Toronto-based singer/songwriter Megan Bonnell is an artist who is unafraid to be open, honest and vulnerable about what is troubling her heart, or enlivening her spirit. Her voice has a grace, charm and dark sweetness, but is also a demonstrably versatile instrument in its own right, giving each of songs on her new album, Separate Rooms, their own tone, shading and emotional tenor.
Separate Rooms is Bonnell’s third album, and bears witness to the power that music has to convey the complex and complicated emotions of life, and deals with topics of great relevance to many, but that are truly understood by few. In short, it is a masterstroke of songwriting and a potent example of the power of music to evoke, provoke and heal.
Bonnell employed a less rushed and more contemplative approach to Separate Rooms than her previous two albums, Hunt & Chase, and Magnolia, allowing herself and co-producers Chris Stringer and Joshua Van Tassell time to let the song ideas germinate before heading into the studio.
“We sort of took chunks out of each month over the last year or so and we would devote ourselves to a couple of songs at a time. Really, for me it was an ideal approach. I never recorded that way before. It was always ‘okay you’ve got only this much time, now go!’ I realize now that it was a little bit restricting and I feel that when there is pressure to have inspiration to strike sonically, for me it didn’t feel good. So, this time it was really at a much more comfortable pace. It felt like a dream come true to be able to take our time with each tune and be as meticulous as possible and be able to work on a song and step away and sit with it, let it marinate a little bit. It’s amazing how directions would sort of shift and change once there was time behind it to sit with it,” Bonnell, who hails from the Caledon region north west of Toronto, said of the satisfying result of the more extended and extensive writing and recording methodology.
“And it was cool too because once I started recording the album, it really triggered a lot of inspiration and got me into a good headspace and I started writing even more. So, some songs along the way were being written as I was in the studio. Also, because I have this awesome band that are a big part of this album, I went into the studio with finished songs, but they didn’t have the band on them per se, which allowed for even more opportunity to tweak them once they got involved.
“All of the sonic texture is taking shape in the studio in real time. I think for me, given the time to really play with that and build on that foundation with Chris and Josh, that is such a huge part of why the album sounds so amazing. I definitely loved this approach. It worked for right now with these songs. It seemed to pair up really well – the process and what these kinds of songs specifically needed and where I am as a person and an artist as well. But next time, you never know. It constantly seems that things are evolving and changing. I am not completely attached to this method, but I definitely appreciated it this time around.”
Separate Rooms features breathtakingly beautiful music throughout, with a dynamic range of moods, sounds and styles all brought together under one mellifluous and highly engaging umbrella by Bonnell’s startlingly evocative and expressive voice. The title of the album, as well as one of the songs, is also the overarching theme, one in which Bonnell fearlessly delves into issues and subjects that are at times soul baringly personal, even painful, by creating a deep and powerful emotional connection to the listener that is so open, honest and at times quite intimate.
“I think the biggest thing that I feel runs throughout the album is the idea of honesty and vulnerability and being forthcoming with my own experiences, some of which are maybe a little more uncomfortable to talk about. But what was also happening at the same time as I was writing this album was all of these people coming forward. There’s this beautiful shift in our society right now where people are really standing up and coming forward with their stories that maybe used to be taboo to talk about,” Bonnell said.
“In our parents or grandparents time and even up until quite recently they were taboo topics to talk about and we’re kind of shattering those taboos now and replacing it with conversation and connecting over topics like mental illness, early pregnancy loss, relationships no matter what state they’re in. We are really coming together to talk about these things and it’s so inspiring and that’s really reflected on a lot of the material on this album.”
What is also remarkable about Bonnell and Separate Rooms is that while the lyrical subject matter is at times quite stark, dark and sad, on many of the songs, these compelling words are surrounded my music and production that is often quite contrary and contrasting to the mood of the words. It is an indication of an artist who feels unbound and unfettered by the expectations of the music industry and simply allows her music to burst forth in whatever way feels most natural at the time. So Separate Ways could be classified as singer/songwriter, but there are folk, pop, rock and other more ethereal elements thrown into the melange that make for a rarely original sound, but one that is still eminently accessible, and certainly memorable.
“I decided to call the album Separate Rooms for a few different reasons. For the song itself, [co-written with Donovan Woods] it has to do with relationships and finding the balance within a relationship to be true to yourself and follow your dreams but still be the best sort of partner you can be. And in order to do that, sometimes you need space and time to reflect, which actually makes for a healthier relationship,” she explained.
“I think its important to realize that in a relationship that communication is important as is understanding that things are going to get really real at some point, especially in a marriage where the goal is to have it last the rest of your life. There are going to be some really dark times and we’re in a time right now where we’re presenting and encouraged on social media to present our best self, our best relationships, our best outfit, whatever it is. But the rawness and the darkness can also be connective and there is a lot of beauty there as well. It’s where the juice it. Relationships are friggin’ hard and the best relationships go through extremely, impossibly hard times and I think not pretending that it’s all wonderful all the time is powerful.
“Also, it felt representative of me as a musician. And thinking about this album, I was asking myself, am I am folk singer, a singer/songwriter, some New Age indie artist. But I realized that I have come into my own as a person. We are all continually growing. I feel like I have grown with this album a lot, and I have realized that I am all of those things and more. That’s what makes me, me, and that’s what makes my music mine. It’s not easily pigeon-holed, and I would like to own that and now wear that fact proudly. We are all, as humans, very multifaceted and layered and that’s what the interesting stuff lies. But I think we have, as musicians and artist, been encouraged to sort of make things very linear a lot of the time.”
And part of being non-liner for Bonnell is the way she uses her voice to not only convey complex and deeply felt emotion, but also to create unique sounds, intonations, and moods with her voice – as if it indeed was another instrument at her artistic disposal.
