Stepping into the Wilderness (15 photos)

Saturday night at the The Tech, the Shannon Moan Trio invited family, friends and fans to join them in celebrating the release of Wilderness, the band’s first full-length album. Recording the album was a two-year labour of love, Moan told SooToday following the performance.

“We wanted to take our time so we weren’t rushed,” she said. “There were no strict deadlines because we knew the project deserved that space.”

Recorded by Dustin Jones and released by Tidal Records, each of the nine original compositions included on Wilderness hold profound meaning to Moan. Themes of love and loss interlace throughout her work.

“This group of songs is so deeply woven into my experience, and a lot of what I went through to write those songs is very present still. So, when I play them I really have to try to keep it together,” Moan said.

Moan, with her bandmates Jay Case and Frank Deresti, were pleased to also premiere a brand new music video for I Will Saturday evening. Directed by Dan Nystedt, the striking northern Ontario landscape features prominently.

“This feels so much bigger than me. I’ve played lots of shows and I’ve been really nervous about planning and orchestrating this, and hoping that people would come. I wanted it to be this real and I wanted people to feel the entirety of what I experience when I write the music.”

The Crossroad Magdalenes warmed the crowd with an opening set, and the Shannon Moan Trio received a much-deserved standing ovation at the evening’s close.

Look for Wilderness on iTunes, Spotify, Apple Music, Google Play, Amazon, Rdio, Deezer, Beats Music, YouTube Music, and compact disc.