Trinelise Væring sticks to her guns on her soulfully rootsy new single and lyric video I’m Not A Quitter — premiering exclusively on Tinnitist.
A stirring anthem of perseverance and passion that deftly toes the line between southern soul and earthy Americana, the Danish singer-songwriter’s latest release mirroring Væring’s own journey through the challenges of the music industry, documenting the stamina and resilience we all need to get through this life (or sometimes, just the day):
“I’m not a quitter
And I ain’t done yet
I’m out there on the bandstand
And I plan to sleep when I’m dead
So it won’t be my towel
On the floor in that ring
I’ll be rolling with the punches
’Till the fat lady sings.”
Fittingly, the song was inspired by a fellow singer-songwriter who’s stood up to her share of hardship over the years: Canada’s own Kathleen Edwards. “I have been a fan of (her) for a while,” says Væring. “When I wrote this song, I had just decided to get to know her a little better and Googled for interviews. On YouTube I found an interview from a while back when she had decided to take a break from the music business. She was standing in the cafe she had opened in Ottawa, which she had called Quitters. That interview resonated with me, and the word quitter stayed with me, and sort of propelled me into writing this song.”
It didn’t take much of a push, she says. “It usually takes me days to write a song, but this is my fastest song ever. I had written the lyric a few weeks earlier and they were still sitting on the piano. I literally remember starting the song and melody when my husband started dinner. I was fooling around with one of my favourite odd tunings and once my husband had the dinner ready, I just wrapped it up.”
When it came time to record the number, she kept the Canadian connection going by heading to Vancouver’s Afterlife Studio to work with producer John Raham. Along with Væring on acoustic guitar, the track features Scott Smith on dobro and electric guitar, Chris Gestrin on keyboards, Jeremy Homes on bass and Raham on drums and percussion. I’m Not A Quitter was mixed by Raham and mastered by Graemme Brown at Vancouver’s Zen Mastering.
The song sets the stage for Væring’s aptly named eighth album A Songwriter’s Odyssey, due on Jan. 31. A deep dive into Americana and alt-country, it marks a musical departure for the Copenhagen singer-songwriter, who leads the 10-piece Scandinavian folk-fusion band Tone of Voice Orchestra. Their 2022 debut album received international acclaim, and earned three Danish Music Awards nominations, winning Vocal Jazz Album of the Year.
That restless spirit is par for the course with Væring, who isn’t planning to throw in the towel anytime soon. “I confess to being rather driven and still deeply fascinated with music and all the many different expressions and styles,” she says. “In fact, nowadays I am more driven than ever, because I have a distinct feeling that there is only so much time left. So, if I have any dreams, that by now I have not acted on, like writing what I think of as a country album — now is the time to pursue those dreams. And that is exactly what I am doing. So that lyric is basically how I feel right here, right now.”
Watch the lyric video for I’m Not A Quitter above, hear more from Trinelise Væring below, and find her at her website.
