Home and away: Singer-songwriter Brett Aaron's new album recorded in Calgary, Nashville

Advertisement 1 This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Breadcrumb Trail Links HomeLocal Arts Home and away: Singer-songwriter Brett Aaron's new album recorded in Calgary, Nashville Calgarian to release third album Sept. 4 Author of the article: By Eric Volmers Published Sep 02, 2026 5 minute read Join the conversation Calgary singer-songwriter Brett Aaron. Article content Midnight Rose, the fifth track on Brett Aaron’s newest record Save Myself, is a standout for a number of reasons. Article content For one, it’s the album’s first single. The ballad features not only Aaron’s beautifully smokey vocals but warm slide guitar from Canadian expat icon Colin Linden, a Nashville-based musician and producer known for playing with Blackie and the Rodeo Kings, later versions of The Band, Bruce Cockburn and even Bob Dylan. Article content Article content Article content It also has one of the album’s most interesting narratives, a somewhat Tom Waits-ian tale about a lonely man who frequents a bar to seek the company of an equally isolated prostitute named Midnight Rose. Article content Noon News Roundup Your weekday lunchtime roundup of curated links, news highlights, analysis and features. Sign Up By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Article content “They keep each other company,” says Aaron, in an interview from his Calgary home. “It’s not based on the money so much but it’s a horrible situation they both find themselves in and they find solace in each other. Maybe it’s not the most healthy thing, but that’s what they’re doing.” Article content Aaron is quick to point out that the story is definitely not autobiographical. Article content “That one has nothing to do with me,” he says “It’s just stuff I’ve seen in dive bars over the years.” — but a story song in the grand tradition of Waits or John Prine. Article content In fact, it came about almost as a songwriting challenge. Many of Aaron’s songs on Save Myself were co-written and co-produced by Ron A. McNeil, an Airdrie-based songwriter who worked with Aaron for over a year during weekly Sunday sessions. Article content One day Aaron told McNeil about his new guitar, a John Mayer-issued Silver Sky that comes in various shades. Aaron’s was “midnight rose.” Article content Article content “I think I had just gotten it and was like ‘check this out, it’s a cool…