- Story by Sean McIntyre Photography by Lia Crowe
Story courtesy of , a Black Press Media publication
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Sometimes the decisions we make on a daily basis are determined by our surroundings. Weather affects our mood, people influence our perspective and lifestyle dictates our health and wellbeing.
As much as we may be subject to the whims of our surroundings, the inspiring homesteading journey of singer-songwriter Genevieve Charbonneau is a reminder that, in the end, itB次元官网网址檚 us who ultimately hold the power to shape the people and places that surround us.
When she isnB次元官网网址檛 on tour, chauffeuring three kids to and from school or working part-time at a local winery, Genevieve is at home, writing the next chapter of her life at the Twisted Vine Homestead in the Cowichan Valley.
B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檝e built this kind of authentic, organic, unintentional community,B次元官网网址� she says during an interview at DuncanB次元官网网址檚 lively and eclectic Coffee on the Moon.
The journey began nearly 15 years ago when Genevieve and her partner, pregnant with their first child, returned to Victoria after a nine-month van trip to Mexico had morphed into two years aboard a yacht that took them around the world. The couple knew they werenB次元官网网址檛 interested in city life but werenB次元官网网址檛 quite ready to take the plunge and go completely off-grid in the British Columbia wilderness. A short journey over the Malahat to the Cowichan Valley, it turned out, offered the perfect compromise.
Whether it was the trails of VictoriaB次元官网网址檚 Beacon Hill Park, the crashing waves along Dallas Road or summers spent camping with her mom and siblings up island, Genevieve has long had an appreciation for wild spaces.
Genevieve and her partner teamed up with her sister-in-law and spouse to buy a 10-acre piece of forestland near the Kinsol River. A blog post from the homesteadB次元官网网址檚 early days recounts a three-month battle to clear broom amid towering cedar and fir trees.
B次元官网网址淲hen we werenB次元官网网址檛 out getting soggy with loppers in hand, we were scheming in the relative dryness of our trailers,B次元官网网址� she writes. B次元官网网址淎s the winter gave way to spring, our first buildings began to crop up: a rustic outdoor kitchen and a woodshed.B次元官网网址�
GenevieveB次元官网网址檚 first-born has just turned 14, and she also has an 11- and nine-year-old. The homestead is ripe with fruits and vegetables and building is pretty much done, although perpetually unfinished.
B次元官网网址淲e were all involved in the building process and that was super empowering in a way that was unexpected to me,B次元官网网址� she says. B次元官网网址淚 always knew that I could do something like that, but to actually have done it was a really great feeling. I felt really fuelled.B次元官网网址�
When construction of the main house was complete, a giant creative space in GenevieveB次元官网网址檚 mind opened up. Time and space that had been devoted to imagining, planning and building her home suddenly became available for other creative pursuits. ThatB次元官网网址檚 when, in 2014, she began to really channel into the writing process.
B次元官网网址淲e didnB次元官网网址檛 have TV or high-speed internet so we never entertained ourselves that way. Every night weB次元官网网址檇 have a campfire or, if it was cold outside, hang out inside around the fire, and we jammed a lot,B次元官网网址� she says. B次元官网网址淚 was just sort of inspired by our life. By the community, by the friends that we had, the people who were growing food, and everyone searching for deeper meaning and trying to find connection.B次元官网网址�
Her latest album produced from her journey at the homestead is Heart is a Tower, GenevieveB次元官网网址檚 second full-length solo album. The folk roots sound is ripe with notes bred through time spent enjoying the natural world and reflections on a life without regret.
The album began as a collection of B-sides that Genevieve played for fellow songwriter Jack Connolly. Jakc suggested re-recording the vocals in a state-of-the-art studio at nearby Shawnigan Lake School. Once that was done, they redid the guitar tracks and a new album emerged with assistance from Steve Smith, a Seattle-based, Grammy Award-winning sound engineer, who works part-time with students at Shawnigan Lake School.
B次元官网网址淲e ended up redoing the whole thing,B次元官网网址� she says.
The result is an album rooted in folk and old-time country with bluegrass rhythms, Americana and a tinge of pop. Songs turn effortlessly from insightful love ballads to rollicking political hootenannies. As a trained actress, dancer and long-time member of the multi-award-winning Balkan Babes, Genevieve is an accomplished singer with strong stage presence.
B次元官网网址淢y songs are pretty lyric driven, and IB次元官网网址檓 really drawn to folk music because itB次元官网网址檚 really accessible and creates a platform for the lyrics to be heard. Other genres are more about the music itself,B次元官网网址� she says. B次元官网网址淚 love the music, and I want the music to fit my lyrics and convey a message, but IB次元官网网址檓 definitely message-driven, hopefully without being preachy.B次元官网网址�
First and foremost, however, is the sense of satisfaction and gratefulness she receives from listeners whoB次元官网网址檝e connected with her music. Receiving news from people inspired by her journey and empowered to embrace the unknown is what makes it all worthwhile, and offers welcome reassurance that sheB次元官网网址檚 made the right choices along the way.
B次元官网网址淚 think the idea for any songwriter is to have someone recognize something from what youB次元官网网址檙e saying and have that resonate with them, move them emotionally or open their mind just a little bit to another possibility, or even just to make someone a little bit happier.B次元官网网址�
Genevieve CharbonneauB次元官网网址檚 Heart is a Tower is available now. Visit her website, , for more information about the album, tour dates and some valuable homesteading tips.
