Chris Ronald and his City Girl head for the country in his romantic new single and video — showcasing today on Tinnitist.
Rife with Ronald’s signature sound and award-worthy lyricism, the song serves as the first preview of the Vancouver artist’s emotionally expansive album Light & Dark, arriving May 26. His fifth album, the 11-track LP is steeped in Ronald’s British roots, poetic songcraft, and endearing blend of folk and rock — a style instantly reminiscent of both ’60s revivalists and ’70s singer-songwriters.
Leaning slightly towards a more rootsy vibe, his tender vocals and tasteful musicianship deliver a well-poised release that landed just where Ronald — and his long-time collaborator, award-winning producer, engineer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist John MacArthur Ellis — set their sonic sights a few years ago.
“After showcasing at Americanafest in Nashville in 2018 — and really soaking up the vibe of the Americana music scene down there — John and I knew which direction to take this next album,” Ronald recalls. “Where my most recent album Fragments was more on the folk side of Americana, Light & Dark has more of a contemporary roots sound. The track listing includes a few rewrites of songs that originally appeared on some of my early demo albums. There are also more recent compositions, including Old Lover, which was co-written with my brother shortly after the first COVID-19 lockdown.”
Beyond Old Lover, the pandemic played a larger role in shaping Light & Dark — from lyrical nuances to navigating strict restrictions for recording, to the untimely passing of Ronald’s father during the process. “Songs like Please Don’t Come For Me Now and Bones took on a particularly new poignancy for me,” Ronald shares. “As the title suggests, the album’s track sequence intentionally alternates between dark and light moods and themes… There’s a bit of an emotional rollercoaster ride.”
Ronald has four previous album releases: Pacific Time (2004), Turning Tides (2011), Timeline (2014) and Fragments (2017). He was nominated for Songwriter of the Year at the 2014 Canadian Folk Music Awards, hit the Top 10 on folk charts, and has toured internationally, including annual showcases at the Americana and Folk Alliance music conferences.
Watch City Girl above, hear more from Chris Ronald below, and connect with him on his website, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
