Everyone in Montreal seems to be perfectly in love. It’s a city of pairs, strolling happily hand-in-hand, cooing bilingually. It’s a city of endless possibility, but even then it seems all the best ones are already taken.

• 7th Wheel (‘Mary Christa O’Keefe’ –> ‘Balladeer’ –> ‘An Entanglement of Weeds’ –> ‘Featherstone’ –> ‘Morningside’)

It seems that somehow, without fail, I make my way to Montreal each November. The annual trip, repeated so often, starts to feel like deja vu, and I think of the old things that lay forgotten. Of the first songs I ever recorded. Of the lost songs left behind in rehearsals. I fret there’s not enough time to remember them all, but little bits and melodies sometimes pop into focus.

• Au coin du Berri at Jarry (‘The Great Dictator’ –> ‘High School Dance Theme’ –> ‘I Don’t Want You To Leave’)

Our 2 week stay at the Banff Centre has come to a close, and tonight’s the final performance, the final recording. Early this afternoon our gear was loaded up and taken from the hut where we’ve spent so many hours the past 14 days. One last play at the piano, one last song. (This one’s for Analog Bell Service, The Witchies, and Basia Bulat, to the great producers we worked with, and to all of the audio engineers who laughed at us when we asked for bottles of water, but would always go and get them for us anyway).

• Only if We Must

FOON: This is the first song of my song cycle, The Mes, The Mys, and The Swimming Pool. After hammering out some lyrics, I dashed over to Hut 10, and Mark and I recorded this song at 2 in the morning. We stayed up till 4 making more beats – if you are in Calgary for the High Performance Rodeo in January, come see my song cycle at the Midway. Otherwise, catch it as the opening act for Woodpigeon’s CD release.

• FOONYAP - Intro

Late last night, I wandered from the studio after recording FOONYAP’s amazing ‘Me + You’ and stopped in my tracks, encircled by elk. They grazed and I watched, both of us calm, eventually parting ways — me towards bed, and them down the road down into Banff township. I’m sure the animals here think these surroundings are just as beautiful as we do.

• For Norman Luxton

12:30 AM. We spend most of the day working on our own thing while we’re out here. From our hut, we can hear the sounds of The Witchies, Basia Bulat, and Analog Bell Service practicing. But mostly, we hear Analog Bell Service – they definitely win the “Loudest Band at the Banff Centre” prize. But, they can also play nice and pretty too, and here they did just that after having heard the song in question all of once before recording. Win/Win!

• Summer Side of Life [Gordon Lightfoot]

3:00 AM. Swear to God, there’s wolves howling outside of my practice hut. Or maybe it’s just people, but either way I’m sticking inside for a bit.

• Whole Body Shakes

7:20 PM. Post pasta overload. Wondering what would happen if one decided to “rough it” in a mountain cabin with some duct tape, a cooking dish, and a copy of Julia Child’s best known work.

• Mastering the Art of French Cooking

2:40 AM. Dark mountain-side studios, a baby grand piano, and thoughts of bear attack. ALWAYS BE PREPARED.

• In The Mountains

A crisp early morning, and everything’s yellow, gold, and red. Too little sleep, but always more than enough energy to sing another favourite.

• You’re My Only Home [The Magnetic Fields] (for Rolf, Catriona, Katie, and Stefanie of Florence Gardens)

xox, mark + catriona sturton + shane turner