Briar is a new project on the ever-curious path of Daniel Romano. The tour for its début album, Aeterna Memoria, comes to Halifax at The Carleton on Wednesday, November 11th and Daniel will be joined by long time collaborators Carson McHone (bass & vocals), Tommy Major (guitar & vocals) from The Outfit and Fliss Horrocks (harmonium & vocals, as well as special guest Eliza Niemi. Show time is 7 PM and tickets are $30 + HST advanced, or $40 + HST at the door.
The performance will include theatrical elements, candles, incense and recitations, best suited for small and intimate listening rooms, fold clubs and art spaces. It is a departure from the conventional concert experience as it is fully immersive and will just as much resemble a play as a usual show.
Daniel Romano‘s Briar project is folk music in the “British folk”. vein of Bert Jansch, Bridget St. John, The Watersons, et al. The music is solely made up of two acoustic guitars, bass and harmonium. Vocally it is reminiscent of early CSN&Y, with dense weaving harmonies. The songs themselves explore the perennial philosophy, with an emphasis on idealism as its spiritual foundation. It is celebratory and deeply human music that digs deep into the very essence of our being.
This is an entirely different line of music than has perviously come out of The Outfit ensemble. It is a new project that holds its own and completely separates itself from all of the involved artists’ other ventures. Aeterna Memoria is slated for release via You’ve Changed Records on Oct. 30th, it will be on all streaming services under both Briar and Daniel Romano.
Eliza Niemi is a Canadian indie pop singer-songwriter and cellist, whose two solo albums, Staying Mellow Blows (2023) and Progress Bakery (2025), have been long-listed for the Polaris Music Prize.
Currently based in Toronto, Ontario, she was previously a member of the Halifax-based indie rock band Mauno, which released three albums between 2016 and 2019.
She released the solo EPs Vinegar (2019) and Glass (2020), before releasing Staying Mellow Blows in August 2022. She supported the album with concerts in North America and Europe in 2023. She was a SOCAN Songwriting Prize nominee in 2023 as co-writer with Felix Fox-Pappas, Chester Hansen, Alexander Sowinski, Leland Whitty and Jonah Yano of Yano’s single “always”.[7] She has also contributed as a guest cellist on recordings by Gift Idea and Ducks Ltd., and composed music for the 2024 film Darkest Miriam.