Halifax-based female-fronted RnB and Soul band Lindsay Misiner & the 7th Mystic release its debut self-titled album.
With a three-piece horn section and four-part vocal harmonies, the album takes listeners through a journey of sound and passion so potent it will be remembered for years as a breakout album by the East Coast band.
The new album from band members Lindsay Misiner, Nico Zacariah, Lukey Chiasson, Sam Reid, Seth Voliere, James McLean, Ryan Willigar, Liam Ring and Charlie Hewitt is an eclectic mix of musical styles and nods to the greats in the RnB and Soul genre.
In this Q&A, we learn more from Lindsay Misiner.
You can learn more about Lindsay Misiner & the 7th Mystic and their new album on the band’s website, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter and Spotify.
This interview has been edited.
Please introduce yourself to our readers.
Lindsay Misiner & the 7th Mystic is a Halifax-based, female-fronted, nine-piece RnB and Soul band. Phew, that’s a mouthful.
We got together in 2014 out of music college for our first gig, the main stage at Halifax Pride at Garrison Grounds. This was no small gig, so Lindsay knew she had to get a band together when she was offered the show.
Luckily, the band stuck, and we’ve been together ever since, with a four-year hiatus between 2016-2020 as Lindsay moved to Ontario. Upon Lindsay’s return to Halifax, we immediately started back up again with all nine original members and have been making waves in the East Coast music scene since our return.
These “waves” include playing the Halifax Jazz Festival main stage at Grand Parade, Evergreen Festival on the waterfront main stage, headlining Full Circle Festival, among other amazing show opportunities and a load of gigs at The Seahorse Tavern, which solidified our band as a key player in the Halifax live music scene. Luckily for us and Seahorse fans, we are returning to our favourite stage on May 4 for our first ECMA showcase.
How do you describe your new self-titled album?
Our new album is an eclectic mix of musical styles and nods to the greats that came before us in the RnB and Soul genre.
We are no strangers to a groove. This album allows listeners to feel something outside of themselves through the music while also accessing parts unknown within themselves through Lindsay’s lyrical work.
Blending styles of RnB, Soul, and Funk, with a hint of Jeff Goodspeed-influenced Latin, each song stands on its own as an ode to self-discovery as a young person facing the challenges of love, loss and a full renewal of life.
With a three-piece horn section and four-part vocal harmonies, the album takes listeners through a journey of sound and passion so potent it will be remembered for years as a breakout album by the East Coast band.
Why a self-titled album for the title?
After going back and forth on a few album names, including the top choice of naming the album after one of the tracks on the project What it Isn’t, we finally settled on releasing the album as self-titled. This album is the end of an era and the beginning of a new era for us as a band and as people, so to commemorate that by using the name we’ve held for seven years as a band means a lot to us.
What was the inspiration for the album? Is there a theme?
The album is a collection of songs written over the past eight years. The album’s theme is smothered in breakup anthems, female-empowerment anthems, sexy self-realizations and a breakthrough of forgiving nature.
The songs speak of a time in Lindsay’s life when she depended upon someone else’s love instead of loving herself first, a common theme relatable in personal and romantic relationships for everyone, especially young folks.
The inspiration for the album was to get these dang songs out, as we’ve been sitting on them for years and, to be completely frank, they are absolute works of art. With words so painfully pure and sounds organic and fresh, these songs are some of our best work and have solidified our sound as a band. This album breathes love of life and music, and sharing them allows us to grow as artists and a band.
What is your favourite song to perform off the album, and why?
The most fun song to perform from the album has to be Drastic. It is a song we usually end a set with to get the crowd going. Its lyrical content screams female empowerment and strength, with a catchy chorus everyone can catch onto. We dropped Drastic as a single in November of 2022 with a music video we shot and edited on Lindsay’s sister’s farm in New Ross, Nova Scotia.
The music video shows our ridiculous personalities, which come through in our live performances and is one of the main reasons we’re so relatable to our audience. While we look forward to future larger-budget music videos, this was a fun time that we would never forget, and we’re grateful to have these memories as we continue to grow.
Another favourite is When I Had You Baby, a simple soul classic written by James McLean (guitar) and Lindsay Misiner (lead vocal). This song has a beautiful story and is the polar opposite of Drastic in regards to its lyrical content in that it speaks of longing for someone to love you who doesn’t.
Lindsay also loves to perform classic soul music from Etta James and Aretha Franklin, to name a few, where she gets the opportunity to belt, so this song is the perfect example of that.
What’s next for Lindsay Misiner & The 7th Mystic?
Next, we play our first ECMA showcase in Halifax on May 4 at The Seahorse Tavern. This showcase is huge for us, as we’ve always wanted to play at festivals like Nova Scotia Music Week and ECMA’s, and in the past year, we’ve accomplished or are about to achieve these things. It’s an amazing feeling and drives us forward to learn more and do better every day as a band and as people.
For the most part, the entire band met in music college/university, so the things we’re doing now are things we learned about in our youth. It’s cool to participate in events and accomplish things in our careers that we learned about as youngins’. To think that there are young artists out there who see us and want to achieve these things is the best feeling in the world because we’ll tell you firsthand that you can do it. It’s not as far away as you think; it just takes hard work, bettering your talent, and generally being a good person. Cliche, sure, but it’s true.
Beyond hometown glory, we are focusing on branching outside Nova Scotia this year and into the next three years.
While we’ve got a lot of local shows and now an album under our belt, we haven’t branched as far as we would have liked to thus far. Festival applications are generally super competitive, but things are tight, especially after COVID. So, while we were hoping for some tour dates outside of the Maritimes this summer, it’s looking like we’re shaping up for a bit of mini-tour, which Lindsay will put together in the coming months. This is no setback, but, important to share for any readers who want to do what we do. We refuse to get discouraged, but instead, take no’s and no replies as an opportunity to improve. All we will do is work to get better and keep applying. We will keep writing and recording music and playing insane shows, meet new people and grow more confident. We will keep applying for grants, attending conferences and training sessions, networking with local musicians, venues and promoters, and, most importantly, keep being ourselves.
You can learn more about Lindsay Misiner & the 7th Mystic and their new album on the band’s website, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter and Spotify.