Hello Delaware

I think the wealth of musical talent in Halifax is ridiculous, so much so that an inconsequential decision to stick around after a show to catch a bit of a Taylor Swift tribute will lead you to a plethora of talented folks performing some T-Swift gems. I opted to hang around after the Quiet Parade record release last year, and caught some of the Wildest Dreams tribute show. During that show one singer caught my attention more so than the rest, and her name was Dana Beeler. It happened that, around the same time, I was becoming far more accepting of folkier, more country-tinged fare in my listening habits, and I went back and checked Dana’s earlier (and clearly more country) work.

Then came the IDOW (In the Dead of Winter) festival, where I caught Dana performing an intimate singer/songwriter show at Alteregos Café with Charlotte Cornfield. This showcased an evolution in Beeler’s sound/style which now was almost an alt-country, pop-folk sound. It was where I first heard “We Were the Ocean”, which appears on the recently released My Mistake under Beeler’s new moniker Hello Delaware (a collaboration with label-mates Floodland, who make up Beeler’s band on this record).

I was fortunate enough to catch one of Hello Delaware’s shows earlier this year at the Carleton (in support of Royal Tusk). It was apparent Dana wanted to establish a clear delineation between her previous work and the new direction she was taking her sound. It was a great introduction to this new direction, and the lead single “I Never Asked” bears a definite emotional punch, but also showcases that more pop-infused, radio-ready, folk sound. It was here at this mid-May show that Dana teased her forthcoming record, which was still 4 months away.

The debut record My Mistake from Hello Delaware dropped one week ago, and it shows an artist who is coming into her own, and staking a claim to her talent and confidence, which are on full display here. From the opening track “Black Cherries” to the atmospheric “Davey Jones” (which is my personal favourite), this album takes the listener on an emotional roller coaster. It is certainly not all sunshine and rainbows, but it reflects the emotions of someone struggling with those large existential questions, and attempting to come to terms with who they are as a person and where they fit into the world.

Now for those who are concerned about this new direction, don’t be, the transition is hardly abrupt: in fact, it’s quite the opposite. Beeler’s folky drawl is still intact, and there are definite country and folk notes throughout (think Blue Rodeo and their incorporation of the slide guitar). But there is a definite jaunty pop feel to the Hello Delaware work, thanks in part to her backing band, and the material contained on the album never gets weighed down by its weighty lyrical content. It’s an album that reminds me of Jenny Lewis’ recent release The Voyager and Tegan and Sara’s 2002 album “If It was You”, as they both found that perfect marriage between pop and folk/country.

Personally, this album has gotten a fair amount of airplay, and is easily one of the best albums I’ve heard this year period. If you’re lucky enough to be reading this review on the afternoon of Friday, September 30th, then I would implore you to head down to the Seahorse Tavern to catch the record release party in support of Hello Delaware’s debut My Mistake. It is a decision you will not regret, and you will more than likely walk out having seen one of your favourite bands perform - Hafilax Bloggers

Wednesday evenings are usually not the most glamorous, even with its distinctive (and classy) title of Hump Day; they are as far from Monday as they are close to Friday. Even Thursday gets a better rep, as it can usually step in for Friday when a long weekend is upon us. There are times when Wednesday just needs a little kick-start, and the moment a show such as Royal Tusk is announced at the Carleton, you circle it on your calendar. This was exactly the case when this show was announced; and if prospective attendees needed incentive to attend, in the weeks leading up to the show the lineup was bolstered with the additions of great local acts Hello Delaware and Rain Over St. Ambrose. Oh, and as an added bonus, it was a free show courtesy of the Halifax Urban Folk Festival (HUFF).

