Nickola Magnolia is Waiting For A Kiss in her debut single and video — premiering exclusively on Tinnitist.
The first preview of her upcoming album Broken Lonesome, the beautifully bittersweet country ballad showcases the Port Hope, Ont. singer-songwriter’s angelic vocals against a backdrop of understatedly jangly guitar, shimmering keyboards, low-rolling drums and a crystalline piano melody. It is simultaneously vulnerable yet independent, sobering yet intoxicating, personal yet universal. And no surprise, coming from Magnolia.
Like many of the world’s most beloved country artists before her, the ascendant artist offers listeners a glimpse into her own life through honest and intimate songs of loss and heartache. While her themes are timeless, her take is unique and powerful, shaped by her singular experience Raised by an immigrant and a French Canadian, now a tattoo artist and shop owner by day, Magnolia found the key to the country music kingdom while she was living in the U.K., hunting down pubs and open mics. When she attended the wedding of two London country musicians — who sang If I Needed You by Townes Van Zandt while exchanging vows — the course of her life was forever changed.
Broken Lonesome, produced by The Sheepdogs’ Jimmy Bowskill and featuring members of Kathleen Edwards’ band, draws distinctly on country tradition while veering uniquely into profound and personal lyrical themes. Magnolia sings of change. Of learning where one belongs in the world. Of coping with the death of friends by suicide and opioid. Of painful heartbreak. And even of the pain from becoming disillusioned with the limitations of expression in one’s own writing. At the record’s core, Broken Lonesome is characterized most by self-awareness and brutal honesty. With songs like Cocaine and a Dream, Ain’t About You and I Love Country Music (More Than I Ever Loved You), Magnolia draws her listener into a world where truth is paramount and essential to self-preservation.
A storyteller at heart, Magnolia’s work draws quick comparisons to the work of Shania Twain, Jade Eagleson and Joni Mitchell. Musically, the influence of Dolly Parton, John Prine, Jewel and, of course, Townes Van Zandt, are all present and honoured. As is her commitment to staying true to herself. She admits, “There were two songs I was hesitant to include (on the album); they’re so personal I felt embarrassed. I wrote them over 10 years ago, so revisiting felt naive. Ultimately I thought: you know what? That’s how I felt in the moment, and that’s the damn truth.”
This is Magnolia’s greatest strength and what casts her as a singular voice in the Canadian country music scene, as well as the broader scene at large — her determination and ability to tell her truth. And what is country music but the truth?
Watch Waiting For A Kiss above, hear the track below, and get more Nickola Magnolia at her website and Facebook.