“I think my voice has been shaped over time as I gain my confidence in what it is that I am doing and what it is that I am saying. But I have always had this kind of breathy, some say haunting and ethereal voice. I think what I love most about when I am singing is that I like to be a little playful with the way I can shape words with the shape of your mouth and the pronunciation and the phrasing of things. To me that has always been there; it’s so instinctual. It’s just kind of my thing. As I evolve and with each album come into my own a little bit more as an artist, you can see me lean into that style a little more, and I don’t even realize it,” she explained, adding that in conjunction with the growing confidence in her voice, in her songwriting and in her approach, is a growing sense of taking over more aspects of the production. So, for Separate Rooms, she actually has a co-producer credit alongside the talented and experienced Stringer and Van Tassel.
“We have been a team for a number of years and we have so much fun in the studio just getting inside the songs and really trying to make them sound so fresh and unique. Each album that I have done with them has been really stylized in the production. This album is the first time I actually wore a producer hat with them, so I was much more involved in the process and it was so cool to watch the tunes take shape in studio and be able to contribute ideas as to the layering, the harmonies, the various effects. It was a neat thing to watch the songs change shape and colour as we went along.
“I think also a lot of the female artists I have been drawn to are not always playing it safe in just making a song sound beautiful and pretty. I like when there are changes in the intonation where it feels raw and I don’t want to say ugly, but even uncomfortable at times, where it can drift back into something sweeter but still has those moments of rawness. It is intentional but then again I am not always aware of it, but it just speaks to me as being representative of whatever the song calls for or whatever emotion it is evoking.”
For Bonnell, music is a vocation and a passion, but the act of songwriting is also a way to help process thoughts, emotions, questions, concerns, love and pain. Separate Rooms is a truly personal album full of self reflection, of knotted up emotions, of cries for help, cries for understanding as well as courage, resolve and reconciliation.
“I do think music has the ability to take pain and turn it into something meaningful and beautiful. It allows you to take the power back in a way, when maybe you feel like you’ve lost it. And so, with this album, it feels very much like that to me. I fell that connecting with people over that pain and connecting with people on some pretty serious and heartfelt issues – that’s everything. Connection is everything and I think that’s the main reason why I decided to pursue music,” she said.
“It’s kind of what called me to music. It helps me work through the things that may be weighing heavy on my heart at times. It helps me process things. I started seeing a therapist maybe five years ago now, and it’s amazing. I found it such a powerful resource and so effective and helpful but it’s neat to see how music has this way of going right into your heart and filling the space that needs to be refueled.
“I feel so lucky that my music has connected with people and when I speak to them knowing that it lights a fire in them to go out and make a way in the world with their own story. It really is a ripple effect like all of the women who have done that for me – and hopefully my music can make a little wave out there for people to do the same.”
Returning to the subject of the difficulty of relationships, the single What’s Good for You is an instance where leaving is bitterly painful in the short term, but ultimately the best decision over the long haul for both people.
“We all have people in our lives where you have loved someone and you’ve given it your all and you know that they are a good person and you know that you are a good person, but at some point you’ve got to call it because you’re going to go down with the ship if you don’t, no matter how much love is still there. For me the song is really about the sense that there is no going back. Even if you want to try to reset things, little pieces have been taken away that you’re not going to get back. So that song is really painful and a true heartbreak song. It’s funny how we have the capacity to move on, but our heart has the ability to continue loving pieces of our past and still move on with your future life and whoever comes into it,” Bonnell said.
“It takes a little time to let go of people who have touched your life and your heart. And that really can go on for a long time, and it’s really beautiful, but it’s also sad at the same time. And that’s partly what makes it so beautiful. We all go on and we intersect in our lives for a moment, but a lot of them aren’t meant to last forever.”
Arguably the most powerful and moving song, and one that certainly affected the author of this article, is Radio Silence, which lifts the veil off an issue that many feel needs to be out in the open more – the loss of a child through miscarriage or stillbirth.
“My way to reflect on those situations, whether its myself or in this case someone I love, is to write about it and give it a voice, especially with matters that are typically shied away from, such as miscarriage, just because of the delicate nature of it. I felt the need to sing about it and find the meaning in it for me to reconcile the heartbreak and sadness and the why, why, why questions. I think for us as women to connect over the things that we feel means we’re not alone, that we can come forward and find that connection that allows us to move forward together because we’re stronger together,” Bonnell said.
“I think it’s a heartbreaking thing to have happen, and even more heartbreaking how it’s never talked about. It’s like, it happened, and you move on. People get very clinical and even matter of fact about it. There’s no grieving time, you just have to have a stiff upper lip and move on. And you’re encouraged to move on and not to talk about it any more, mostly because I think it makes other people feel uncomfortable. But I am seeing now there is a shift happening as there is in a lot of different areas in our culture and society right now.
“We’re getting into that area where all of our emotions live and we’re really tapping into how devastating this issue is and how this affects people’s lives forever, really. It’s something that carries on and I think for each individual to be able to share their story about these issues and what they are feeling around it is so moving. I found with the people that we love, those that are nearest to us, we share in each other’s greatest joys and our deepest sorrows and we take on each other’s experiences as if they are our own in a way. I think on this album those points of people that I love and their experiences and my own, they really kind of melded into one.”
Bonnell is touring in support of Separate Rooms with dates in London, Hamilton and Creemore, Ontario through early May before heading out to western Canada for shows in Saskatchewan, Alberta and B.C.
For more information, visit http://meganbonnellmusic.com.
- Jim Barber is a veteran award-winning journalist and author based in Napanee, ON, who has been writing about music and musicians for a quarter of a century. Besides his journalistic endeavours, he now works as a communications and marketing specialist. Contact him at jimbarberwritingservices@gmail.com.
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