Music
"She waited like the stillness of the winter, her heart a fragment on a colour wheel, surrounded by the many shaded reasons it's not easy to be real, not easy to feel.
She clears a space to lay her brushes on, empties out a corner of her day, in cans of colours lining against the wall, in Betty's room, there is no gray. And she is ready, ready to paint the world, ready now, ready to paint the world."
(Linda McLean, Betty's Room)
Acclaimed singer-songwriter with four LPs: Betty’s Room, No Language, Snow Mountain River, and John Lennon's Bed.
Linda McLean
& The Awakening
Acclaimed singer songwriter Linda McLean is touring again, back with new songs and a new band “The Awakening” to deliver her signature sound-heartfelt messages in songs that are instantly memorable and irresistibly enjoyable. Drawn together through friends and family, single malt and a Nova Scotia kitchen fire, the band features local musicians Dick Denhaan (drums), Jeff Miller (Bass) and Andy McLean (guitar). They create a distinctive band sound where Linda’s easily accessible crafted songs can flourish and shine. Drawing from a rich history of original tunes, Linda & The Awakening have already established themselves with live performances at:
Full Circle Festival, Avondale – June 2023
Agricola St Festival, Halifax – July 2023
Hill Tops Brewery, Brooklyn – October 2023
Church Brewery in Wolfville – November, SOLD OUT
The Carleton, Halifax - February 18, 2024 SOLD OUT
The Carleton, Halifax - February 19. 2024 SOLD OUT
Union Street, Berwick, NS - April 13 ,2024 SOLD OUT
Daniel's, Sydney, CB - May 18, 2024
Margaree Firehall, Margaree Forks, CB - May 19, 2024
Manse Studio, Avondale, NS - Live Recording - July 21, 2024
Wharf Day, Avondale, NS - August 3, 2024
Speakeasy, West Brooklyn, NS - September 7, 2024
The Carleton, Halifax - December 13 (Upcoming)
Photo by Borden Webb-Brown
Acclaim
"There is a 'holy trinity' of Canadian singer songwriters, Sarah Harmer, Kathleen Edwards and Linda McLean."
- CBC Radio
“Material straddling the line between roots stylings and an adult contemporary-tinged sound à la Jann Arden or Sarah McLachlan that possess the ring of hard earned truths.”
- Exclaim Magazine
"These are tunes with the ache and retrospective wisdom of a dame in her prime.”
- NOW Magazine
“NO LANGUAGE serves notice of the arrival of a committed and focused artist.”
- Toronto Star
"While others create similar sounds, McLean approaches her music with a brightness that is exceptional. Exquisite."
- Roots Radio
“Once in a great while, out of the blue, comes an indie masterpiece. Such is the case of Linda McLean's NO LANGUAGE... Another superb Canadian female singer-songwriter you need to seek out.”
- Maverick Magazine, UK
"Ranked among the best of her North American contemporaries; “country-tinged beauty with reference points stretching from Lucinda Williams to KD Lang.”
- UK Music Media Review
“Only a few albums reveal a different favourite track each time you listen to it. "Betty's Room" is one of those rare pearls."
- Leo Blokhuis, Netherlands
