Alberta-based singer-songwriter Joanna Drummond embodies classic folk music through a deeply rooted tapestry of human stories. Her music seamlessly intertwines bluegrass and Americana guitar playing with lyrics that sound as if they were dipped in poetry. Her voice brings a crystal clarity and calm beauty, drifting over melodies that pull you in gently. Drawing inspiration from folk legends like Joni Mitchell, Paul Simon and Amelia Curran, she blends grace and authenticity, creating a sound that is both timeless and refreshing.

Joanna’s early albums “Workshop” (2014) and “Songs for Mother’s Day” (2015) showcase her ability to explore themes of growth and motherhood. Her artistry also extends into poetry, a cherished side pursuit that she has used to enrich her songwriting process with depth and introspection. In poetry she has made the shortlist of the Freefall Poetry and Prose competition. In her musical journey she has been a finalist in the Calgary Folk Festival Songwriting Competition (2013) and regional semi-finalist in the CBC Searchlight competition (2014).

Now, ten years after these releases and achievements, Joanna is returning to the folk music scene with a particular story to tell about the illness which pulled her off of the stage and into the hospital. Her next album “Carried in Between” is a collection of songs about facing mortality with resilience and dignity.

These are songs of new perspectives and beginning again, songs of solace, struggle and making it through. Joanna has emerged from the other side of this health journey with a renewed commitment to her art. For her, songwriting is a place where vulnerability is transformed into strength, where hard things become beautiful things, and joy and sorrow can intertwine and take flight.

New Single 'Sail Away' OUT NOW!

‘Sail Away’ is a song I wrote about a long goodbye to a long love. Sometimes a marriage ends not in bitterness and anger, but in quiet resignation to what must be. I have a poetry mentor who often says that poetry is our answer to suffering, and I believe it can be the same with song writing. I wrote “Sail Away” to capture the moment that I found myself in, when my husband and I were still living under the same roof, but we knew that the marriage was over. It is a piece of music that brought me more comfort and catharsis than perhaps any other piece of music I have ever written. And the process of crafting it into a finished piece has continued to be a comfort to me as I navigate my new life and chart a course forward.

Career Highlights

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Reviews

Viewed with the eyes of both child and mother, Joanna lays down songs ranging from the minutiae of tiny instants to the broader brushes of wider experience, examining what is it to hold the immensely responsible and utterly unconditional role of motherhood.
www.folkwords.com
A pure-as-crystal voice delivering softly engaging lyrics over quietly seductive melodies, if ‘Workshop’ is the beginning, then there’s much to follow.
www.folkwords.com
‘Workshop’ carries themes of becoming, of longing, of the isolation and wondering of the human condition, of motherhood, and more.
www.dawcast.com