
Hamilton, ON artist Sarah Beatty is gearing up to release her sophomore album Bandit Queen on February 3. Groove-driven and blues-inspired, the acoustic title track offers soulful, witty lyrics which serve as a preview of what’s to come on the conceptual album as a whole. Inspired by the 19th century outlaw Belle Starr, the full length is a modern day folk fable that Sarah leads us through with the accompaniment of country, folk, and jazz stylings.
Co-conspiratorial sojourners on the album include Justine Fischer on upright bass and Matty Simpson on electric guitar (both of The Fred Eaglesmith Band), and Dave Clark on drums (The Woodshed Orchestra, Rheostatics).
“The title track “Bandit Queen” documents the creative transition from concision, which was central to my first album Black Gramophone, towards a supersonic mythological expansion that happens in my new album. There are all kinds of mythologies telling people who they are and who they aren’t. With this song, I wanted to invite the dark parts into the storyline and inspire listeners to be their whole, real, bodacious, outlawed selves.”
Follow Sarah Beatty on Facebook and on Twitter @sarahbeattyca.