Only For You: The Packages & The Story of "The Son of Hannah"

I remember that we were only a few weeks away from Alex's very first concert, headlining Montreal's most prestigious festival, which also happened to celebrate its 40th anniversary that year, and we had just learned that we were to perform in front of a sold-out venue. We had just finished rehearsing, for one of the first times, what was supposed to be the entire concert, a different and unique version of what was then known as "Windows in the Sky".

It was a colossal task to get back into this album, to live once more all the emotions attached to it, just so we could play it live in front of people, because the only thought of this was, after all, only a few weeks ago, something completely unimaginable, much more so in front of our people, at home, in Montreal, especially that with every day passing by, we'd learn that more and more fans from YFE were coming from the 4 corners of the world for the weekend, wanting to attend this historical "first" for the band.

The press & media, which had until then been very discreet, on one hand impatient to see the outcome of the ticket sales for the first solo concert of Your Favorite Enemies' frontman, on the other hand disappointed — if not angry — to learn that it might be the end for the Montreal-based collective, would incessantly try to get a hold of us upon learning the news. But Alex, while everything was happening all at once, had only one thing in mind, and it was as clear as day... "We're missing an introduction for the concert," he said, as if thinking aloud, seemingly annoyed, almost upset, that he wasn't yet able to touch the invisible, if not the impossible.

"The emotions of the journey begin too suddenly, we need a bridge, something that will lead us there, something to envelop us in the spirit of the voyage that is just only starting. I have written a few words in this regard, as I have been thinking about this for a few days already, and I'd like to read it to you." Classic Alex right here! For him, the success of a concert, an album, a video, a text, or anything else he works on that may or may not see the light of day, is always measured with the same units; honesty and meaning. Everything else is... well, as he often says, is only oil for the wheels!

Meanwhile, we were all smiles, proud of having overcome what seemed like a mountain we couldn't climb only a few days ago, one step at the time, one song at the time, one note at the time, replaying, revisiting the same parts hundreds of times, for days on end, every night, every afternoon, every morning even, we were on the verge of jumping for joy, we thought we were finally there, especially after learning that the concert was sold out and that the media were chasing us... But nobody could feel the same energy from Alex, who was sat down on the stage where we were rehearsing in our church-studio in Drummondville.

Alex started reading what would soon after become "The Son of Hannah, and almost immediately, Sef, guitarist in The Long Shadows, stood up, went to his station, and began playing notes that reverberated in the church, creating an ambiance that gave Alex's words, the unicity of which already had us quivering with emotions, the impactful image of a woman crying and pleading to God for a child, more than anything else in the world... We knew that the upcoming concert was a homage to Alex's late father, and it made it that much more emotional...

Amongst us, a curious yet very powerful mix of emotions took place, suddenly amplified by Sef's sound, preponderant and stirring, lighting up this fragile candle, only nascent but with such an energy that its glow could fill up the whole room, all the way to the depths of our souls. As the band was joining Sef and his ambiance that was already more than present — he only knows one level, and it is too loud — Alex, to everyone's greatest surprise, cried out with everything his lungs would allow him, as if he had, for but a fleeting moment, found a renewed energy in the abysses of his own body, "OH OH HANNAH..!"

This was, for me, and still to this day, one of the most powerful moments I have been a part of...! I still can feel the shivers as I am recounting the story. To see Alex drenched in sweat for giving everything he had, in a room that was now lit up with his smile, his joy, his peace, his knowing that yes, we now had a full concert!

I invite you to read the lyrics of this more than unique song if you hadn't had the chance to do so yet. You can find them on Alex's website, right here.

YOUR PACKAGE OPTIONS
FOR THE SON OF HANNAH

IMPORTANTS DETAILS

These items, conceived around the lathe-cut LP "The Son of Hannah" and made in our HQ, will be available on Alex's online store starting this coming Wednesday, June 2nd, at 10am (Eastern Time), and will be exclusively available to the SFCC The Club members for 48 hours. That's one of the perks of being a member!

After those 48 hours, the LP will also be available to those who aren't members, starting Friday, June 4th, at 10am (Eastern Time). We've only made 200 copies of those gems, so I suggest you act quickly! From what I remember of last year, those special editions always sell out pretty fast!

Can't wait to hear from you! Take good care, and stay hopeful! We're slowly getting out of this madness!

Your host and friend,
Jeff