What singer-songwriter Amanda Rheaume was trying to convey in her 5th release is all there in the title. The Skin I’m In finds the musician in that kind of comfort zone we all aspire to cradle ourselves within, that warm place where you’re just peachy being you.
“I’m alright just living in the skin I’m in,” sings Rheaume on the powerful title track and first single.
The album, produced by Blue Rodeo’s Colin Cripps, drops on February 15th with Rheaume floating into her hometown for a sold out show at the National Arts Centre the next day. I had a chance to catch up with her ahead of a tour that will take her from Canada to Germany with stops in the Netherlands and Switzerland in between.
Andre Gagne: Before we get into the new album, I wanted to quickly catch up with you about Holding Patterns, the release we chatted about last time and one of my favorite albums of 2016. How did you find the new songs were received?
Amanda Rheaume: Wow thanks! I found the new songs were received really well. A lot has changed between May 2016 and now, so I feel that they could've reached a bigger audience with Spotify / Apple Music, but the feedback I received from fans was really positive and encouraging. “Red Dress”, “Dead Horse”, “Blood from a Stone” and” On Disappearing” were some faves!
Any highlights you can share from the Holding Patterns tour?
In Canada, my favourite show by far was the hometown Ottawa release at the Fourth Stage. It was sold out and such a warm and supportive and FUN evening. I also had the original recording band with me, made up of all my best buds. Can't top that.
That leads perfectly into my next question. How do you feel returning to your hometown of Ottawa? Is it a different kind of performance for you when here?
I LOVE coming home to Ottawa to perform. In a way it is both familiar / comforting and also the more nerve wracking! I wonder... will people come, will they remember me?! Because I often know over half the audience in some way it is always a little scarier to be fully uninhibited and vulnerable in my performance because some people have known me my whole life! (laughs)
Your new album, The Skin I'm In, may be your most personal release yet? Would you say you dug a little deeper internally on this one? "Don't hide my heart like I did before / Don't keep it locked behind closed doors" is a line that really resonates.
YES, definitely dug the deepest on this one. It has been a real journey to get to this point in my own life and heart, let alone my career.
I feel I am still uncovering so much about my life, my identity, my dreams and my fears.
In a recently tweet, you wrote about this album partially being about you becoming comfortable with your sexuality. What have you found most liberating being out and more open?
I came out in 2002 to family and friends and myself. Ever since then I believe I've been honest about my sexuality when asked but I have not necessarily made it the leading part of my identity. I was always a musician / artist first and foremost. I still feel that way but it is REALLY liberating to overtly and purposefully express my sexuality in my music, it feels like the next and final step.
There are songs on The Skin I'm In where you are looking to connect with the LGBTQ2S+ community. What is the message you are hoping will be conveyed?
In general, with my music, I hope to help people feel less alone. I hope to inspire and encourage people to take their next step with their identity and with loving themselves... whatever that next step is for each individual will always be different, and that's okay too.
I also want to convey that being gay or trans or bi or non-binary or gender fluid or ANYTHING doesn't have to look one particular way. We are all beautifully and authentically and perfectly ourselves.
I want to encourage everyone to dig deeper into their own authenticity.
The video for the title track is really powerful, placing your words in the voices of others. I imagine this must have really stuck an emotional chord while filming. How did it feel when first seeing the finished video?
Oh there was LOTS of crying and hugging on set! When I first watched the video I felt full. I felt like everything I've been feeling and hoping for clicked right into place. I felt hopeful and encouraged.
You also talk about owning your Métis identity. This is a heritage, you've stated, that hasn't always felt easy. Can you elaborate on that and why it has been important for you to clear the earth of these roots?
I grew up in Barrhaven, very privileged. I am fair skinned, fair haired, fair eyed. I also have a mixed heritage... Métis, Scottish, German. Growing up I never felt very connected to any culture or spirituality, to fault of my family. As I got older and got to know my Grampa Gene Rheaume (a humanitarian and the first Métis MP since Louis Riel) more, as I traveled and toured across Canada and met more of my relatives and learned more about my family's story I realized that I felt the most connected to my Métis and Anishinaabe roots. Looking completely the opposite of what most people believe an indigenous person should look like has raised questions from other people and quite frankly within myself. So, for me, it has been extremely empowering and important for me as a human to be accepted in the Métis and Indigenous community, and I feel a very strong dedication to my work within my community.
What was it like working with Blue Rodeo's Colin Cripps on this release and what went into the decision to bring him on board to produce?
Colin is an incredible producer. He has an exceptional understanding of songwriting and parts, as well as tones. He has an uncanny ability to see the bigger picture of a song and how that song will fit into a body of work. He was so focused, patient and kind in his approach to everyone in the studio. I'd been chatting on and off with Colin for a few years and the stars aligned for this record.
Though as we mentioned this is a personal release, you did turn to some co-writers for some of the tunes. How did you find collaborating on the songs for this more introspective album?
I worked with a number of different songwriters on this album! Co-writing is one of my favourite things to do. I love collaborating with other creative minds. I struggle with a lot of self doubt when writing alone, I still do it, but I do find that working with other writers, even if the song is very personal, it helps me get the true message across in a much shorter time span. When I co-write with the right songwriter I feel like we are a team and working to uncover the perfect path and expression of the song and the meaning behind the song.
I found the album song order a very satisfying journey from start to finish. What made you decide to open it with "Picture of You" and end the release with "Companion"?
Colin and I LOVE the intro the "Picture of You"... we felt it was a really fun, exciting and addictive hooky way to open the album up. You know my Dad was the one to point out to me that I often have a softer, more introspective, stripped down song at the end of each album. I wanted to put "Companion" last because it feels like a really personal signing off and gives people something to think about.
When looking back on the completion of this release as you head into touring for it, what are you most proud of?
I am the most proud of being more honest than I ever have been in my writing. I am also really proud of the sonic temperature of this album and feel it is really true to my favourite tastes in music.