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I was excited for the opportunity to check out Hello Delaware for the first time, as I encountered Dana Beeler during the Wildest Dreams Redux event at the Seahorse late last year and was intrigued. I was able to get a better idea of her singer-songwriter chops earlier this year during her songwriter’s circle at Alter-Ego’s Cafe with Charlotte Cornfield, where Beeler blew me away with her brand of vulnerable heart-wrought tales of love and loss. With Hello Delaware, those tear-stained tales have evolved from glowing embers into a seething fire that packs a potent urgency. While the lead single “I Never Asked” was released a few weeks prior, it politely turned up the volume a couple of notches, but on stage Beeler and her band are unapologetic. The band tried their best to rouse the sombre Wednesday night crowd, and a few of those in attendance were converted into concert goers (from spectators), but the potent new direction Beeler has embarked upon sounded great even if it was unappreciated by many of those sitting on their hands.

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Next on the bill was Rain Over St. Ambrose (ROSA) an alt-rock outfit who hail from Yarmouth, Nova Scotia. This is a band I’ve been looking forward to seeing, but the past few dates have conflicted with my schedule, so I’ve been unable to catch the band until now; needless to say once they were added to the Royal Tusk bill, I was stoked. If anyone in attendance was attempting to doze through this Wednesday night show, ROSA abruptly roused them from their slumber, and fired up the crowd on the increasingly packed dance floor. The band worked through their set of anthemic, pop-tinged rock tunes, and invited the crowd to join in singing the infectious “Broken Love” (a track that is still being played daily here), but the raucous “Still Waking Up” got the crowd moving. This performance definitely confirmed that ROSA were well worth the wait; lead vocalist Corey LeBlanc reminded me at times of Nathaniel Rateliff with his gruff gravelly delivery, and the guitar work of Marc Durkee had scintillating moments. ROSA definitely set the bar high for headliners Royal Tusk, can’t wait to check these guys out again.

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Then it was time for the Edmonton rockers to hit the stage, after diligently maneuvering their gear through the now-packed Carleton to launch into an aural barrage of psychedelic rock n’ roll, with definite retro leanings. Royal Tusk are currently touring in support of their recent release Dealbreaker, and the receptive crowd was right there with the band when they broke out the lead single “Fever”. Personally the band’s track “Jesus Saves”, off of their debut EP Mountain, really resonated with me, as it had this funky bass undertone running through it which really caught my attention and the chorus is one that can easily get lodged in your head. Royal Tusk’s sound incorporates a handful of genres (blues, funk, pop, and rock) into an interesting aural tapestry that keeps the crowd engaged. Personally the band’s sound reminded me of the Sheepdogs, if they were slightly more poppy and current, but the pop vein contained within Royal Tusks’s sound makes them easily accessible as the crowd in attendance can attest to. Royal Tusk put on a kick ass Wednesday night show, and as they wrapped up their set, I made my way to the door and listened to the final few notes as I headed out into the night. - Hafilax Bloggers

This is what inspires Dana Beeler, the vocalist and guitarist of new rock-based outfit Hello Delaware: "Shitty dudes, shitty breakups and t-shirts with fun sayings on them. I was sick of being pigeonholed as a sad-sack songwriter," she says of her days performing as Dana Beeler, onstage with a guitar. "But I'm not sad, I'm mad. I'm frustrated. I'm over dudes. I've over trying to be perfect." As a result, Hello Delaware (filled out by members of Halifax rock band Floodland) is "a lot louder, grungier and easier to dance to" than Beeler's previous solo work. The band just released the single "I Never Asked," produced by Lake Echo king Daniel Ledwell, with an album release scheduled for September 30 at The Seahorse. "It's so close to my heart. This is what I've always wanted to say, do, scream and be." - The Coast

Hello Delaware writer and frontwoman Dana Beeler has been making some changes. After a solo album, a cross-country tour, and a terrible breakup, she’s punched out her sound with a new producer a full band. Here’s the resulting debut album from Halifax’s Hello Delaware, ‘My Mistake’.


