I love discovering new music that really revs me. The latest act to get me excited is Israel Cannan, a young singer-songwriter who’s taken a long literal and metaphorical journey to reach the place he’s at today.
Israel released his debut EP at the tender age of 18, but after a few successful tours and radio attention he soon became disillusioned by the corporate machine. And so earlier this year he decided to leave his home in coastal New South Wales and travel around the country.
With little more than a guitar, a beat up old van, and a great friend by his side Israel travelled to some of Australia’s most remote towns, using the money he made from busking to get from one spot to the next. He offered free singles to the people who came to hear him play, and learned a lot about Australia and himself.
From this epic journey came Walk, Israel’s debut album. It’s an impressive piece, especially considering that he wrote all the tracks, engineered them, and played all the instruments.
Israel documented his travels through a series of 22 video blogs, which you can now see on his YouTube page, along with this film clip for the incredible song “Letting Go.” If you love gentle indie folk in the vein of Iron & Wine and Ben Harper, you need to check this out.
Walk is currently available through Israel Cannan’s website and digitally from iTunes. Check it out!
Image used with permission from Stephen Green Consulting