Abigail Lapell introduced the cozy sounds of her new album Stolen Time back in January with the stripped-down beauty of the piano-driven ballad “Pines.” But today, the Toronto-based folk songwriter sheds even those minimal accompaniments on her latest single from the new record, titled “Land of Plenty.” With little more than a gentle acoustic guitar and her soft vocals, the track narrates Lapell’s familial journey immigrating from Europe to Canada 80 years ago.
“I wrote this song a few years ago, early in the Trump administration when the Muslim ban had just gone into effect,” she shares. “I remember hearing about it and getting really emotional, since it reminded me of my own family’s history of escaping eastern Europe after the Holocaust and finding refuge in Canada. The song highlights the balance between hardship and hope in that kind of journey, and how for my generation, growing up in the shadow of this history, we were always taught that—however flawed our society might be—we had basically won the life lottery by being born here.
“The song also reflects today's ongoing migrant crises,” she adds, “and my recent experience helping with a Group of Five sponsorship application, which lets private citizens bring refugees to Canada. This is the same program that allowed my family to escape Europe along with over 35,000 immigrants following WWII.”
The track arrives with a visualizer that reflects the open natural spaces hinted at in the song’s lyrics of global travel. Watch it below.
