Dallas Green, aka City And Colour, has taken a slightly different approach to tone with his forthcoming new album 'The Love Still Held Me Near'.
Still retaining the indie rock and resounding compassion we've heard in his previous six solo albums, the seventh offering from the Canadian singer-songwriter sees Dallas use his music to tackle some heavy subject matter in a way he's never done before."The songs lean a little bit more to the darker things in life," Dallas says. "I almost feel more comfortable writing about things that are weighing on me."
Some of those weighted things, Dallas explains, include the death of his best friend in 2019 and the end of a personal relationship, all at the start of the pandemic. "Really, my whole life just kind of stopped. I had a lot going on, a lot to deal with [and] work through.
"For me, it's always been writing songs that's helped me see myself through the troubled waters. But hopefully there's hope in it as well, light at the end of the tunnel."
In exploring weighted topics, Dallas has explored different methods in songwriting, recording, and performance. Like different textures, tone, and instrumentation that he explores musically in 'The Love Still Held Me Near' – more than he's done previously.
"Musically, I'm always interested in expanding on things I've done before," Dallas says, "but with this record, I don't know if I was feeling maybe a little bit more free to try some things or go into different territory here and there, especially sonically. But I think to hear the band play on the record lends itself to something different.
"There's two people in the band that I've played with before, but [another] two it's my first time playing with them. Other musicians interpretations of my songs, is something I'm always interested in. I'm interested in how they're going to approach an idea they've heard in a demo. That has a lot to do with why the record sounds like this."
That interest in external interpretation, even 22 years into his career, extends to Dallas' audience. "I guess I feel lucky that I never really thought too hard about what people are going to say," he says.
"That's not to say I'm not incredibly in debt to the people who have allowed me to make this my life, to give me the time and space to make music and continue to listen to whatever I come up with.
"But for me, it's always been about getting the song; if I release it, I don't think of it as I'm releasing an album, I think of it as I'm releasing it for me. If I feel good about it, that's what means the most to me.
"I have no say in what people are going to think or feel about the songs, but I've always trusted myself and hopefully somebody can figure it out, pick up what I've put down. I feel like if I do that, which I have always done, I'll create something people can relate to."
Dallas reiterates, this album was difficult to write because of what he was dealing with, but he knew it would help him. "I knew that if I stayed the course and wrote the way I always do, I'd be able to sort it out, and maybe it can help other people as well."
With a stint of Australian live appearances upcoming as part of this year's SummerSalt festival series (as well as his own headline shows), Dallas is confident he's well-equipped with tools in performance, delivery, and translation to share the weighted material of 'The Love Still Held Me Near' with his Australian audience.
"As much as the writing and recording is helpful in the healing process, I think for me there's always been that other element of going out and performing every night, getting that release of singing on stage. Because that's where I feel most comfortable.
"I've always felt comfortable being up there, singing, treating it as this emotional release. That's how I've looked at live performance. The song, when you record or write it, it's that version, but playing live, it's almost like every night you try and get the best version of it possible."
Dallas will also tour Australia with his other band Alexisonfire at the conclusion of his City And Colour shows.
'The Love Still Held Me Near' is released on 31 March. Pre-order it.
City And Colour 2023 Tour Dates
Wed 1 Feb - Enmore Theatre (Sydney)Tue 7 Feb - Ulumbarra Theatre (Bendigo)
Thu 9 Feb - Forum Melbourne
Mon 13 Feb - The Tivoli (Brisbane)
SummerSalt 2023 Tour Dates
Fri 27 Jan - Stage 88 (Canberra)Sat 28 Jan - Thomas Dalton Park (Wollongong)
Sun 29 Jan - Esplanade Park (Fremantle)
Fri 3 Feb - Royal Botanical Gardens (Hobart)
Sat 4 Feb - Rochford Wines (Yarra Valley)
Sun 5 Feb - Torquay Common (Torquay)
Sat 11 Feb - Park Beach Reserve (Coffs Harbour)
Sun 12 Feb - Broadwater Parklands (Gold Coast)
Alexisonfire 2023 Tour Dates
Fri 17 Feb - The Fortitude Music Hall (Brisbane)Mon 20 Feb - Enmore Theatre (Sydney)
Fri 24 Feb - Forum Melbourne* sold out
Sat 25 Feb - Forum Melbourne* new show
Mon 27 Feb - Hindley Street Music Hall (Adelaide)
