Mark Pucci Media
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 2, 2026
Contact: Mark Pucci (770) 804-9555 / mark@markpuccimedia.com
Ottawa-Based Soul Singer Sherri Harding to Release Her Highly Anticipated New Album, Storyland, June 5th on Instant Replay Music – Fontana North/Universal
Ottawa, Canada – Canadian-based soul singer Sherri Harding will release her highly anticipated new album, Storyland, June 5th on the Instant Replay Music label, with distribution by Fontana North/Universal. Blending soul, blues, and R&B, the album delivers a powerful, grown-up collection of songs with a soul-tinged reflection on love, resilience, and the world around us.
Instant Replay Music will release “Money Man,” Sherri Harding’s first single off the album and its accompanying video, on March 12th to be followed by “Down In The Shoals” on April 30th.
While recorded in Ottawa, Storyland carries on Harding’s long-standing relationship with Muscle Shoals: legendary Muscle Shoals guitarist Kelvin Holly (Little Richard, The Amazing Rhythm Aces), who played on Sherri’s last album, traveled north to perform on the sessions; the iconic Muscle Shoals Horns recorded their parts in Alabama; and Grammy-winning engineer Jimmy Nutt mixed the album at The NuttHouse in Muscle Shoals.
Storyland was produced and written by veteran songwriter and Cooper Brothers co-founder Richard Cooper, offering a unified, narrative-driven listening experience while keeping Harding’s commanding voice front and center. Her performances are powerful yet nuanced, shaped by decades of live work and real-world experience. The result is a record that bridges two musical worlds — blending Canadian storytelling with Southern soul tradition, anchored by Sherri’s soulful voice.
“Working on Storyland with Richard Cooper has been a thrill,” Harding says about the sessions. ”We found our musical groove together and I couldn’t be happier. So many talented musicians and technical folks from both sides of the 49th parallel have come together on this record. I am so proud of this beautiful thing we have created: Storyland. “
“As a singer, my job is to tell the truth emotionally, and Storyland gave me the space to do that. The songs are honest stories, sung from the heart. Every drive home in terrible weather at 3am after a not-so-great gig has been worth it to bring me to this time and place. I’ve definitely paid my dues, but I wouldn’t change a darn thing.”
Two tracks that especially stand out in remembrances for Harding are “Down In The Shoals” and “Through It All,” a duet she sings with fellow Canadian powerhouse singer Jeff Rogers. “The song, ‘Down In the Shoals’ is really the story of how we came to our Muscle Shoals connection; and having Kelvin Holly actually play guitar on it is just so special,” Harding says. “Plus, I am really happy with how the song, ‘Through It All,’ turned out. It’s about genuine, true and lasting love. And singing with my friend Jeff Rogers is always a treat.”
Sherri Harding first drew national attention with her Muscle Shoals-recorded debut, A Million Pieces, which showcased her wide emotional range and established her as a Canadian soul artist with authentic Southern soul connections. With Storyland, she takes the next step — not chasing trends, but delivering music rooted in truth, craft, and soul. Often compared to Bonnie Raitt, Susan Tedeschi and Mavis Staples, Sherri Harding delivers music that is timeless, fearless, and deeply human. As one reviewer opined, “Sherri Harding’s voice is unforgettable! It is soulful, powerful and full of heart.”
