Watch Great Aunt Ida Fly On New Album

Vancouver singer/songwriter/pianist Ida Nilsen and her band Great Aunt Ida will release the follow-up to 2005's Our Fall on Sept. 19.

How They Fly, which will come out through Northern Electric, received funding from the Canada Council. Nilsen is joined on the album by bandmates JP Carter (Inhabitants, Fond Of Tigers) on trumpet, Scott Malin (Joel RL Phelps & The Secret Three) on bass and Barry Mirochnick (Neko Case, Veda Hille, Christine Fellows) on drums. The lineup of guest contributors includes Ford Pier, Jon Anderson, Nick Krgovich (P:ano), Jesse Zubot, Finn Manniche, Hille and Tim Vesely (The Rheostatics, Violet Archers), who co-produced the album. Colin Stewart engineered, and most of the tracks were recorded in 12 days at Vancouver's The Hive studio.

You can hear two songs from How They Fly, "Company You Keep" and "We Say No," on Great Aunt Ida's MySpace page.

Nilsen tours and records with the Violet Archers and the Buttless Chaps when she's not with Great Aunt Ida. This summer she also went in the studio with Mike Scott to help out on the forthcoming Waterboys album. She covered the Irish band's "Fisherman's Blues" on Our Fall.

"The support role causes me pretty much no stress," says Nilsen. "It feels like a vacation now."

Here are Great Aunt Ida's tour dates:

Sept. 26 Christina Lake, BC @ Jimmy Beans
Sept. 27 Fernie, BC @ The Royal Hotel
Sept. 28 Edmonton, AB @ Sidetrack Cafe w/Amy Seeley
Sept. 29 Calgary, AB @ The Palomino w/Aaron Booth
Sept. 30 Red Deer, AB @ The Urban Bistro
Oct. 4 Toronto, ON @ The Press Club
Oct. 5 Ottawa, ON @ TBA
Oct. 7 Montreal, QC @ TBA
Oct. 8 Hamilton, ON @ The Casbah
Oct. 9 London, ON @ Alex P. Keaton w/Camaromance and Malcolm Bauld
Oct. 10 Toronto, ON @ Cameron House w/Ford Pier
Oct. 12 Winnipeg, MB @ Times Change(d) w/Christine Fellows and John K. Samson

Here are the songs on How They Fly:

"Company You Keep"
"Little Voice"
"We Say No"
"Stranger"
"Flower Like Years"
"Extra Hours"
"Don't Start"
"Accident"
"Falling Behind"
"Every Bone And Muscle"
"Careful Kid"
"Runway"