THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “The Love Still Held Me Near is a deeply personal and cathartic offering, and the most sonically expansive in the canon of City And Colour — the solo alter-ego of acclaimed singer, songwriter, performer and Alexisonfire co-founder Dallas Green.
“The Love Still Held Me Near was born out of unimaginable loss and the subsequent journey through the grief and heartache that followed,” explains Green. “It’s about digging deep down into yourself and attempting to unearth hope and light in the things that can comfort you through those times. For me that has always been writing and recording music, so that’s exactly what I did.”
Produced by Green and longtime bandmember and collaborator Matt Kelly, the 12 songs that comprise The Love Still Held Me Near follow the most difficult period in Green’s life, including the tragic loss of his best friend in 2019. Green poignantly eulogizes him in the stunning opening track Meant to Be, which was released in November.
With six studio albums to date, City And Colour — a sly reference to Green’s first and last names — have amassed a legion of passionate fans worldwide who connect with the depth and intimacy of Green’s songs. The Love Still Held Me Near finds the songwriter revealing more of himself amidst new textures, arrangements and soundscapes not previously heard on City And Colour albums. While it was born out of navigating a trying time, it is an album of hope, redemption and inspiration.
Over the course of six City And Colour albums, Green has compiled a canon ripe with songs born of adoration and devotion amassing a legion of fans worldwide and garnering him three Juno Awards, including two Songwriter of the Year trophies, plus a handful of Platinum and Gold certifications at home in Canada — alongside Platinum certification for all four of Alexisonfire’s full-length records.
City And Colour’s last studio album A Pill For Loneliness — released on Green’s Still Records — debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Canadian Albums Chart, his fourth consecutive chart-topper in Canada. His previous No. 1 LP If I Should Go Before You made serious waves internationally, debuting at No. 16 on the U.S. Billboard 200 Chart and No. 5 in Australia, where Green’s LP Little Hell was certified Gold. In 2022, Green was honoured with the SOCAN National Achievement Award at the Juno Awards in recognition of his philanthropic contributions to music education in Canada.”
