Music

Bruce Peninsula launch new music series, singer Neil Haverty announces his cancer is in remission

by Nicole Villeneuve

In December of last year, Toronto’s choral Appalachian collective Bruce Peninsula were forced into hiatus when singer Neil Haverty was diagnosed with a rare, but highly treatable form of leukemia. The news came one day after the band approved the final mix of their new album. They decided to shelve the album for the time being so Haverty could focus on treatment.

It was announced earlier this week that Haverty is in full remission and today, the band announced a new music series: during Haverty’s illness the band kept working on new music and as he completes his recovery, the new songs, covers, and others projects they’ve completed will be released every month until they’re ready to release and tour the new album, Open Flames, in the fall.

From the band:

While working on Open Flames, there would always be a band member coming to the studio to say they’d made up something new the night before or a strange four track demo crossing the internet from London to Toronto late at night. Some are small, some are borrowed, some just barely missed their chance to be on LP2. Hell, one may be the most ambitious thing we’ve made to date.

So, rather than giving you a full-length record this month, we are pleased to introduce you to the Bush Fires on the Bruce Trail series, in which we’ll present you a new little morsel of music on the 21st of each month leading into the fall of 2011 and the release of Open Flames.

The first release is a perfect little cover of the Loudon Wainwright III song “The Swimming Song”; you can listen below. Keep checking the band’s website for new releases every few weeks.

Fire Sale Songs by BrucePeninsula