Ontario Artist Opeongo Shares Heartfelt Tribute ‘Eventual Mt. Lee’ LP in Honour of Passing Friend feat. Lead Single “H”

Opeongo is the moniker of Midland, Ontario’s Keegan Trumpour and an ever-rotating cast of musicians. Opeongo has released two full length albums (2019’s Miasma and 2021’s we’ll all go with the will-o’-the-wisp); the brand new Eventual Mt. Lee marks their third release, with a fourth underway in the near future. 

The songs on Eventual Mt. Lee were informed by the sudden loss of Keegan’s best friend Liam Steffler, with whom they were living at the time of his passing. He considered this album as needing to be written to honour Liam, as well as offer healing to listeners experiencing loss.

This album has taught me that the beauty in this world can help make sense of loss and grief and pain, and that though the joy and love and happiness that is abundant in living can never and should never supersede tragedy and devastation, the two can mutually coexist and help contextualize one another.

Eventual Mt. Lee’s highlighted single, “H,” found new meaning to Keegan as part of this collection of tribute songs. Speaking on its origin, he says:

I wrote the first line of this song years ago when I was still in highschool after reading about the 1930’s Hollywood actress Peg Entwistle who took her own life by jumping off of the “H” of the Hollywood(land) sign – Holy hell, Peg, Hollywood is haunting me. I never had an idea beyond the alliteration until I truly knew what grief was; that it looks you in the eye at every stop and start of the day; that it can be a friend, but mostly a menace; that it might get muted in moments but is always present, clear as day. I imagined being someone who loved Peg and was loved by her, and constantly seeing this “H” taunting and haunting like the sore thumb that grief was. Once I had truly lost someone this deeply I understood what this silly line I had started writing in high school was all about.

1. What did you enjoy most about the recording process of this new release?

I recorded this album with Aaron Goldstein at the old studio, Baldwin Street Sound – I believe that some of these songs were, in fact, the final session there. Then the other half or so was recorded at his new studio, Gold Standard Recorders. That transition between two beautiful studios is, in itself, memorable. These were hard songs to record, trying not to choke up during/between takes, but the recording of these songs was enjoyable in that I was able to lay my grief before me and make sense of it, and transform it into something that will hopefully be helpful to others. Also, I remember with fondness the session whereby the string section came in and played; I was accompanied by Raha Javanfar on violin, Rachael Cardiello on viola, and Alex McMaster on cello. What they did was truly special. 

2. Share a nugget of advice that has resonated with you most over the years.

When I was in high school, my band at the time opened up for The Elwins during a successful turn in their career. I remember asking the lead singer, Matthew Sweeney, if he had any advice for someone looking to pursue a career in music. While I don’t remember all the specifics of the advice he gave me, I do remember that he gave me his phone number and told me to call him at a certain time the following week when we were both free. He sat there and let me ask whatever questions came to mind and answered honestly and deliberately. So the advice I took from all this was not in the answers but in the gesture – community is important. Helping out one another and sharing insight and information only makes the output of music more significant and intentional. Music as a whole will benefit from artists being in one another’s respective corners rather than some silly, cutthroat race to the mountain top. 

3. Who would be your dream artist/band to co-headline a tour with?

There are local musicians and friends that I always enjoy sharing the stage with that touring alongside would be a far more realistic dream, but if I can dream as big as I please, we would love to open for Big Thief, Felice Brothers, Joanna Sternberg, Juliana Riolino, Daniel Romano, Twain, Deer Tick, Waxahatchee, Tre Burt, Bill Callahan, Damien Jurado. All incredible artists that serve as such huge inspiration to us and so many (and I know I’m overlooking many and will kick myself about it later). If we could co-headline with peers/ friends of ours, we’d love to share a tour with Bent Neck and The Joints, Sister Swire, Ian Badger, Ian James Bain, Nicolette and The Nobodies, Espanola, Baby O, Molly Drag, Ivan Rivers (and I know I’m overlooking many and will kick myself about it later).

4. What sets your music apart from others in your genre?

I think there are a few things that set us apart. The first and foremost is that I’m not really your conventional singer both in the timbre of my voice but also in what I choose to sing about and how. My songs are sometimes a little wordy, but one must ‘flex their lexicon’ as my dear friend Nathaniel would say. I think the fact that these songs are so piano-centric also throw people for a loop in terms of trying to identify the genre as so many people are used to the familiar sounds of an acoustic guitar in identifying folk/country/Americana… but surely, you wouldn’t tell Joni that her songs aren’t folk!

5. Tell us what your favourite song is at the moment and why.

My favourite songs always change with the season. You can tell it’s fall when I start doing my annual deep dive into Elliott Smith that lasts about 3/4 of the year. Picking a favourite is hard. Telling why they are favourites is easy; the songs will show that themselves. Here are my current top 5 off the top of my head. Thanks so much for having me and asking these thoughtful questions. You can listen to Opeongo’s Eventual Mt. Lee on all streaming platforms now. 

1. Elliott Smith – Waltz #1
2. Gillian Welch – I Dream A Highway
3. Andrew Combs – The Sea In Me
4. John Jacob Niles – I’m So Glad Trouble Don’t Last Always
5. Billie Holiday – Them There Eyes