiful Emmylou is and how it would be a good way to wish someone well at the end of a friendship to keep her as a beacon of hope. I absolutely loved that."
The collaboration came together seamlessly. "So we wrote the song that day and knew I'm With Her were big fans of Emmylou as well. So I sent them a note and took a shot and said, 'I think it would be so special to sing this song together.' They replied right away and started sending vocal tracks over, and that was right around the time that Daniel brought us together at Brown's Diner. So Sarah and I stood there and were like, 'How cool is this?'"
From Intimate Album to Orchestral Performance
Now, Townes is taking this inspiration to new heights with her collaboration with the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra. Following the release of The Acrobat, her most intimate and personal work to date, she's exploring orchestral arrangements that expand her musical palette.
This partnership represents a natural progression for the Alberta-born artist, allowing her to reinterpret her songs with the rich textures of a full orchestra. The collaboration promises to bring a new dimension to her storytelling, blending her country and folk influences with classical sophistication.
As Townes continues to draw inspiration from Nashville's creative community and legends like Emmylou Harris, her orchestral venture with the Calgary Philharmonic stands as a testament to her artistic growth and willingness to explore new musical territories while staying true to her roots.
