Song List: I’m All the Way Gone, Shallow Rivers, Roses, For the Life of Me, Can’t Stop Now, A Heartache in the Works, Travelin’ Heart, Look Who’s Talking Now, Put Yourself in My Place, Pour It to Me Straight.
The members of Jackson Hollow had already had a lot of musical experience when they formed the band in 2015. Mike Sanyshyn is a third generation fiddler and he grew up with family jams. His wife, Tianna Lefebvre, started singing at Expo 86 at age 15. Other Jackson Hollow band members are Charlie Frie on bass and harmony vocals, and Eric Reed on guitar and banjo. Also appearing on the recording are Jeff Scroggins (formerly of Jeff Scroggins and Colorado) on banjo. The band is based in Vancouver, British Columbia and has already won awards from the BC Country Music Associaiton and a Josie Award nomination in 2022 for “Shallow Rivers.”
“Shallow Rivers” was one of the first releases from the album, and the online video showcases the fine lead and harmony vocals in the band and the strong instrumental skills of the band. Tianna’s voice has a strong emotional connection to the lyrics, and she can capture fine nuances around each musical note.
The title song, “Roses,” begins with a gift of a rose on a first date. The flower appears in the flow of the love story to the ending with a single rose on a gravestone. A bittersweet decision to leave a home is the focus of “For the Life of Me” and the singer leaves a small detail – the pot of coffee is started. “Travelin’ Heart” is another departure song, and the singer celebrates being “as free as the sky” as she journeys past hotels, billboards, road signs and cornfields. “Can’t Stop Now” is a hard-driving dobro and fiddle proclamation of a new love, while “Put Yourself In My Place” before you give up on love is filled with encouragement.
Jackson Hollow’s songs focus on relationships filled with heartache, hope, and resignation. Perhaps it’s more realistic to today’s world, but an old cabin in the pines or an old home place would be welcome.