THE STORY OF ANCESTOR SONG

I’m really excited to announce the release of Ancestor Song! This album charts my journey from burnout and heartbreak, to withdrawal, rest, healing, and empowerment. Now with boundaries! With renewed feelings of purpose and self-love, the album features the Korean janggu and gayageum guiding these decolonized rhythms!  

“Oil in the Grand” was the first Ancestor Song that came out of my body, as instrument. It is a mourning melody for the Grand River inspired by the Anti Line 9 Movement. When I first sang this song to myself, I didn’t believe this melody was my own creation. I had accessed a deeper part of my musical spirit in my blood memory. I felt these melodies had been passed down to me by my ancestors, who gave me the voice in my chest. It has been through stillness and silence that these melodies have gathered the courage to release. Ancestor Song is my creation story. 

This album is my masterpiece. Mistresspiece. Gorgeouspiece. Best thing I’ve ever made. Give thanks for JoJo Worthington, my producer and friend who was able to harness all of this music magic and put it all into a WAV file. 

INSPIRED BY COMMUNITY

I became an artist in Kitchener-Waterloo. The KW community supported me. I wrote these songs harnessing the joy and struggle that I experienced. They are gorgeous songs. This is contemporary folk music, reconnected to my Korean roots. There’s spoken word, undertones of jazz and blues, waves of harmonies cascading, horns, strings, beat box, even disco pop, PEOPLE! In moving back to my borntown of Toronto/Tkaronto, I’ve had time and space to create, connect with new audiences, find larger artistic infrastructure--do less resisting oppression and do more finding freedom. 

ANTHEMS FOR THE PEOPLE

These songs are for the heartbroken. The spiritually downtrodden. The workers trying to make a living in capitalism. The Asians who silenced ourselves and tried to succeed in white supremacy which harms us all. Every single person trying to hold a man accountable for his actions. All of us trying to be loving and just, making mistakes, feeling uncomfortable and learning in this new age of anti-oppression. I want to send my love and rage to the land defenders, the gender benders, the trouble makers and truth sayers! The old world is coming down and we are coming for you. HAHAHAHAHA! 

BUY THE ALBUM AND SUPPORT INDEPENDENT ARTISTS

Ontario Arts Council and Canada Council for the Arts funded three quarters of this project. More than half of the money has gone to paying musicians and music producers! A quarter to studio rental, and the last quarter to duplication, marketing and a part of my artist fee. In this ongoing Pandemic, gigs are wayyyy down and touring is risky. Our arts infrastructure is currently not built to cultivate independent artist careers, like mine. That’s where you come in! The goal is to have you, the listener, the music-lover, to support and fund a quarter of this project by buying the completed album. 

Everybody knows I hate Spotify and streaming, because it exploits the labour of the workers (the musicians) to create profit for the owners by paying miniscule royalties. But I have finally decided to submit to this system and put my music up. The album launches on streaming worldwide on May 1, 2023. But the only way I can make some sales is with this soft launch of the album, with record sales. This is my way to Folk the System. 

If we raise lots of money I can do more than break even woooo. I need your support to keep my art going. I make my art for my community. You are my audience. I hope you want to hear my new songs, sparkling and in stereo! 

PERKS!

It's the album. The perk is the album. Please buy the album. Thank you! 

CREDITS 
Music and Lyrics composed by Janice Jo Lee. 
Produced and arranged by JoJo Worthington and Janice Jo Lee. 
Recorded, Edited and Mixed by JoJo Worthington. 
Recorded at Union Sound, Hotel2Tango, and Studio Sing Hey. 
Mastered by Sage Kim. 
Cover Photography by Bangishimo. 
Inside Photography by Frankie La Fay. 
Insert Photography by Bangishimo and Hannah Love Yoon. 
Album Art Design by Eric Chengyang. 
Copyright Sing Hey Arts Publishing SOCAN 2023. 

MUSICIANS 
Janice Jo Lee - Voice, Guitar, Percussion 
JoJo Worthington - Synthesizer, Drum Programming 
Justin Thomas James - Keyboard 
Roa Lee - Gayageum 
Vania Lee - Drum Kit, Percussion 
Nim Agalawatte - Electric Bass, Upright Bass 
Lonny Knapp - Guitar 
Juneyt Yetkiner - Guitar 
Y Josephine - Conga 
Jill Sauerteig - Cello 
Adrian Irvine - Violin 
Tara Kannangara - Trumpet 
Rudy Ray - Trumpet, Flugelhorn 
John Taewook Lee - Janggu 
Elsa Jayne - Vocals 
Camila Diaz-Varela - Vocals 
Charlena Russell, Alysha Brilla, Joni NehRita, Emmy Landre, Katel Roddier, Pascale Cloristin, Jessica Oder, Junior Ricles - Background Vocals