Last year, Le Ren, Montreal-based musician Lauren Spear, released Morning & Melancholia, an EP of four songs occupying just under 13 minutes. Reviewed by David Morrison on Folk Radio, he adminitted that although it was the shortest release he’d ever reviewed, “in terms of emotional impact Morning & Melancholia is as heavy a hitter as any similarly styled, full-length acoustic folk album I’ve heard, by anyone, in years.”
Another artist that is able to convey emotional impact in a similar manner is Big Thief guitarist and solo artist Buck Meek, who recently released his new album, Two Saviours, via Keeled Scales.
For her latest single, Le Ren is joined by Buck Meek as she covers a classic song by fellow-Canadian Gordon Lightfoot. ‘Early Morning Rain’ featured on his 1966 debut album Lightfoot! According to one interview, he wrote the song while in Los Angeles and when he was feeling homesick he would often go out to the Los Angeles International Airport on rainy days to watch the approaching aircraft.
On the track, Le Ren notes:
“To me, this song encapsulates missing someone. As many people are separated right now, it felt like the right moment to cover it. Buck and I recorded it in two different countries across time and space so in turn, the production reflects the song itself.”
Stream/Buy ‘Early Morning Rain’: https://leren.ffm.to/early-morning-rain