Country star releases new CD

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Singer Lorrie Church is on a national radio tour across Canada promoting her new single, "I Never Gave Up Hope," the title track of a CD under the label of Eaglehill Music. Response to the new CD has been "incredible" said Church.

I Never Gave Up Hope was recorded in Nashville. "It took us about two-and-a-half years to record this," Church related in a recent interview with CFWE Radio. "We had some very hot players on the sessions-we had Sonny Garrish, who was Loretta Lynn's steel player; we also had Garth Brooks' drummer and fiddle player on some of the tracks; we had Don Williams' drummer . . . Reba's keyboard player that she uses an awful lot . . . . so we were very pleased and excited to have that calibre of a player on the CD."

Most of the songs were co-written. "I do an awful lot of song-writing. Up to this point I hadn't really written with anybody else . . . when I started going to Nashville, we started to work with Kim Tribble and Cyril Rawson and we just kinda hooked up and worked really well together."

She says her ideas are based on personal experiences and things she hears. Often she works on her song ideas at home then takes them to Nashville to "fix up and make the song what it is today."

Church's manager, George Atcheynum, is also her husband.

"We lived in Nashville for about a year and a half," she said, "and then as soon as the album was completed we decided to move back at home here in Canada and to promote the album and the singles."

She wrote the first single, "What Life is About" in her first song-writing session of her first trip to Nashville.

Last fall's trip to the Canadian Country Music Association's awards was "an experience of a lifetime," Church says. "It's something I'll never forget. . . . We weren't even expecting any nomination of any sort, and to be able to perform on the show was just wonderful, it was great." Church, winner of the Saskatchewan Country Music Association's Entertainer of the Year award, was nominated for the Horizon Rising Star Award, in the company of Canadian talent such as The Wilkinsons, Beverley Mahood and Shirley Myers. "Just to be in that category was such a big honor," she said.

The title track of the current CD is being released on video this month on Country Music Television. "I'm hoping that it touches a lot of hearts," Church said, "because it certainly has touched mine with this song and it's something that I think that's going to make a powerful statement." Church says the song is based on some true experiences and is one of her favorite tracks on the CD, along with "He Can't Get Over Her" and "Running Away".

She says of Running Away, "There again too, it's a very strong statement . . . I had first written the song for a very dear uncle of mine and then when we took it to Nashville I just told the folks there I wanted to make it into a song that everybody could relate to, so that's also one of my favorites."

Some tell Church she sounds like Tanya Tucker. But her main idol, she says, is Loretta Lynn. Other influences on her music are Patsy Cline, Janis Joplin and Cheryl Crowe.

Being on the road a lot demands sacrifices. In Church's case, the tough one is being away from her children. Nevertheless, "I have been very lucky to surround myself with people who have given me a lot of support and have helped me out," she said.

"I am a strong believer in doing the things that make you very happy and doing the things that-I mean we all have to have a job of some sort and mine just so happens to be singing, and mine just so happens to be touring a lot . . . but I do have a very special and strong relationship with my children. We keep in touch a lot on the phone. We e-mail them or we fax them letters, we write them letters so they know that mom and dad love them a lot."