Jackie K recalls a close romantic call with her nostalgic new single When You Almost Didn’t Love Me — showcasing today on Tinnitist.
An ode to both the beauty and the perils of young love, the North Battleford singer-songwriter’s latest ray of sunshine pop feels right out of the best Canadian beach movie you’ve never seen. Upbeat, groovy, and almost Shakespearean in the plight of its star-crossed protagonists, the song speaks to hopeless romantics and Hallmark-holiday moments — Jackie is quick to affirm that the course of true love never did run smooth.
“Not every relationship starts out peaches and cream,” she says. “When You Almost Didn’t Love Me is about finally making the decision to commit to a relationship. This one is personal. We’ve been married twenty years. Four kids.”
When You Almost Didn’t Love Me is the first single from Jackie’s upcoming album She’s A Story, dropping March 8 on International Women’s Day. The album spotlights the spirit of women living through a variety of trials and triumphs, featuring songs about situations familiar yet not always celebrated, all performed with Jackie K’s trademark Canadiana sound.
“Women’s lives have changed so dramatically in the last hundred years, but expectations have not always kept up,” Jackie observes. “Women are still not considered equal to men in so many ways. Then if you add getting older, being a person of colour, or a single mother, it is even more difficult. As I age, I see more and more the inequities that exist, and how frustrating it is. I wanted to try and share some of the stories that I know. My own, family stories, people from my community, and some just for fun.”
The album features the illustrious stylings of Randy Woods on guitar, Kyle Krysa on drums, Jackie’s husband Tom on bass, and their son Connor Newton on the sax. Jackie handles piano and trumpet along with lead vocals.
When she isn’t writing or performing, Jackie conducts the bands and teaches guitar to high school students at North Battleford Comprehensive High School. Jackie is a member of SaskMusic, SOCAN, BMI, SAC, AFM#553 and the Americana Music Association.
Check out When You Almost Didn’t Love Me above, hear more from Jackie K below, and find her at her website, Facebook and Instagram.
