Music from the wild west coast: Roots, Folk, Canadiana.
Wand has emerged as a songwriter of uncommon skill – Ottawa express
Fine folk of the first order – the Hour, Montreal
Wand casts an inescapable spell - Metro
Yes, it has been a while.
But some good things are worth the wait.
After a hiatus of a decade or so, Yael is ready to bring her music back to the spotlight. A lot happens over a decade in the life of songwriter and singer. A lot can change - children, home, creative focus - and yet the keen senses of the songwriter are always there, paying attention from below the surface of daily life.
Yael never purposefully put away her songwriting tools. But raising children, tending gardens, contributing to community, settling in a new town - these all have a way of circumventing the needs of the craft, while growing a full life. And despite all those distractions, which have tended to take precedence, Yael found occasional moments to write, documenting chapters and stories of a life unfolding.
Saltwater Heartwood (07.22.21) is Yael’s fourth album with the talented Corwin Fox in his Hidden Well Studio. It’s a paired down production that showcases her gorgeous voice and the maturity of her songwriting. Yael plays guitar, ukulele and accordion, with Alan Kerr on upright bass, long-time collaborator Christina Zaenker lending her cello and voice, and Corwin himself contributing his trademark magic touches on guitars and sundry. Saltwater Heartwood garnered two nominations for the 2023 Canadian Folk Music Awards: English Songwriter of the Year, and Producer/s of the Year (Yael Wand/Corwin Fox).
Press
“A B.C. Interior Music Award nominee well-known to fans of Canadian folk/roots music, singer/songwriter Wand took a lengthy break between releases to do a lot of living. The lessons learned over the past decade inform the sophisticated jazzy statement of purpose that is That Needs Be Done and the touching folk of Navigate By Stars, as well as the high lonesome longing of Flame. The backing band does a perfect job of never getting in the way of the real instrument on the album, Wand’s fluid and silky voice. It can range from a bluegrass quaver to slick jazzy delivery or classic, clean Canadiana folk.” - Stuart Derdeyn, Vancouver Sun
“fingerpicked ukulele chords, warm cellos and a heartbeat bassline — all gracefully topped by Wand’s bittersweet, richly layered vocals and poetic, confessional lyrics awash in maritime metaphors — the tenderly yearning indie-folk ballad serves as a fitting first single from the B.C. singer-songwriter’s long-overdue fourth album Saltwater Heartwood” - The Tinnitist
The Partae