CARSTAIRS — A local publisher that in just a few short years since launching has already racked up numerous awards, released earlier this summer their latest project that blends both musical and visual mediums.
Ayesha Clough, who in 2019 launched Red Barn Books in the Carstairs area, said she was on the road one day when Alberta Blue – one of the most popular tunes performed by a band called The Travelling Mabels – came on the radio and instantly captivated her imagination.
“It was just so pretty – the lyrics, the tune, the lady’s voice who was singing,” Clough recalled during a phone interview. “As soon as I heard the song, I thought, ‘This would make such a beautiful lullaby.’”
Of course the song wasn’t necessarily initially intended as a lullaby, she said.
“But for me with my children’s books hat on listening to this song, right away I could just envision it as being a little board book.”
So at her first opportunity, Clough contacted Pat Hatherly, who wrote the original lyrics, and subsequently got in touch with the group – a four-piece band comprised of Eva Levesque, Lana Floen, Therry Lawson of Sundre and Keith Floen – to pitch the idea.
“Everybody was super excited about turning the song into a board book, and so that was the beginning of that,” she said.
That collaboration initially got started about a year ago, she said.
But despite COVID-related delays, the board book as well as The Travelling Mabels’ fourth and latest album called Take Me Home – which features a more serene, drum-free prairie sky lullaby remix of the original song – were released.
“They recorded a special lullaby edition of the song; taking out the drums and just making it even more calming and soothing for babies,” said Clough.
The reception to date has seems to speak volumes.
“This book sells itself – like, it flies off the shelf,” said Clough, attributing that popularity to an appealing and beautifully illustrated board book that is further complemented by the lyrics of a song that she instantly fell in love with during that fateful drive.
“Even the Mabels, they’ve had to order a second box of books because it keeps selling out at their shows and off of their website,” she said.
“Alberta Blue’s become one of our best sellers.”
And the latest project might well be poised to earn the publisher yet another award.
“It has been nominated for an illustration award in this year’s Alberta Book Publishing Awards,” she said. “We’ll find out in September.”
The words accompanying the book’s illustrations that feature watercolour landscapes composed by Calgary-based artist Jesse Horne, are essentially the same as the original song’s lyrics, which were vocalized by Lana.
“She has the voice of an angel and she makes it seem so easy when she sings it,” said Clough.
“If you’re very brave – or a really good singer – you can try singing along with Lana,” she said with laugh.
“My vision for the book is that this is going to be a lullaby for every Albertan child,” she later added.
“I think any baby who’s lucky enough to be born in Alberta has kind of won the lottery of life,” she elaborated. “This book is just a celebration of what it’s like to grow up in Western Canada under the great, big prairie sky.”
Keith confirmed originally being contacted by Clough, who presented the proposal.
“We thought it was a terrific idea,” he told the Albertan. “The song itself tends to paint a picture of Alberta in your mind. So, it was pretty logical and natural to want to maybe move to a book form and have it laid out like that.”
The Mabels had never before worked on such a collaborative effort.
“This was the first time we’ve ever taken on a project like that,” said Keith, who sounded grateful for the opportunity.
“It’s become a real popular item at the shows,” he said about the board book, which he added seems to resonate especially well among their demographic base of fans that include many grandmothers who are always on the look-out for their grandkids’ next present.
“There’s constantly stories coming back of them saying, ‘We sing along to Alberta Blue while we sit and read it with our with our grandkids. So, it’s pretty cool seeing all that unfold,” he said, adding the idea was in part to enable anyone who is so inclined to sing along.
“The response has been really great from the fans, for sure,” he said.
The joint project also introduced some of The Mabels’ fans to Red Barn Books, and vice versa.
“It expands everyone’s horizon,” he said.
“We’re so excited that baby Albertans will now have their own Alberta-themed lullaby,” Lana was quoted as saying in a press release. “I guess our voices could be putting babies to sleep all over the province.”
Never one to remain idle very long, Clough said next up on the docket is a new publication expected to come out in the fall called Love & Rules that was written by Lee McLean, who previously wrote Horse Woman. A little further down the proverbial road looking to next spring, she said another children’s book called Flip Flop Flapjack – which recounts the tale of the first-ever pancake breakfast started by a cowboy called Wild Horse Jack – is also slated for release.
Visit thetravellingmabels.com or redbarnbooks.ca for more information.