Officially being billed as something reminiscent of Taylor Swift (before her pop restyling) and Gwen Stefani, Hello Delaware‘s melodies have a streak of Red-era Tay, others (‘We Were the Ocean’ in particular) possess a sincere, soft-rocker quality that makes a comparison to Stevie Nicks more accurate. Listen closely to find a hint of Dolly Parton, too, when the vocals warble just right.

That last hint of country, thrown in with the aforementioned pop and rock, makes Beeler’s sound truly her own, “My last album I put out, solo – it was more country, folk-y style. I’ve just been working to try to do new things. My music taste has changed, obviously, since I was nineteen.”

Beeler has taken her new ideas to two-time ECMA winning producer of the year(s) Danny Ledwell (In Flight Safety) to create a multifaceted, mature album. According to Beeler, “The producer, Danny Ledwell, is pretty folky and has a more Americana style, so the album is a little more low key—but live, it’s pretty loud and raw.” When asked about what’s most exciting about this album, Beeler eagerly offers, “Danny Ledwell as the producer; that’s the excitement of it.” Ledwell’s presence is definitely exciting: those ECMAs don’t lie, and there are plenty of great things are coming out of his Echo Lake Studio.

Raucous live performances seem appropriate after Beeler explains the album’s origins, “I went through a breakup and then, as we do, we write songs for emotions.” Like the title, the album operates on two levels, describing the sincere surprise of misjudging a situation while also giving major side-eye to a past lover. So yeah, it’s a breakup album, but an unapologetic one that doesn’t wallow. Amidst the forward, almost accusatory guitars in ‘Black Cherries’, Beeler makes her position clear: “I’m not sorry for you.”

“I just want this to be a little aggressive and angry and fun all at the same time. Something that people can dance to.”

The title track is especially danceworthy, with a playful pop beat that’s startlingly infectious. The soft ‘In The Morning’ evokes sunbeams shining in through windows, tainted with the knowledge that there are issues to be dealt with when you’re “not the only one.”

‘My Mistake’ is the product of not only a breakup, but also a journey across the country to find new grounds. Beeler says, “I basically bought a car and went on this big cross-Canada trip on a whim. Like, ‘Hey, I’m gonna book a hotel super far away and drive there, just because.’ I spent six weeks driving across the country by myself, meeting new people, writing new songs and trying to experience the world for what it is.”

‘Holdin’ On’, the last track written for the album, rings with retrospection. Even though it’s not at the end of the album, its has that hopeful quality that lends itself to marking the end of one journey and the start of another.

Going through a breakup? Hello Delaware will play The Seahorse Tavern on September 30th. Ditch the ice cream and bring your dancing shoes instead. - The East

Last year, former singer/songwriter Dana Beeler of Halifax pulled a u-turn and got off the country/bluegrass road she'd been traveling, and instead embraced some inner oomph. Reemerging with a band she dubbed Hello Delaware, Beeler grabbed an electric guitar and vented a lot of anger, directed at some manipulators and fools, your basic lousy boyfriends among them, including one horrific break-up in particular.


Now, this would certainly give license to really thrash away loud and crazy, and there's some YouTube evidence of that, but Beeler is also one fine song-crafter, as shown on her 2012 debut, while she was still in that earlier phase. So instead of totally punking out (which would have been kinda cool too), she took the high craft route, and went into Daniel (Jenn Grant, Gabrielle Papillon) Ledwell's studio for all that magic that happens there. The pair came up with lots of dynamics, hooks and enjoyable complications, all the while keeping the pissed-up factor intact.


My Mistake is centered around a plucky electric piano, and a punchy rhythm, something to dance to, with a screw you, Loretta Lynn lyric. We Were The Ocean is funky, fun and summery, sounding like the product of somebody who has embraced having a good time after living through some lousy ones. Black Cherries is the chippiest track, all angles and anger, but cushioned by a chorus that couldn't be more catchy. What works best of all is that Beeler's voice is right up front, as she's a dynamic singer, with lots of punch and sweetness combined. She might have been angry while writing them, but the songs make me very happy. - CBC