Norma MacDonald's 'In Waves': Music as a Lifeline
WRITTEN BY: KATIE GORDON & MITCHELL JODREY // THE BOOM AT NOON
Norma MacDonald (Photo: Meghan Tansey Whitton)
Halifax-based musician Norma MacDonald is set to release her next album, ‘In Waves,’ on October 27, an album about trying to create a sense of hopefulness in the face of uncertainty.
The pandemic brought unexpected challenges, but it also gave birth to a creative project that heavily influenced the songs on her new record. Norma and her partner Chad embarked on a "song challenge" during lockdown, where they would each write three songs in three hours. “It was a good exercise for me,” says Norma. “I'm good at starting songs but terrible at finishing them. So this idea that you have to finish it even if you can't think of the perfect line, just throw a line in and worry about it later,” she says. “I did put in lines that I thought I would change, and then going back, I was like, No, that's okay. That's really what I meant to say.” When they finished their respective songs, they’d share what they’d written with each other and reward themselves with a beer.
Norma used this method to write many songs on ‘In Waves,’ including track number one on the record, ‘January.’ “It came from us sitting in our apartment and being like, ‘Oh my god, when are things gonna feel better?’ And it's just about that kind of hopefulness. Yes, things feel really terrible and stagnant right now, but kind of looking forward to things that might be better in the future,” she says, noting that she and Chad still try to do the challenge every couple of months to keep the songwriting muscle strong.
In addition to music, Norma also works in healthcare and worked on the frontlines during the pandemic, which inspired some of the songs on the record. “I hadn't really thought about it at the time when I wrote the line ‘Comes in waves,’ but really, that's what the pandemic did - it came in waves. It was just one wave after another, and it’s just that roller coaster of like, ‘oh my god, everything's terrible. No, no, everything's kind of okay. No, no, it's really, really bad’ and just wanting to change everything,” says Norma. “‘Blues and Greens’ is about that as well - that first line, “I think I got lost in this machine, it's all I know.” All I knew at that time was just being in an emergency department. I would be there during my waking hours, go to bed and be there in my dreams all night”
Music became a lifeline for Norma during the pandemic, allowing her to cope with the challenges of the pandemic and working in healthcare. “It was hard, but I also felt lucky to be working as a nurse during that time because I knew so many people who were stuck at home and didn't have income. A lot of my musician friends had tours cancelled and stuff like that. It was really difficult,” she says. “I'm lucky I didn't lose anything - Just maybe a bit of my sanity,” she laughs.
‘In Waves’ will be her sixth album and says the main thing that’s changed with her music over the years is her expectations. “When I first started out, I was young and ambitious and kind of had this idea like, ‘Oh, I'm going to be famous’ or whatever, but now I realize it really doesn't matter to me what the outcome is,” says Norma. “I care more about crafting songs and just taking the time to get things where I want them, but I care less about what actually happens with them. I want people to hear them and I'd like to play some small tours every year, but I don't want to be Taylor Swift, obviously,” she laughs.
The first single from the album, ‘The Heart Wants,’ was written in 2011, but it wasn’t until she worked with producer Daniel Ledwell that the song captured the sound and feel she intended, praising his ability to understand her vision and translate it into the music. "I'm really bad at describing what I mean, but I gave a few adjectives to Dan, and he was like, 'Oh yeah, exactly. We'll do that,’ she says. “It's hard to make a really simple song interesting sometimes but he did such a great job and the band is fabulous, too.”
With the release of ‘In Waves,’ Norma MacDonald embraces the opportunity to share new music following her 2020 release ‘Old Future.’ “It feels really good after my last album… being so excited about the release and it being so anticlimactic because of the pandemic,” she says. “I already did a pre-sale campaign for “In Waves” on my Bandcamp, so a lot of people already have the album and have been listening and giving me some really nice feedback,” she adds.
Following the October 27 release, Norma and her full band host an album release show on November 11 at the Sanctuary Arts Centre in Dartmouth. Tickets to the show are still available.
Purchase ‘In Waves’ on Norma’s Bandcamp, where she is selling it on vinyl, CD or digital.
