Canadian soul/blues powerhouse singer Ollee Owens releases her new album, Nowhere to Hide, today through her Ollee Owens Music label imprint.
Produced by Bobby Blazier, the music on Nowhere to Hide is also graced by the presence of Muscle Shoals all-star guitarist Will McFarlane on eight of the album’s eleven tracks.
“The
writing of ‘Some Days’ came out of a desire to acknowledge the ups and
downs of our day-to-day experiences and at the same time call out the
resilience of the human spirit no matter what we come up against,” Owens
says. “Sonically, we imagined it as a blues-infused song that leaves
the listener feeling happy. It was recorded in Nashville with some of
the best session musicians in Music City: Chris Rodriguez, Craig Young,
Bobby Blazier, and DeMarco Johnson. The energy in the room that day was
palpable as the song began to take shape, capturing exactly what I heard
in my head when we wrote the song, resulting in a soulful and
hope-filled anthem.”
After returning to music a decade ago and releasing 2022's Cannot Be Unheard, the Calgary-based blues/rock singer is better than ever with her latest dazzling, down-to-earth studio album Nowhere to Hide. It's one teeming with stylish, sophisticated jewels mined from blues, rock, and soul.
Nowhere to Hide
features eight co-writing credits by Owens and a few covers, including
Bob Dylan's "Lord Protect My Child." Whether it's Owens' confident
delivery fueling the driving title track, the infectious "Some Days," or
the deliciously well-crafted "Shivers and Butterflies," Owens is as
dynamic as the eleven-track album is flawless.
"I
learned so much," Owens says of the creative process, "especially,
vocally, as there was real opportunity to dig deeper and embody the
lyrics."
Nowhere to Hide,
recorded at Nashville's Sweetbriar Studio and Gnome Studios, shines
with help from a who's who of acclaimed Nashville session musicians
Blazier brought to the album. "Bobby has an incredible ability to bring
people together," Owens says of Blazier. "We all got in the studio
together, gave it everything we got, and made some great music."
That
great music derives from Owens' backstory in the farming community of
New Bothwell, Manitoba. As a teen, she gravitated toward Dylan, Delta
Blues, The Staple Singers, and Etta James. "When I came back to creating
music, I really realized the depth and influence that particular style
of music had on me," Owens says of her early listening habits.
Owens
and her husband started their family early and had three daughters, one
of whom has a cognitive disability. After some soul-searching, and
realizing her daughter had exceptional needs, she took a hiatus from
music. "I focused on being present and engaged for my daughters," she
says.
As
a result, "Lord Protect My Child" strikes an emotional chord as Owens
pours her soul into it. "That song has really become close to my heart,"
she says. "My daughter is twenty-three now, but there's still a lot of
vulnerability there. The desire for protecting and taking care of her
will never go away."
Owens will be playing a Canadian concert in October celebrating the release of Nowhere to Hide
and has plans for further touring in the spring. She's also performed
at the Roots Blues and BBQ Festival in Drumheller, Alberta, and
Calgary's National Music Centre, among several other venues.
Now with Nowhere to Hide, Owens will have a larger fan base thanks to an amazing album you would be wise to experience wherever you get your music.
