Alternative Folk Roots Artist Etienne Siew Releases New Album Entitled "Chasing Dreams".

Alternative folk roots artist Etienne Siew says that music is a vessel for storytelling. He recently released an album entitled "Chasing Dreams" which is a reminder to his listeners that “life is too short not to go after the things you love and to work towards your passions that truly light you up inside”. The idea of releasing the album came about as his hopes and plans for touring British Columbia were shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Etienne relates how one of the album's songs, the hauntingly beautiful “Elizabeth’s Song” is based on the power that love has to overcome challenges, such as that faced by the mixed-race marriage of his Guyanese grandfather and British grandmother. He says others have shared how this song resonates with their own stories.

Etienne says songwriting and storytelling come naturally to him by immersing himself in life and nature while canoeing, fly-fishing, and hiking. He says many of the songs on his new album, including one of his favorites, "Tangerine Sky" were inspired while he spent time by Pitt Lake and River.

Being a musician has taught Etienne to be more reflective about processing his own emotions and feelings, and has also made him more aware of how the power of vulnerability connects people. He says the experience has also taught him to believe in himself to overcome challenges and achieve goals.

Highlights of Etienne’s career, so far, include winning the Country Roots Artist of the Year Award, being nominated for Country Artist of the Year for the Fraser Valley Music Awards, and travelling and performing in Germany, as well as performing at Coquitlam’s Evergreen Cultural Centre.

Etienne’s music is also available as a vinyl album. He says this gives the listener a deeper experience of the music, tells the progression of his story, and includes the lyrics. Etienne feels that, as a musician, being authentic to yourself is essential.