Close X
Wednesday, November 20, 2024
ADVT 
National

Heather Rankin Goes Solo — And Enlists Rapper For Remake Of Tears For Fears Hit

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 01 Apr, 2016 11:58 AM
    HALIFAX — It's an unlikely match — she's a petite traditional singer from small-town Cape Breton with tidy hair, and he's a sneaker-clad emcee who dons backwards hats and spits rhymes about his gritty Halifax suburb.
     
    But the collaboration between Heather Rankin — of Cape Breton's renowned Rankin Family — and rapper Quake Matthews proved so powerful she picked it as the first single from her debut solo album, "A Fine Line," being released Friday. 
     
    The song, a cover of the 1985 Tears for Fears anti-war hit "Everybody Wants To Rule The World," is one Rankin danced to as a teenager, but it took on a different meaning at this stage of her life, she said.
     
    "All these years later it resonates with me in a different way," said Rankin in her chiming soprano tones. "I thought, 'Wow, this song really makes a statement.' But I wanted to do something with the song that set it apart from the original version."
     
    Enter Matthews, a 27-year-old emcee from the Halifax neighbourhood of Fairview whose rapping has caught the ear of international star Drake, and whose videos have garnered hundreds of thousands of views.
     
    The Halifax-based Rankin said Matthews' verse makes the song more personal and contemporary.
     
    "The lyric of the song comes from kind of a dark place. I think the original lyric was actually 'Everybody wants to go to war'," said the 48-year-old Rankin, who was introduced to Matthews through singer-songwriter Dylan Guthro.
     
    "We needed something that lightens it, that personalizes it. I thought, what a good idea it would be to have somebody rap on it and create some other diversion in the story."
     
    The unexpected partnership took even Matthews by surprise, but he revelled in the opportunity to spit a verse for the legendary Cape Breton singer, he said.
     
    "I heard what she did and I loved it so I was just honoured to be a part of it," said Matthews as Rankin shot him an endearing smile and rested her head on his shoulder.
     
    "I didn't know how it was going to be, but we were just laughing the whole time and joking around. I was teaching her some slang and she was teaching me some Cape Breton slang."
     
    "A Fine Line" has been three years in the making and features Rankin's acclaimed vocal range on a mix of both pop and traditional songs.
     
    "The theme of the album is that challenge that we all face in being our authentic selves and that quest for balance as we walk the fine line," said Rankin, who co-wrote seven of the 11 tracks on the album.
     
    Rankin, who grew up in the tiny coastal community of Mabou, has won 15 East Coast Music Awards and six Juno Awards with the Rankin Family. She said stepping out on her own was a challenge.
     
    "When you're in a family band, it's a really safe environment. I was very sheltered all my life in that environment with lots of people supporting me," said Rankin, who's set to host this year's ECMA gala with Cape Breton fiddler Ashley MacIsaac on April 14 in Sydney, N.S.
     
    "When you set out on your own, you're making the decisions and that can be scary, but very liberating too. I think I've grown a lot every step of this process."
     
    Siblings Jimmy and Cookie Rankin do make an appearance on her album, singing backup on "We Walk As One" — a tribute to her Cape Breton roots.
     
    Rankin said the solo experience was also empowering for her as a woman.
     
    "There's this perception that at a certain age, women have less value or that we stop being creative or we stop exploring new things," she said. "I hope to encourage other women to take that leap."

    MORE National ARTICLES

    A Look At How Real Home Life Has Changed Over The Years, While The Ideal Of 'Home' Hasn't

    A Look At How Real Home Life Has Changed Over The Years, While The Ideal Of 'Home' Hasn't
    She looks at changes in technology, such as plumbing and toilets, tableware and furniture, windows and window dressings, light bulbs and kitchen gadgets, as well as changes in culture, such as marriage patterns, hopes and customs.

    A Look At How Real Home Life Has Changed Over The Years, While The Ideal Of 'Home' Hasn't

    New Brunswick Will Cover Costly Drug To Treat Young Boy With Rare Disease

    New Brunswick Will Cover Costly Drug To Treat Young Boy With Rare Disease
    New Brunswick's health minister says the province will provide interim coverage of a costly drug for a 10-year-old boy with a rare disease.

    New Brunswick Will Cover Costly Drug To Treat Young Boy With Rare Disease

    Regina Sikhs Convey Christmas Wishes; Get A Lot Of Positive Attention

    Regina Sikhs Convey Christmas Wishes; Get A Lot Of Positive Attention
    A sign standing outside the society's office is wishing passersby a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

    Regina Sikhs Convey Christmas Wishes; Get A Lot Of Positive Attention

    Richmond Condo Owner Files Discrimination Complaint After Strata Council Hold Meetings In Mandarin

    Richmond Condo Owner Files Discrimination Complaint After Strata Council Hold Meetings In Mandarin
    Andreas Kargut says he filed the complaint as a last resort after the council informed residents that all meetings would be conducted in Mandarin, instead of English, for reasons of efficiency

    Richmond Condo Owner Files Discrimination Complaint After Strata Council Hold Meetings In Mandarin

    Friends Say They're Stunned By Toronto Highrise Murder-Suicide

    Friends Say They're Stunned By Toronto Highrise Murder-Suicide
    TORONTO — The military friends of a man who police say killed his pregnant wife before killing himself are struggling to come to terms with the horrific incident. 

    Friends Say They're Stunned By Toronto Highrise Murder-Suicide

    Police Arrest Five Suspects In Various Armoured-car Heists Dating Back To 1999

    Montreal police say five men have been arrested in connection with several armoured-car heists in the area dating back to 1999.

    Police Arrest Five Suspects In Various Armoured-car Heists Dating Back To 1999