The Fugitives are a Vancouver-based acoustic folk-roots group headed by songwriters Adrian Glynn and Brendan McLeod, and joined by banjo player Chris Suen (Viper Central) and violinist Carly Frey (The Coal Porters). They’re set to release their sixth album (and first for Edmonton-based Fallen Tree Records), No Help Coming, on Oct. 20, containing songs that address the climate emergency.
It follows the band’s acclaimed 2020 album Trench Songs, which set to music poems written by First World War soldiers. The Globe & Mail’s Brad Wheeler compared Trench Songs and its companion film Ridge to Peter Jackson’s 2018 documentary They Shall Not Grow Old, writing, “Soldiers, often teenagers, are humanized and brought to 21st-century life.”
Now with No Help Coming, The Fugitives turn their focus to the existential crisis of our era, and what can be done to deal with it. The album’s latest preview, “It Might Just Rain Like This For Days” — available today on all digital platforms — encapsulates much of the message, as Adrian Glynn explains.
“We’ve decided to engage the immediacy of the climate crisis with music and lyrics that are personal, earnest, and unafraid of playfulness. Amidst our research, a side effect of our grief was a connectivity to others. As such, the album is not an overt call to political action, but an exploration of the joyful motivations behind standing up for the world, and a celebration of the wit, care, and resolve humans can display under even the most devastating circumstances. It acknowledges there’s no help coming, it’s only us, and that that just might be good — because one thing humans can excel at is forming and gaining strength from community.’”
The recording itself showcases the core band in top form, with Suen’s banjo anchoring the arrangement, allowing Frey to soar in with her fiddle toward the song’s end. Brendan and Adrian’s voices shine in harmony as usual, and holding it all together on drums is special guest Sally Zori, one of Vancouver’s finest percussionists.
The Fugitives have earned a JUNO nomination, numerous CFMA and WCMA nominations, and toured extensively through Europe, Canada, and the UK. Starting this summer they will perform in 22 theatres and festivals across British Columbia, Alberta and Ontario. In addition, the group will embark on an 18-date European tour in September and October. It adds to an already impressive touring history that’s seen The Fugitives entertain crowds at most major Canadian folk festivals, perform at Glastonbury, and tour as Buffy Sainte-Marie’s opening act.
With their top-notch musicianship combined with compelling storytelling, it’s no surprise that CBC came to this conclusion: “Simply brilliant.”
