Ever Metal Spotlight – Jeremie Albino
Ever Metal Spotlight – Jeremie Albino
By Todd Andrew Ballard
Jeremie Albino emerged on the scene in 2019 with his debut album ”Hard Time”, demonstrating an eclectic blend of Blues, Rock, Soul and Folk. Albino cut his teeth busking on the streets of Toronto as a teenager. The Canadian roots-rock singer-songwriter instantly made a name for himself and began opening for major acts like Great Lakes Swimmers, JD McPherson, and St. Paul And The Broken Bones. He followed up his debut with ”Blue Blue Blue”, a collaboration with Cat Clyde, fellow Canadian singer/songwriter folk artist, to produce a stripped-down folk/blues album, featuring mesmerizing harmonies and uplifting melodies. His sophomore solo release, 2023’s ”Tears You Hide”, found Albino returning to his rock and roll roots, producing an upbeat full band sound, indicative of his first record, where rock meets folk and blues meets soul. At heart, Albino is predominantly a soul singer, with a soft, subtle croon that can climb to a crescendo, but he seems to return again and again to his singular guitar folk stylings, reminiscent of the old folk-blues masters, allowing his melody to be the fixture in the foreground.
2024’s seminal work, ”Our Time In The Sun”, finds Albino at his finest to date and has certainly bolstered his career. For the record, Albino teamed up with singer-songwriter Dan Auerbach of Black Keys fame for production. What transpired was something other-worldly and is the rocket ride toward Albino’s stardom. ”Our Time In The Sun” is astronomical in Albino’s universe of music. The songwriting, arrangements, and production are light years apart from his previous works.
Albino stated, “I used to struggle with writing . . . I used to hate it. Whenever I needed to write new songs, I would just sit there for months toiling away.” Auerbach challenged Albino’s method and collaborated with him, encouraging him with fresh ideas. What transpired was a “masterclass” in songwriting. Albino said, “Something clicked, and we ended up writing 4 or 5 songs a day. Before that, it would take me half a year to write 4 or 5 songs.”
Auerbach elected collaborators from Nashville, experienced songwriters like Pat McLaughlin, Joe Allen, and Bobby Wood. Albino said Auerbach likened it to a building metaphor and they needed to call in some expert carpenters, songwriters who were writing before Albino was even born. Albino learned to allow the songs to come naturally, no longer forcing his process, but simply letting the songs lead him where they wanted him to go. Some of the songs from the session were written during a break, when Albino was simply “chuggin on the guitar” and lyrics started to come to him, finding the words that were “specific, yet universal.”
The record features some of Nashville’s finest session players and the chaotic guitar work of Auerbach himself, and set Albino on a whole new path. Albino said, “I feel like I learned so much just being in a room with those guys, and I’m jazzed because it shows in the songs. And I feel like I learned so much about myself and what I’m capable of. This record is the most myself I think I’ve ever sounded. I’m more comfortable in my own skin now than ever before.”
And it certainly shows in his smile and energy on stage. His stage presence is magnetic, drawing the audience into the gravitational pull of Albino’s orbit and into the light of his sun. Albino is touring the record throughout 2025, having already hit dates in the US, he’s back in Canada during March and then on to the UK in April for his European leg of the tour, and returns to the East coast in June, preceding a couple of shows in Canada and on to Washington in September. Be sure to catch some time in his Sun while it shines.
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