I met up with my friend Gail Sjuberg, managing editor at Driftwood Publishing Ltd., for our annual seasonal lunch in Sidney at The Surly Mermaid.
Gail had just written an article on Canadian singer/songwriter Sharon Bailey as the cover story for Aqua magazine's November/December issue.
As we wrapped up our meeting, Gail handed me a bag of goodies, one of which was a new CD, Bailey's third and brand new album, Turn This Thing Around, produced, recorded and mixed by Victoria's Adrian Dolan.
When I got home last night, I read Gail's story and popped in the CD. I'm listening to it again as I write this because, you know how it is -- it takes more than one listen to decide which songs you really love on an album.
As Gail quotes Dolan in her article, the album moves between "traditional country, classic rock, Canadian folk and swampy southern blues."
My favourite songs were Storm, End of the Beginning, Everything has its Turn, My First Lover, Turn this Thing Around, We Got our Reasons, and Beware of the Dog. It's a strong and musically-cohesive CD.
I first met Sharon Bailey back in 2008 when I moved into a sublet she was offering on property that she and her partner, Robert McTavish, were renting on island. It would be another 10 years before she released her first album, The Heart of Everything.
I will come clean and say that I never go out of my way to listen to country music and I haven't seen Sharon in years, but I really enjoyed this album because of her voice, her original lyrics and the musical diversity of each song.
It always really impresses me when someone keeps focused on a passion just because their music is who they are. This album is something I'm sure that she, and the professional musicians who backed her up, must be really proud of. It's definitely worth a listen and worth supporting a local musician who deserves recognition for her longterm commitment to her songwriting and her music.
She's officially launching it this Saturday night at Moby's, Dec. 13, 2025, at 8 p.m., and you can buy a copy off her website or BandCamp and a few bricks and mortar locations in Victoria and Vancouver.
Read the article in Aqua Magazine.
Album cover photos by Stasia Garraway
Album design: Evan Pine