Roots americana artist Desiree Dorion announces seventh studio album

JUNO Award-nominated roots Americana artist Desiree Dorion is gearing up for the release of her seventh studio album, Remember Your Name. With the album set to release on September 20, Dorion explains that it’s “a departure from anything [she’s] done before.”

In terms of the album’s theme, Dorion describes it as a reflection on “grief, loss, and self-discovery.” She aspired not to confine herself, and feels that this album is distinctly authentic, which she explains was not always the case for her previous albums.

“When we’re talking about grief and what the grieving process looks like, there’s moments of danger. There are moments of excitement. There are moments of despair, and I wanted to capture all of those moments in this record,” she said.

Dorion released her first single off the upcoming album, “Ghost,” back in early August. While the album is about the journey of grief, loss, and self-discovery, “Ghost” is about the “angrier” parts of the journey.

Dorion expresses sentiment for multiple songs on the album

Aside from “Ghost,” she noted two other songs on the album that stand out as favourites. One song called “Greta” is about Dorion’s friend who was in an abusive relationship. She explained that while the song is more upbeat, its message is serious.

“It’s a serious theme, but sonically it’s a sing-along-song, which is a bit ironic.”

Coming down from the more hard-hitting songs, “Remember Your Name” is about hope.

“[The song] is speaking to hope and … having a deep sense of knowing. And trusting that your ancestors have equipped you with the strength that you need to overcome anything. And [to] remember who you are and where you come from and lean into that.”

In terms of the album coming together, Dorion said that being present during the album’s production “was really exciting.”

“I was involved in the studio work from top to bottom, which isn’t always the case. You know, sometimes we as artists will go into the studio, track our vocals and then walk away from the studio.”

Dorion hopes listeners of the album “know that they’re not alone [and] things will get better and that they’re going to be okay.”