SÉAN MCCANN TO RELEASE NEW ALBUM THERE’S A PLACE ON SEPTEMBER 14th
LISTEN TO THE TITLE TRACK
PERFORMING AT THE INVICTUS GAMES RECEPTION
IN TORONTO ON SEPTEMBER 18th
HOSTING EVENING CONCERT AND SONGWRITER’S CIRCLE
IN OTTAWA ON NOVEMBER 10th IN SUPPORT OF
GUITARS FOR VETS
Toronto, ON – September 1, 2017 – Séan McCann bought his first guitar in 1989 which he affectionately calls Old Brown. Old Brown has been around. He was there for the first song Séan ever wrote. He was there as Séan founded the acclaimed and multi-million selling band that would change his life. He was there to hold Séan up many a night as he struggled with alcoholism, and he has been there to help guide Séan out of the darkness with music as his medicine. Set for release on September 14th, Séan’s fifth solo album, There’s a Place, continues his journey as a singer, songwriter with Old Brown by his side, and a simple message: “You are not alone.” Have a listen to the title track here.
"For many years I found myself in the wrong place and singing the wrong song,” says McCann. “I think we all feel that way from time to time but we must try to remember that together we are not alone and there is a place for everyone in this world."
After exiting the internationally renowned folk group, Great Big Sea, and publicly admitting a secret past in which he used alcohol to mask the pain of sexual abuse by a priest, Séan stopped lying to himself and found his truth and his own voice. His 2014 album, Help Your Self, was a battle cry; a line in the sand which announced that he was ready to change and it resonated with people in a way Séan never could have expected. It helped him understand that he wasn’t alone and that telling his story could help others as much as it helped him. 2015’s You Know I Love You was inspired by the love he found in sharing that story and an attempt to find a new and real connection in a world that had turned inward to its smart phones.
Now comes There’s a Place, which was produced by Jeremy Fisher, features the beautiful voice of Nova Scotia singer/songwriter, Meaghan Smith, and is a collection of songs from a man who is trying to keep his head up when we are tempted to keep them buried in our screens; it’s the story of a man no longer crippled by a lie and who has changed his narrative by not letting his history define him and never forgetting that he is not alone.
Now a sought-after speaker and mental health advocate, Séan brings his message of “music is medicine” across the nation, aligning himself with important organizations and events such as Guitars for Vets. On November 10th at the Algonquin Commons Theatre in Ottawa, Séan will be hosting a special evening concert, and songwriting circle, to benefit this remarkable charity. Joined by fellow artists and friends, Sarah Harmer, Joel Plaskett, and Jeremy Fisher, the event will help benefit the Guitars for Vets volunteer program, which is dedicated to using music to help veterans who suffer from PTSD and other mental illnesses. See below for a full list of Séan’s upcoming performances and speaking engagements.
UPCOMING EVENTS:
September 6 – London, ON – ONE LOVE Rally, Western University
September 9 – Ottawa, ON – Masquerade For Mental Health, Rideau Hall (invitation only)
September 18 – Toronto, ON – Invictus Games Reception
September 22 – Kingston, ON – Octave Theatre
September 29 – Orangeville, ON – Opera House
September 30 – Owen Sound, ON – Roxy Theatre
October 1 – Barrie, ON – Made Centre
October 20 – Lindsay, ON – Academy Theatre
October 21 – Kitchener, ON – House of Friendship (fundraiser)
November 6 – Edmonton, AB – Music Care Conference, Winspear Centre
November 10 – Ottawa, ON – Guitars for Vets, Algonquin Commons Theatre
November 11 – Montreal, QC – Petit Campus
November 17 – Peterborough, ON – Market Hall
November 18 – Toronto, ON – Hugh's Room
DOWNLOAD – album cover artwork
