One Day Soon – Kerri Ough Interview & Album Review

Kerri Ough‘s debut solo album, One Day Soon, is a nine-track release that shares songs she’s been working on over the course of the last decade or more. And after a lot of work, starts and stops, and more work again, it’s here for the world to hear.

Ough is best known as one-third of Juno award-winning trio, Good Lovelies, but I’ve had the good fortune of knowing the folk singer-songwriter since the early 90s when we were small town/rural teens. The roots of her career started there, singing with her mother and sisters, and as a member of the much celebrated La Jeunesse choir.

I caught up with Kerri by phone on Friday to talk about the release of her album, her career, and more, including a round of 5 Quick Questions. Our conversation was part catch-up, part walk down memory lane, and part interview, and it was something that I had been looking forward to as the time ticked down to our call.

There was a clear excitement in her voice as we talked about One Day Soon being officially released and available. The songs on the album are hers, in a different way than the music on the eight releases she’s had with her band. We talked about the significant differences in the project, and as we did, Kerri pointed to the increased responsibility that she had on this solo album. It was up to her when she wanted to book and pay for studio time. It was up to her when she wanted to re-record vocals on songs that had already been cut. It was up to her when it came to album art, music videos, all of the things that go into putting together and releasing an album.

The first song released from the album was How Is This Going To End, which was also her first solo music video. Check it out here…

Kerri told me that she started working on the songs on that make up the album before The Good Lovelies were formed. That makes some of them more than 10 years old now and finally seeing the light of day. She added that part of the process of recording her solo record, was re-recording vocals on songs because her voice had matured and changed after a decade of recording and playing hundreds (thousands) of live shows. She knew that she wanted even the older songs to sound like she sounds in 2019, not like she sounded a decade ago. And while that meant more work, it also points out the mastery and ownership of the album. As well as a desire for it to be everything it can be, not just an afterthought side project.

One of the things I was curious about when it came to One Day Soon was the difference of Kerri Ough singing alone. In the 25+ years since we met, I’ve only known her as part of a group (family, choir, band) and not as a solo artist. Kerri was exceedingly humble in pointing out that even on a solo album, nothing is done alone (even if the final decisions did rest on her). Whether it was work with her producer or background vocals, or anything else, she wasn’t by herself. But the point remained that she’s the artist and she’s the lead vocalist on every track. She told me that when she was younger and started singing, everything was about harmonies. She told me that she was militant about them, learning, improving, and perfecting. That dedication and skill has paid off for her in her career, but it’s not the story of a solo act.

On One Day Soon Kerri Ough’s voice shines with the spotlight on her. She’s a talented singer and storyteller and takes the opportunity across these songs to show that off. She may be super eager to share a lot of credit, but this is hers.

The album starts with the title track, which kicks off a half-hour listen that flows smooth and easy. The best parts about this record are in the things I didn’t notice on my first listen. It’s like a movie, the one that you’ve seen a few times, but you still manage to see something for the first time, every time it’s on.

Hit play on One Day Soon and listen while you work, or paint, or do the dishes, or whatever. But then turn it on again when you can just sit with it. It will wash over you just as cleanly, but give you access to more details, more stories, and allow you to be pulled all the way in. And whether it’s on an uptempo track like How Is This Going To End that gets your toes tapping as you pick it up or a heavier track like When You Weren’t There that stops you in your tracks, it’s all here.

And now that the album is here, Kerri will be hitting the road to share it live. With five dates scheduled to open for Royal Wood, she’ll visit Saint John, Fredericton, Moncton, Annapolis Royal, and Halifax. And after those dates, she’ll fly back to Ontario to play her official release show in Toronto at Burdock (1184 Bloor St W) with Ben Whiteley and special guests Caroline Brooks and Sue Passmore, her bandmates from The Good Lovelies.

I asked about the live dates and singing alone on stage without Caroline and Sue, and Kerri told me that there’s a layer of freshness there. It’s not nerves, because she feels prepared, but it is different, and it all falls on her to sing the songs every night. But again, she returned to the idea of not being alone. She spoke appreciatively of Royal Wood and the chance he’s given her to open his east coast shows. She also talked about having Ben Whiteley with her on stage to act as her band, and who will bring a level of familiarity and comfort and support.

Throughout our call, and in listening to this record, I recognized that I was closer to it than I am most other new releases. I feel a connection to Kerri through our small town roots and the fact that she knew me when I had braces and an Alfalfa looking haircut. But, that’s an extra layer. The fact remains that One Day Soon is an album from a seasoned professional musician, a talented songwriter, and a heck of a singer. You don’t have to know Kerri to take that away from these nine songs.

We did take the chance to play a round of 5 Quick Questions with Kerri Ough while we were on the phone, of course. Hit play now to learn what albums she’s taking on the road, where she wants to vacation, and more!

Before we wrapped our call, we talked about the future. And while music and her career were part of the plan, Kerri also told me that she’s looking forward to passing on what she knows and what she can do to the community. She looks forward to opportunities to teach children and/or adults, to host pop-up choirs, camps, programs, and more than anything (it sounds like to me), make music accessible. And if she can balance that with family time, her solo career, and The Good Lovelies, it’ll be a life well lived.

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Joshua Murray

creator of content, daddy blogger, writer, coffee drinker, fan of the Batman. proud mo bro. prouder dad.