LINK: Renaissance Woman (Annie Haslam interview)

When guitarist Michael Dunford passed away suddenly in November, Annie Haslam didn’t know if she could ever perform under the Renaissance moniker or even sing again.

“It was that painful,” Haslam said while calling from Syosset, N.Y. “He just went like that. But we just finished recording an album and I owed it to him to continue.”

“Grandine Il Vento” was released Monday, April 8, and will be showcased when Renaissance plays Saturday at the Strand Center for the Arts in Lakewood and April 21 at the Newton Theatre in Newton.

“It’s going to be interesting how I sound, since with the exception of a Christmas concert, I haven’t sung a note since Michael left us. I’ll have a couple shows under my belt by the time we play New Jersey.”

Expect Renaissance to play a few new songs. “We’ll do more as time passes, but right now it’ll just be a couple from the album,” Haslam said.

The new material is primarily ethereal and poignant, with songs that are among the prettiest the prog-rock band has ever recorded. Heavenly imagery, such as angels, abounds on the album.

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