P.E.I. singer Maxine MacLennan releases new album

Maxine MacLennan has returned to the Island music scene with a new album after being away from it for a few years.

"I never really left I guess, but I got off the national scene, took a break from it just to live my life kind of thing," said MacLennan.

The P.E.I. musician said she had been singing and performing in bands since she was 12-years-old and decided to take a break after what she described as some "life things"had happened.

"I took a break from it and I'm making a return I guess."

MacLennan said it has been 20 years since she has put out an album with her name on it.

As a performer, she said she still played at benefit concerts, wedding and funerals when asked.

During those years, she kept busy raising a daughter, then met someone and got married and as she said they were very happy living their lives day to day.

Then MacLennan met a few performers she enjoyed working with - Jolee Patkai, Sheila McKenzie and Norman Stewart - and they decided to work together as a group, Treble with Girls.

Next, an album

That led toMacLennan'sdecision to make thealbum and have Richard Wood, a well-known P.E.I. fiddlerperformon it.

"It's as much his as mine cause he's pretty well performing on every track and he helped with the arrangements."

MacLennan said Wood ,who is married to her daughter, heard the songs as soon "as they were born."

Soon, the singer said she had 10 songs for an album titled Pieces of Methat she wrote herself with his encouragement.

"Every song on the album is a piece of me and came from my heart. They are about people that I love, places that I love on P.E.I. and the East coast."

One song, Without You, was written after MacLennan lost her mother.

"Every song means something to me and I hope I wrote it in a way that it means something to the listener."

MacLennan said she is happy and satisfied with the album and added she was happy to be able to do something like it at this point in her life.