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Vernon singer-songwriter releases first new album in decades

Marsha Thompson’s Wishing on Stars was released this month
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Vernon’s Marsha Thompson released her third studio album, Wishing on Stars, in November 2022. (Allan Speevak photo)

More than 25 years after the release of her last album, a Vernon singer-songwriter has a new set of tracks heading to streaming services soon.

Marsha Thompson is a country-folk artist who has recently returned to Vernon after many years in Calgary and Vancouver. Her new album, Wishing on Stars, was released this month and is available for sale at Predator Ridge and City Dance. The album will soon hit streaming platforms as well.

The country-folk album features a couple of swing tunes, as well as steel guitar, violin and saxophone notes.

“It’s pretty eclectic,” Thompson told The Morning Star. “I think this one’s probably the best of them.”

Thompson previously released two albums, Moment in Time and Broken Glass, the latter of which was released 27 years ago in 1995.

“I kind of went black for a while like some of us do, you know, life gets in the way, and I looked at my guitar in the corner for like 10 years and it sat there and it scared me, and then I moved to Vernon and I started singing in the choirs again,” she said. “I started singing again and I had all these songs, and then I was writing, and so the exciting part is to have brand new songs and some old (songs) that I’ve revamped, it’s really wonderful, and the support from this community is fabulous.”

Like her previous albums, Thompson put her love of nature into Wishing on Stars.

“What tends to weave through most of my music is there’s always a reference to something in nature, even if it’s just a passing reference. The title track, Wishing on Stars, was written here in the valley and it’s all about the red-winged black birds coming back,” she said.

The album is also about love in all its forms, including the love of a friend.

“There’s a song there about friends, which is really pertinent during COVID.”

Thompson has been selling CD copies of the album, and after it’s been digitized, she expects the album will be available on streaming platforms in as little as 10 days.

Thompson has played many shows in the Vernon area, and she’s planning on holding a concert in celebration of her new album in the new year.

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Brendan Shykora
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Brendan Shykora

About the Author: Brendan Shykora

I started as a carrier at the age of 8. In 2019 graduated from the Master of Journalism program at Carleton University.
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