Alberta-born Métis singer-songwriter Cynthia Hamar is no stranger to the Canadian music scene. With three studio albums under her belt and many kilometers on the road - including a tour across Canada by train (through VIA Rail’s on Board program) - Hamar can execute timeless songs that stand up with the sound of Buffy Sainte-Marie, Tom Waits, and Feist.

With her much anticipated album Joint & Marrow on the way, Hamar shares a new single "Light A Fire" (out August 26, 2022 via Neon Moon Records). The track combines a country groove that switches into a reggae feel under the chorus's sunny refrain "Light a fire, light a fire - inside these bones, inside these bones" Hamar explains her thought process behind the song; "I wrote this feeling extremely burnt out struggling with ambition. I was thinking how a tiny spark can set a whole forest on fire and I wrote the melody attempting to kindle some fresh creative joy inside me.”

Produced by Paul Johnston, and featuring her son Zadok Hamar along with acclaimed Alberta session musicians Chris Andrews, Jamie Cooper, Paul Johnston and Toronto’s Joel Schwartz, “Light A Fire” didn’t initially come together easily in the studio; “This song almost didn’t make it on the album. I was struggling to communicate my vision for the tune and I was close to pulling it feeling deeply exhausted." explains Hamar, "Sunday evening after successfully capturing my main choices Paul cheerfully says lets do “that” one. I knew what he meant; my crazy one that was all feel. The guys were like, “ let's just have fun and we’ll follow you”. We ended up setting up the studio so we were all separate but they could all see me and just let it fly. It ended up being one of my favorites and I’m so thankful I pushed through and allowed that spark to fire up in me again. The theme of the tune was truly manifested in the recording of it.”

https://www.cynthiahamar.com/

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LYRICS

Quiet my mind

let me breathe for a time

I need to get away

I cannot think clear with all the noise in my ears

oh there's colors striving for attention

What was that you said

how’d you raise the dead

I need a bit of reviving

Light a fire light a fire

Inside these bones

won’t you light a fire

It’s been a long long and lonely winter

and I’m so cold

Light a fire light a fire

inside these bones inside these bones

Light a fire light a fire

inside these bones inside these bones

Light a fire light a fire

inside these bones inside these bones

Light a fire light a fire

inside these bones inside these bones

Ooo

Don’t put out the blaze

I need to contemplate

Oh it will be pure pure pure purifying

And I’ll ride this wave

and I’ll face another day

Oh it will be pure pure pure purifying

Tune my heart like strings

Until it learns to sing in the winter as when the summer blooms

I say tune my heart like strings

Until it learns to sing in the winter as when the summer blooms

Light a Fire light a fire

Inside these bones won’t you light light a fire

It’s been a long long and lonely winter

and I’m so cold

Light a fire light a fire

inside these bones,inside these bones

Light a fire light a fire

inside these bones inside these bones

Light a fire light a fire

inside these bones inside these bones

Light a fire light a fire

inside these bones inside these bones

I say

Light a fire light a fire

inside these bones inside these bones

Light a fire light a fire

inside these bones inside these bones yeah

Light a fire light a fire

inside these bones inside these bones

Light a fire light a fire

inside these bones inside these bones

Light a fire light a fire

inside these bones inside these bones

Light a fire light a fire

inside these bones inside these bones

Light a fire light a fire

Bones inside these bones

Light a fire light a fire

inside these bones inside these bones

Light a fire light a fire

inside these bones inside these bones