2LP

In over three decades of churning out tunes on the road and in his beloved Fang Recording studio in Nova Scotia, Joel Plaskett has made a lot of friends. To celebrate his birthday this spring, a cherished group of those pals came togetherunder cover of night, unbeknownst to Plaskett himselfto record their own heartfelt tributes for *Songs From The Gang*, a deluxe covers album packed with songs penned by the Duke of Dartmouth.

The collection is an apt exhibition of the same spirit of playful experimentation that Plaskett has fostered throughout his career. The Sheepdogs offer up 70s riff- rock swagger in their Down At The Khyber; Sloan turns the hushed folk of I Love This Town into a fuzzed-out, college rock romp; Mikmaq artist Alan Syliboy blends Joels original lyrics with Mikmaq translations to build his drum-fueled kitchen-party take on the forever-rollicking Nowhere With You; and Erin Costelo sings over the moving piano twinkle of Old Friends.

The full 22-track double record also features the Arkells, City and Colour, Frank Turner, Jenn Grant, Rose Cousins, Mo Kenney, Alan Doyle, David Myles, Bahamas, and many others, encompassing moments from all over Plasketts wide-ranging catalogue and testifying to the power of his singular songwriting.