Vancouver-based singer-songwriter Debra Jean Creelman has become a fixture of the West Coast music scene. From her early days with Mother Mother to her frequent collaborations and expansive solo catalogue, she’s the one to call when you need powerhouse vocals, dry wit and unmatched vocal arrangements. Simply put, Creelman is the real deal.

On her fifth studio album, Little Town, Creelman invites listeners into what can only be described as a cinematic experience. The seventeen tracks- written and recorded primarily with long-time collaborator Sean Cronin- unfold like a short film: vaudevillian, visceral, and at its core, vital. Creelman has entered her main character era. 

The album’s roots stretch from Galiano Island to the little town of Catskill, New York, where most of the recording took place, utilizing analog tape at Basement Floods Records, which lends it a warm and tactile sound. You can hear the sense of place throughout Little Town– wooden floorboards creaking, late nights in the Catskill Mountains whispering through tape hiss like a ghost. The music is the soundtrack to this very experience.

In early 2023, Creelman and Cronin began shaping the project with the help of percussionist Daniel Gaucher, sketching early demos on Galiano. Then came the first plot twist: a baby on the way for Cronin – which meant fast tracking the original album completion time line significantly. Over countless Zoom sessions, the pair began incorporating Cronin’s unreleased compositions for his projects Very Good and Gory Dove, songs that fit seamlessly, expanding the album’s world with uncanny cohesion. Creelman travelled to New York State to finish the record, recruiting renowned players Adam Brisbin, Andy Weaver and Noah B Harley.

“Bing Bong Baby” (Cronin) sounds like Piper At the Gates of Dawn refracted through an Americana lens, while “Little Town” (Cronin) could have easily scored an episode of True Detective. The album’s first single, “Bloom” (Creelman, Cronin), features Kendel Carson on violin and vocals, layering harmonies so radiant you can practically see the clouds part. 

While Little Town’s earthy soulfulness invites ease, there’s a sharp and curious mind at its helm. Creelman draws on Carl Jung, early exposure to Pentecostalism, and a formative love of theatre. Her father’s unexpected stint in a dinner theatre troupe in her hometown of Vernon, BC, marked a turning point in her creative awakening.

“I recall going to see a show for the first time in my favourite yellow Sunday dress. The dinner theatre scene was obviously the embodiment of many things we had been told were evil. Bawdy humour, coarse language and booze. I was stoked!”

It’s that blend of irreverence and reverence- the Jungian individuation meets the Pentecostal “take it to church” spirit that defines Little Town.

Fully in command of her powers, Creelman continues to blend genres with effortless grace. She’s unbothered, moisturized and in the director’s chair. There is no need to prove who she is anymore; she’s already arrived. Little Town feels like the sound of an artist rolling down a long highway, windows open, old blues spilling from the speakers- free, fearless, and gloriously herself.

PRESS: adam@echomyron.com

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