Two decades and two Juno-nominations later: Eternia is back and as compelling as ever with FREE, her debut collaborative album with Juno-Award winning producer Rel McCoy. FREE represents a grand comeback for Eternia, who is widely considered one of Canada’s foremost lyricists. In 2010 she released the Juno Award-nominated and Polaris long-listed At Last with producer MoSS on Fat Beats Records. Transformative events changed her life since that release, including personal triumphs (starting a family) coinciding with personal struggles (mental/physical health) and artistic struggles (the album was rebooted), all while navigating a global pandemic and the isolation that ensues. FREE is born of these experiences as she partners with Rel McCoy, the multi-faceted artist she compliments heavily for providing the moving soundscapes on the record, as well as contributing a few vocal appearances. It’s easy to hear just what she means on standout singles like the warm and nostalgic “Most PPL” and moody and haunting “Home,” the latter of which features fellow Canadian talents Shad and SHEAL. These are lyrically rich, profound tracks that are easy to follow but brimming with layers, effortlessly walking us through complex themes with straight-shooting simplicity as only veterans can do. From Eternia’s attention-demanding vocals to Rel’s nostalgic and melodic blend of boom bap production, FREE is just as engaging as it is organic. The record also features stand out contributions from Mr. Lif, Wordsworth, Phoenix Pagliacci and Eliki. I'm proud to share this album with y'all, as many of you know I've been working behind the scenes on the rollout for the project. It's brand new, so I'll save the nostalgia for another time, I just want to you to sit with it and enjoy! You can pre-order the album on vinyl HERE via Fat Beats. Also HERE via Bandcamp.