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Jen Schaffer & the Shiners — Fate Line
Tracklist:
  1. Fate Line
  2. He Once
  3. Learning to Dance Again
  4. Making the Fruit Fall
  5. Seventeen Years
  6. The Snatching of Hannah Twynnoy
  7. Your Touch is Deep
  8. I Will
  9. A Story's End
  10. Living Out Loud
  11. Audience
  12. After A Fall

Fate Line

He Once (lyrics)

Fate Line (lyrics)

Seventeen Years (lyrics)

In 2009 we released our first recording and EP Angel Ridge. Since then our sound and songs have evolved – we’ve honed our ensemble playing and many more songs have been written. We all felt that a full length album was ripe for the making so from amongst the 30 some songs Jen had written over this time (with a couple of collaborations with Simon) we selected 12 to record.

We all went into the studio in August of 2013 to start recording these songs at the wonderful and award-winning studio of Jeremy Darby’s, The Canterbury Music Company. We finished the process exactly one year later, with  expert mastering of the record by Noah Mintz at Lacquer Channel.  Simon Law, Shiner, Soul II Soul original member, Grammy-award winning songwriter and producer, produced our album, released on November 15th 2014.

Along with Jen Schaffer, the singer-songwriter, acoustic guitarist and lead vocalist, the Shiners are Simon Law on drums, percussion, keyboards and background vocals; Astrid Foster on bass and background vocals; John Teshima on guitars and keyboards; and Jonathan Marks, on violin, viola, mandolin and background vocals.

We were delighted to have some special guests on the record too: Emm Gryner, the ever wonderful and celebrated Canadian indie artist (and one time member of David Bowie’s band) joins us in a duet with Jen on the album’s closing song “After A Fall”.

Blair Packham, local songwriting legend and founder of The Jitters, adds beautiful electric guitar parts on two songs, “Audience” and “Your Touch Is Deep”.

Arlene Bishop, Toronto’s innovative, influential and artful singer songwriter, joins us as the oracle voice on “I Will”.

Bob Foster, one of Canada’s top music theatre directors (Billy Elliot, Rock of Ages) adds beautiful Hammond B3 on “Seventeen Years”.

Bob and Astrid’s daughter Sarah Foster, exceptionally talented saxophonist and bass clarinetist, brings the infamous tiger to life with her bass clarinet on “The Snatching Of Hannah Twynnoy”.

Finally, Jeremy Darby played an essential role in the making of Fate Line, recording and co-mixing us at his lovely Neve consoled studio with all his extraordinary experience, skill and dedication.  And of course providing copious quantities of PG Tips.

Enormous biggups to all these wonderful folk for adding their talents to our labour of love.

The wonderfully crafted Fate Line Booklet that accompanies the CD is linked here for your viewing pleasure – truly a work of art from two talented artists – Lauren Schaffer and Caroline Chan.