RAINE HAMILTON
Resonant, acoustic chamber folk with an otherworldly edge, and a lyric presence that cuts deep. Prism-clear vocals and strings, anchored in the ancient mountains, reaching out beyond the earthly.
AWAKE. LISTENING. PRESENT.
SOUNDS LIKE: A string quartet + Sarah Harmer + Joni Mitchell
Raine is part prairie songstress, part storyweaver; Each song has a story, delivered between songs with humour and grace. Raine invites deep love of the violin into the singer-songwriter genre, writing for violin and voice, as well as for guitar and voice. Joined by cello and upright bass, expect string arrangements that push and pull, that move as they console.
A classical violinist and musicologist by training, Raine and their string trio offer string-quartet-like arrangements of Raine’s original songs. They call this chamber-folk, a hybrid of the classical tradition of string quartet chamber music, with the singer songwriter folk that comes so organically to Raine.
Raine’s latest work, the full-length album Brave Land (2021-22), is a concept album about mountains, and the courage, wisdom, and otherworldly connection they represent. Here, as in Raine’s 2018 album Night Sky, the songs are set to intricate and seasoned arrangements for guitar, violin, cello, and double bass. Once again Raine has worked with string trio collaborators Quintin Bart on double bass, Natanielle Felicitas on cello, and Lloyd Peterson as producer/engineer.
Raine believes that music is for everyone, and that we all have something to share. An experienced educator, Raine offers workshops in songwriting and fiddle tune writing (EN/FR). Raine also offers concerts with American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation, to help make live music and the community that comes with it more accessible to the Deaf community.
Raine is the recipient of the 2018 Canadian Folk Music Award for Emerging Artist of the Year! Raine has toured Canada extensively, driving, flying, and floating coast to coast. Highlights include: Performing songs with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra (5 times!), performing with the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra, playing a show in a cave (10 stories below the earth!), playing festivals across Canada (Vancouver Folk Festival, Vancouver Island Music Fest, Atlin Festival, Home County, Filberg Fest, Lilac Fest, Harvest Moon, Trout Forest), playing for passage on Via Rail, and meeting so many amazing humans along the way.
Raine Hamilton (they/she)
*Photography by Megan Steen, makeup by Aileen Audette, pottery by Candice Tremblay
Many thanks to the Canada Council for the Arts, Manitoba Arts Council, Manitoba Film and Music, and FACTOR for supporting the album Brave Land at various stages.
