You know how Disney opens up their 'Vault' every once and a while to offer some goodies from the past? Well this is kind of like that. But free. We are now planning Bridge Songs, the Bleeding Heart's flagship event that takes place on June 14. But did you know this is our 8th Bridge Songs?
Here's a look back at our 7 previous outings, complete with a free track from each album. Enjoy!
Bridge Songs One
This first time out there was no theme - we were just excited to make music together. The results were a large collection of solo performances, originally released in hand-stamped paper sleeves, on disks we burned ourselves. I later updated the cover and included even more tracks for a '1.5' release that we gave away to guests of Urban Bridge Church for some time.
From that release, here is My Only Friend from Cora McLachlan.
[audio mp3="http://www.bleedingheartspace.ca/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/12-My-Only-Friend.mp3"][/audio]
Bridge Songs Collective
Wanting to take things up a notch, we thought, 'Let's Make Music (and art) together'. Collaborative projects were the loose theme for this year, and some great work resulted. We also moved to The Ave this year. It was the start of a new direction for Bridge Songs.
From Bridge Songs Collective, here is Tiny Castles, written by Dave Mulcair.
[audio m4a="http://www.bleedingheartspace.ca/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/03-Tiny-Castles.m4a"][/audio]
Bridge Songs: Be Not Afraid
Our third outing took a darker turn, bringing 'Music in the face of fear". It also took our collaboration further, bringing a full band to the tracks.
Working with the theme of fear produced some great music, and I still play "Sure" today.
From Bridge Songs: Be Not Afraid, here is Sure, written by Dave Von Bieker.
[audio m4a="http://www.bleedingheartspace.ca/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/05-Sure.m4a"][/audio]
Bridge Songs: Faerie
Of all the Bridge Songs events we've done, this one, held at Avenue Theatre, was so, so fun! Beautiful stage decorations by Jennifer Wilde accompanied a performance that involved a timpani and a spider monkey. You had to be there.
But, for those who weren't there, you can enjoy one of my favourite tracks from any Bridge Songs, by Jennifer Wilde.
From Bridge Songs: Faerie, here is Sara's Song, by Jennifer Wilde
[audio mp3="http://www.bleedingheartspace.ca/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/06-Saras-Song.mp3"][/audio]
Bridge Songs: ?rogress
We recorded this one entirely ourselves, using plenty of technology to match the '?rogress' theme. The results were mixed in the end - a product of over-ambition smacking against the walls of time and resources (and my limited production skills). But this album is my baby, and I'm still proud.
From Bridge Songs: ?rogress, here is YOUHAVETIME, by Andy Mulcair.
[audio m4a="http://www.bleedingheartspace.ca/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/01-YOUHAVETIME.m4a"][/audio]
Bridge Songs: New Eyes
By our seventh outing, the Bridge Songs musicians were comfortable together. We'd been playing on one-another's songs for a while, and many of us wanted to push that collaboration further. We wanted to see what we could accomplish with a deeper focus and commitment to excellence.
Rather than a full album as a collective, we formalized as a band and focussed on an EP, The New Eyes Open. It included two brand new songs and our first re-working of something from the Bridge Songs back-catalogue–Cora McLachlan's There Was a Ghost.
Cora's version, from Bridge Songs: Be Not Afraid is yours for the taking.
[audio m4a="http://www.bleedingheartspace.ca/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/04-There-Was-A-Ghost.m4a"][/audio]
The entire three song EP can be downloaded from Bandcamp for just $2, and previewed here.
Bridge Songs: Heartbreak
Last year we rebooted the Bridge Songs process and opened it up to new songwriters again. As a rest, we received the most song submissions ever, from many new performers.
It seems Heartbreak is rich songwriting territory.
Our final song, from Bridge Songs: Heartbreak, is the wonderful The Sailor, a duet between Spencer Ford and Cynthia Hamar (this is the unmastered version).
[audio mp3="http://www.bleedingheartspace.ca/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/The-Sailor.mp3"][/audio]
What's your favourite track from Bridge Songs' past?
Be sure to join us on June 14 for the performance and release of Bridge Songs: Dear Edmonton,