3rd studio album from Emily Burgess, ‘Arrow’, released October 26, 2023

“Emily Burgess is an engaging guitarist and vocalist. Her obvious youth belies the expertise and passion that charge her writing, singing, and playing. Emily knows how to put the “art” in “artist” and hearing her is a joy you won’t want to miss”

-Barbara Barnes Sims (Sun Records Promotion and Publicity 1957-1960)

Emily Burgess is a guitarist, singer, and songwriter based in Peterborough, Ontario. As a freelance guitarist, Emily has worked for a wide variety of artists and groups, including The Weber Brothers, The Women’s Blues Revue Band, The 24^th Street Wailers, Rita Chiarelli, and Sue Foley. Fronting her own trio (with Marcus Browne on drums and Dawson McManus on bass), she won the Best New Artist Maple Blues Award in 2018. As a member of The 24^th Street Wailers, she and her band mates were nominated for a JUNO award for their 2014 album ‘Wicked’.

About Arrow: 3rd Studio Album from Emily Burgess

Give a songwriter 10 days alone in an apartment with an acoustic guitar and, just maybe, they will have an album by the end of it. That’s what happened at the beginning of 2023, when guitarist/singer-songwriter Emily Burgess found herself with much-awaited time. Time to put thoughts onto paper, time to turn melancholy into melody, and time to create a song-diary. She had a few songs and riffs already in hand, but it was during these 10 days that her 3rd album started to become a reality. As soon as enough material was ready, Burgess called up longtime bandmates, producers, and collaborators The Weber Brothers to come aboard, as well as recording engineer James McKenty. With bandmates Marcus Browne and Dawson McManus at the ready, Burgess had a dream team of musicians assembled to bring Arrow to life.

The album was recorded between March and May of 2023 at McKenty’s ‘In Record Time’ studio in Peterborough, Ontario. The title, Arrow, comes from the fourth track of the album, but is also a nod to the direct, unveiled, and unapologetic nature of the lyrics. The album’s genre is up for debate, but Burgess is not too worried about that. Track 5 – “To the River”, is a folksy voyage that plays out like a white-water rafting journey, constantly ramping up in intensity. “I’ve Got Your Back” gives a nod to the blues and then veers into a melodic chorus more akin to Americana or Folk. “So Easily” could be on a rock album, and features a searing electric guitar solo from Burgess. Vocally, she is understated but intentional – a deliverer of song. A tidal wave of vocal harmonies fill out the album, supporting and bolstering the lead.

Arrow was produced by The Weber Brothers (Ryan Weber and Sam Weber). Originally from Baltimore, Maryland, the brothers are world-class musicians who began their careers in Canada as mere teenagers in Ronnie Hawkins’ storied band, The Hawks. Ryan and Sam brought not only their masterful song-sculpting skills to the table as producers, but each played a multitude of instruments in brilliant fashion; Ryan mainly on keys and bass, and Sam mainly on electric guitar. The pair, along with Emily, contributed the song “I Didn’t Mean It” to the album, which was selected as one of the winners of Peterborough’s Don Skuce Songwriting contest in 2021.

Burgess’ performs regularly with her trio, which includes Marcus Browne on drums and Dawson McManus on bass. Both brought their professional taste to Arrow and laid down an inventive and feel-good rhythm section. Peterborough’s beloved Benj Rowland (Mayhemingways) made a special guest appearance on Hurdy-Gurdy for one track.

Arrow will be released on October 26th, 2023, wherever you get your music. In an effort to earn back the costs of creating an album, Burgess is encouraging sales of the CD + Download Card by directing people straight to her email address: emily.burgess22@gmail.com, for mail outs.

Peterborough’s Album release party for Arrow will be held at The Gordon Best Theatre on January 27th, with Peterborough’s treasured Melissa Payne to open.

Another album release party is scheduled for January 13th at The Moonshine Cafe in Oakville.