Touring is in the DNA of Canadian singer-songwriter Lynne Hanson. Whether exploring new territories or revisiting old haunts, polished songs cut through to audiences from seasoned to fresh. Listening rooms are filled with an air of confidence as a cathartic experience fulfils the prophecy of live music fuelling its connective role. Extended excursions from an Ottawa home have landed in many formats, guises and locations as continental Europe and the UK has frequently embraced what this songwriter has to to say and most importantly how it's conveyed.
The current run of UK dates ended with this Kitchen Garden return and it is worth noting that this year's dates followed a successful return to distance touring in 2022. You wouldn't bet against more Lynne Hanson visits with the enticing nugget of another new record slated for a 2024 release. This latest Midlands show - previous trips have seen her play Bewdley, Thimblemill Library and around a dozen years ago open for Gretchen Peters in Bilston - saw a rich mixture of songs extracted from a variety of albums with the latest record being a little too far back for this tour to hang on its promotion. A quick recall of the setlist reflected a heavy trawl through 2020's JUST WORDS with half a dozen picks from opener 'True Blue Moon' to the curiously titled 'Hemingway's Songbird'.
On several occasions we have had the pleasure of the full Lynne Hanson band experience. As enjoyable as that has been, there is much merit when an artist takes a breath and frames the songs in a more focussed style. The format for this tour is a duo with regular recording and playing companion Blair Michael Hogan. He provides electric guitar and backing vocals to add depth to the presentation. On the topic of duos, there is a line of thought through listening experience that Lynne Hanson has moved the game onto a different plane since an active collaboration with the widely renowned fellow Canadian Lynn Miles. Co-incidentally, Lynne and Lynn frequented this actual performing space in 2018 when touring their acclaimed album of the time.
What comes across best from a Lynne Hanson show is how the craft of writing and performing a significant song has been honed and fine tuned. Touring conditions may always not be so favourable for independent artists dealing with factors from raising your voice in a world weened on familiarity to a frail economic environment. Faith in what you do must be intact to drive an artist forward and belief that you will find your audience in sufficient quantity (and quality!)
Longevity and frequency suggest Lynne Hanson has done many things right in courting overseas listeners over the years. Nights like this in Birmingham may ultimately be small pieces in a bigger picture but they have a dear place in forming an artist's identity. There is also an identity to those moved by her music and that became a little stronger after her latest visit to our shores.