Drawing from a deep well of folk, indie and traditional influences, Abigail Lapell has made music her whole life. The Toronto singer has won over audiences of all musical stripes with her contagious melodies, evocative lyrics and heart-stopping voice—a combination that draws comparisons to early Cat Power, Sandy Denny or a stormier Nathalie Merchant.
Great Survivor, Abigail’s debut release, builds upon the stark intimacy of her early solo efforts with rich harmonies and layers of instrumentation. Recorded by Ohbijou’s Heather Kirby, the album features talented collaborators like Jessica Moore (banjo, vocals), Lisa Bozikovic (piano, vocals), James van Bolhuis (drums), Aaron Lumley (double bass) and Julia Collins (violin).
In recent years, Abigail has toured extensively in Eastern Canada, been featured at NXNE, Pop Montreal, Winterfolk (Toronto), Sappy Fest (Sackville, NB) and In the Dead of Winter (Halifax), and shared stages with Rae Spoon, tUnE-yArDs, Snailhouse, Ember Swift, Greg MacPherson and Jim Guthrie, among many others. With the release of Great Survivor in Spring 2011, followed by coast-to-coast Canadian tour dates, Abigail is poised to reach a wider audience in the year ahead.
"There's beauty indeed in the smoke that flows from her lungs, the way her words disperse storms, set the sky to gently falling."
- Said the Gramophone
“If you can't find it in your heart to give Lapell points for spending almost every day on a Greyhound bus for a good half of August, then you might consider giving her a kudo or two for really knowing her way around a personal and plaintive tune... Go ahead, let yourself be impressed."
- Hour.ca