Hines recorded “Days to Recall,” his third album overall, during a six-month period in Toronto with producer Justin Abedin at Canterbury Sound.
First single, lilting, instantly catchy “Tell Me I’m Wrong,” tackles the fears that plague everyone and our desire for reassurance. Hines co-wrote the song in a cottage in northern Ontario. “We were sitting in a solarium, the weather was beautiful. I was going through a challenging time of self-doubt,” Hines says. “He (co-writer) started playing these various chord progressions and a couple of hours later, we had the song. It’s about how we all have our insecurities and they stare us in the face. It seemed to be a good one to lead the charge.”
One issue that Hines has no doubts about is his marriage three years ago. His happiness spilled over into his songwriting. “I’d never actually written a true-blue love song up until the last little while because I hadn’t experienced true-blue love yet,” he says. “My life changed dramatically when I got married.”
Two songs on the album specifically celebrate his new-found happiness— “Now There’s You” and “See You Like I Do.” “They definitely took the longest to write. The problem with writing a love song is it’s been done so many times. How do you convey something meaningful in a unique way to your life,” Hines says. “My attachment to them is definitely different than to the other songs.”
The U.S. version of “Days to Recall” includes “Say What You Will,” an uplifting song that appeared on Hines’ second Canadian album and took on a life of its own after a South African video featured the Most Rev. Desmond Tutu and the song was used as part of a campaign to make-over 20 schools in 11 days. Hines performed in South Africa this spring and saw the schools that will educate more than 22,000 students. “It’s so beyond an honor knowing that a song we did was part of this, that we get to be part of that beauty,” he says.
Guests on the album include gospel singer Jackie Richardson, who leads a choir on the title track, and Canadian hip-hop master Maestro (formerly Maestro Fresh-Wes), who raps on “Somewhere in the Middle.” “He had a wave of inspiration and threw something down,” Hines says. “He captured the spirit of the song. We encouraged that version to be on the album instead of the one without. It just seemed like the right thing to do.” Jill Hennessy, best known for her TV role on Law & Order, showcases her considerable musical talents on the plaintive, “Why Not Love Me,” while another fellow Canadian, up-and-coming, singer-songwriter Sierra Noble duets with Justin on the tender, “Now There’s You.”
Sonically, “Days To Recall” brings Hines’ music to a new sophistication. “I’ve never worked with string sections or horns before,” he says. “It wasn’t that I didn’t like them, I just didn’t have the chance. It’s part of my journey. It’s true to where we’ve been. It’s evolving a broader spectrum of what’s out there.”
As enjoyable as the studio experience remains for Hines, performing live is where he gets the most pleasure or as he says, “I look forward to when it’s just me and my friends.” Of his stage show, he jokes, “I’ll never be a guy who relies on choreography.” Instead he couples the emotion in the songs with his passionate delivery.
“I get transformed to a different place when I perform. I hope it just makes people feel something,” he says, adding that he especially enjoys singing ballads. “Hopefully, that helps form an intimate connection with the audience. I embrace those moments because it feels like you’re having a unique conversation with people.”
That conversation begins anew with “Days to Recall.”