On Nova, Amanda Lindsey Cook, the woman who records as Falcon, explores the shifting aspects of romance, from infatuation to dissolution, to arrive at a place of serenity. “Nova means new. A supernova is born when two stars become close enough to inform and influence each other,” Cook explains. “This album pays homage to a relationship with the love, compassion and gratitude I have for having experienced it, branching out from sadness, to the joy of acceptance.”
It took a year for the songs on Nova to take shape. Cook worked with seven friends to hone the songs and production that make Nova glow with its own inner light. “We shared musical and lyrical ideas, as the songs emerged from the mist. We started with deep conversations, slowly writing vulnerable songs, prayers that connected us to our deepest feelings, with a sense of healing and understanding.”
The music was recorded at the home studios of three of her collaborators: Justin Amundrud, Joe Williams and Grammy winner Jason Ingram. The process was an intimate collaboration between Cook, three songwriter friends and the producers. “As our friendships deepen, the music gets better. They’re all brilliant writers and musicians and helped me craft the kind of sensitive songs we wanted to record. We searched for complimentary musical and sampled sounds – ocean birds, walking on gravel. We also paid attention to the space between the notes, which was a journey of its own.”
The songs on Nova unfold slowly, as love blooms and withers, finally moving beyond sorrow to a state of grace. The tolling of Cook’s piano and her whispered vocals introduce “The Good Stuff.” The singer looks back on the ashes of a relationship, with a peaceful appreciation for everything she’s learned. A subtle drum loop suggests the sound of a broken heart that’s slowly healing, supported by a cosmic wash of synthesizer textures. “Young Love” captures the giddy rush of infatuation, with a loping rhythm track and Cook’s breathless vocal expressing the hopeful emotions of new love. “Rest In Peace” describes the unsettled truce couples feel after an intense argument. Cook’s measured piano chords and resigned singing give the track an aching tension. “I’ll Admit It” ups the emotional ante with an agonized vocal torn between resignation and anger. As the singer takes the blame for the emotional distance that kept her from fully surrendering to her feelings, strings, melodic percussion and a slow, relentless rhythm add to the track’s emotional tension.
“Jason, Joe and Justin helped me capture the sounds I heard in my head to produce the album’s full, warm sound. I wanted to include all the ages we experience on our journey, without leaving out the difficult feelings. Everything we experience is important.”
Cook was born in Niverville, Manitoba. She grew up on her family’s wheat farm, where she was homeschooled. “Our family was very social and I loved piano. Homeschooling allowed me to pursue music as a form of study. I started playing when I was five and eventually got a degree from the Royal Conservatory of Toronto.”
With the encouragement of her church community, Cook began writing spiritually rooted songs, gradually overcoming her stage fright. She made her first album, Amanda Falk, when she was 20. She toured Canada – playing piano and singing – and was surprised when the album won a Juno (Canadian Grammy) for best Contemporary Christian/Gospel album. “I was an old soul in a young body. My songs, then and now, are about the intersection between faith and everyday life.”
Cook moved to California and released her first album for the Bethel label in 2015. Brave New World was a pop hit, winning a Dove award for Inspirational Album of the Year in 2016. She appeared on several multi-artist records while she was with Bethel. Her videos for the label have millions of YouTube hits. After House on a Hill, her second Bethel record, Cook signed with Sony’s Provident Group to record Nova. “These new songs are like my life, focused on the small daily practices that add up to a life well lived. I want to maintain my whimsy and childlike approach and define my faith through the relationships I have and my connection to the stories that define our inner and outer worlds.”
