Charlie Winston / Gabrielle Shonk

As I Am, Charlie Winston’s fifth album overall and his first for the Tôt ou Tard label, was conceived at a particular moment, behind the closed doors of lockdown and under the permanent injunction of social distancing and observance of preventative measures—a happy paradox, as the English singer appears here with no mask and has never really been one for self-exposure.

“The album title, As I Am, has the value of a mantra. It’s a way of reminding myself of who I am now and that letting go doesn’t mean giving up,” says the man who caused a sensation in 2009 with the hit “Like a Hobo,” revealing a strong folk and rock musical identity as well as a character drawn to vagrancy, entirely oriented towards a quest for the self and the need for others. At that time, a fast-track to success opened before him, but quickly was blocked by serious health concerns that were so bad he considered ending his career in 2015. Three years later, however, Winston released Square 1, a sign of recovery and a new beginning. “If Square 1 was the conception phase, As I Am is the birth phase. There is continuity between them,” he says. “This one continues in a similar vein: exploring who I am, questioning some of my certainties. I needed that to feel free.”

The recording of Square 1 was distinguished by the presence of guests as prestigious as kora player Toumani Diabaté and tabla player Aresh Durvash. As I Am will be equally groundbreaking for its association—as unexpected as it is fruitful—with Vianney. Their duet, “Shifting Paradigms,” crowns the collaboration and sums up the album’s spirit.

“The common thread is about letting go, accepting your own limits. Being a multi-instrumentalist, having recorded seven albums and being successful, in the long run you get an idea of yourself that needs to be corrected. Hence the need to let go. Although he is ten years younger than me, Vianney understood this issue. There was nothing between us that needed to be protected. The working relationship was extremely natural and rich.”

The songs of As I Am emerge from that beautiful collaboration.

Montréal-based singer-songwriter Gabrielle Shonk recently shared “How We Used To Be,” her first new music in five years. After parting ways with the major label behind her debut album, Shonk used her newfound creative freedom to collaborate with longtime friends, co-writer Jessy Caron of the band Men I Trust, and producer Jesse MacCormack (Helena Deland). The result is a moody single with tinges of ’90s R&B, exploring romantic nostalgia by reminiscing about a relationship before it fell apart. “How We Used To Be” is a love ballad about “a relationship that was hard to leave,” explains the JUNO-nominated singer. Delicate piano lines and softly-strummed acoustic guitar accompany Shonk’s dreamy vocals, recalling a time in a relationship before it turned toxic. “I hate you, I love you, I miss you,” Shonk laments before the soulful chorus reflects on better times.