photo by Graham Powell
i’ve been waiting for a new album from the incredibly talented kathleen edwards for what seems like a long time. her last album, asking for flowers came out in march, 2008. her new album, voyageur is being released on january 17th. finally, today, we have some new music from kathleen. it comes in the form of a 7-inch single; the a-side is “wapusk,” the b-side is “change the sheets” from her forthcoming album. both songs were produced by kathleen and bon iver. the single is being released on september 27th.
about “wapusk” she writes:
“In the summer of 2010 I was asked to participate in the National Parks Project, a Canadian creative collaboration celebrating the centennial of the establishment of our National Parks.
I opted for Wapusk, a remote and barren spot located in northern Manitoba, where many polar bears spend their summers denning and resting on the banks of Hudson Bay. Years since my canoe tripping summers, I found myself returning to my teenage sense of wonderment and joy being in the wilderness. I left with a new sense of myself, basking in the feeling of something I left behind and found again.
I wrote a song there.
A week later I was in Wisconsin, freshly sunburned and armed with new material. Justin Vernon set up some microphones and handed me his nylon string guitar. We recorded “Wapusk”. Unknowingly, it marked the first of many months spent in the studio together.
The second track is from my upcoming full length album. It’s a road ditty. It might make you drive faster, you’ve been warned.”
Download: Wapusk – Kathleen Edwards
@somevelvetblog 
Awesome! Saw that you were playing two new KE songs today and wondered what the second one might be after seeing ‘Change The Sheets’ roll over from Play MPE this morning. Wonder no more. Thanks! I’m with you…I’ve been anxiously awaiting the new album for ages now!