Norine Braun turns up the heat in her compelling new video for her single The Burning — premiering exclusively on Tinnitist.
The first preview of the Canadian singer-songwriter’s upcoming 13th album Songs For Trees, The Burning was truly a trial by fire. Written during the ongoing pandemic and while a heat dome and heat wave ravaged her British Columbia homeland, the powerfully heavy yet irresistibly flowing cut was recorded during the searing, out-of-control wildfires that devastated the province. Inspired by the need to save the ancient trees and to live sustainably — and using Dante’s Inferno and his descent through hell as inspiration for her potent lyrics — Braun ponders the times we are living in and takes you on journey through the forest filled with joy, wonder and movement.
Says the video’s director and editor David C. Jones, “The Burning is a powerful song that juxtaposes the beat with a sobering message. Norine said she used Dante’s Inferno as inspiration for her lyrics. Listening to the lyrics I figured out the nine levels in the descent to hell that she used in the song. Using the characters from the epic poem with a modern vibe we decided to capture the bumpiness by starting the song in a night club with some young people who then, along with Norine, descend into limbo.
“We shot most of it on green screen and were Covid-friendly. We had an assembly line of 30 actors coming in and out in small groupings to film their part of the video. Director of photography Zach Houston was one of my mentors for the green screen and digital effects. It’s quite remarkable how long it takes to make a four-minute music video and I hope people find it interesting and on some level makes a difference.”
Songs For Trees album was produced by Adam Popowitz, who also played lead guitar and bass alongside Elliot Polsky on drums and percussion, Alice Fraser on keyboards, and Huggybear Leonard on blues harp, harmonica, ocarina and penny whistle, with Braun supplying rhythm guitar in addition to lead vocals. Songs For Trees is due on May 4, and can be pre-ordered HERE as part of a crowdfunding campaign for publicity including music videos and promotion for the new album.
A Vancouver based singer-songwriter recording artist, Braun is set to release her 13th album, the groove oriented Songs For Trees in May 2022. Thanks to a Canada Council For the Arts Award and a First Peoples’ Cultural Council Award in 2021, Norine set her musings during the ongoing pandemic last year to focus on climate change and the healing power of trees.
Emotional, heartfelt and eclectic, Braun is an award-winning artist (Western Canadian Music Award nominee, Banff Centre Musician in Residence, Los Angeles Independent Music Awards, SIBL International Songwriting Competition). Her music is described as “delicious alt-rock with bluesy country hues.” Braun released her 12th album December Falls for Christmas 2020. It was heralded as a new seasonal release worth putting under your tree.
Check out The Burning above, hear more from Norine Braun below or at Bandcamp, Soundcloud, Reverbnation, Apple, Amazon and YouTube, and keep up with her at her website, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