STORYLAND – SHERRI HARDING – TRACK LISTING AND CREDITS
Produced and written by Richard Cooper
Engineer – Steve Foley (Audio Valley Recording Studios, Ottawa, ON)
Mixed by Jimmy Nutt (The NuttHouse, Muscle Shoals (Sheffield), AL)
Mastered by Chris Bethea (Chris Bethea Mixing & Mastering, Minneapolis, MN)
ALL AROUND THE WORLD TONIGHT
Lead Vocals – Sherri Harding; Drums – Jamie Holmes; Bass – Brian Cooper; Guitar – Kelvin Holly
Additional guitar – Robert Farrell; Keyboards – Clayton Connell; BG vocals – DeeDee Butters, Mackenzie DeMillo, Sherri Harding, Robert Farrell; The Muscle Shoals Horns featuring: Charles Rose – trombone and horn arrangements; Steve Herrman – trumpet; Brad Guin – tenor sax; Jimmy Bowland – baritone sax
DOWN IN THE SHOALS
Lead Vocals – Sherri Harding; Drums – Jamie Holmes; Percussion – Rob Holtz; Bass – Brian Cooper
Guitar, dobro – Kelvin Holly; Additional guitar – Robert Farrell and Darwin Demers
Keyboards – Clayton Connell, Jeff Rogers; BG vocals – DeeDee Butters, Mackenzie DeMillo, Sherri Harding, Robert Farrell, Jeff Rogers, Roxy Swan, Darwin Demers, Brian Cooper
MONEY MAN
Lead Vocals – Sherri Harding; Drums – Jamie Holmes; Percussion – Rob Holtz; Bass – Brian Cooper
Guitar – Kelvin Holly, Robert Farrell; Keyboards – Clayton Connell; BG vocals – DeeDee Butters, Mackenzie DeMillo, Sherri Harding; Horns – The Muscle Shoals Horns featuring: Charles Rose – trombone and horn arrangements; Steve Herrman – trumpet; Brad Guin – tenor sax; Jimmy Bowland – baritone sax
THROUGH IT ALL
Lead Vocals – Sherri Harding & Jeff Rogers; Drums – Jamie Holmes; Bass – Brian Cooper
Guitar – Kelvin Holly, Robert Farrell; Keyboards – Clayton Connell
BG vocals – DeeDee Butters, Sherri Harding, Roxy Swan
THAT RAINY DAY
Lead Vocals – Sherri Harding; Drums – Jamie Holmes; Bass – Brian Cooper; Guitar – Kelvin Holly
Additional guitar – Robert Farrell; Keyboards – Clayton Connell, Jeff Rogers
BG vocals – DeeDee Butters, Mackenzie DeMillo, Sherri Harding
DARK-EYED JUNCO
Lead Vocals – Sherri Harding; Drums – Jamie Holmes; Percussion – Rob Holtz; Bass – Brian Cooper
Guitar – Kelvin Holly; Additional guitar – Robert Farrell; Keyboards – Clayton Connell
BG vocals – DeeDee Butters, Mackenzie DeMillo, Sherri Harding; Flute – Sherri Harding
BAD WEATHER
Lead Vocals – Sherri Harding; Drums – Jamie Holmes; Percussion – Rob Holtz; Bass – Brian Cooper
Guitar – Kelvin Holly; Additional guitar – Robert Farrell; Keyboards – Clayton Connell
BG vocals – DeeDee Butters, Sherri Harding, Roxy Swan; Violin – Anne Lindsay
WHAT’S THE MATTER (WITH MY HEART)?
Lead Vocals – Sherri Harding; Drums – Jamie Holmes; Bass – Brian Cooper
Guitars – Kelvin Holly, Robert Farrell; Keyboards – Clayton Connell
BG vocals – DeeDee Butters, Mackenzie DeMillo, Sherri Harding
Horns – The Muscle Shoals Horns featuring: Charles Rose – trombone and horn arrangements
Steve Herrman – trumpet; Brad Guin – tenor sax; Jimmy Bowland – baritone sax
TELL ME YOU’RE MINE
Lead Vocals – Sherri Harding; Drums – Rob Holtz; Bass – Brian Cooper
Guitar – Kelvin Holly, Robert Farrell, Darwin Demers; Keyboards – Clayton Connell
Sax – Brad McGuin; BG vocals – DeeDee Butters, Roxy Swan, Sherri Harding
Anne Lindsay – Violin and string arrangement; Nancy Kershaw – violin
Claudio Vena – viola; Amahl Arulanadam – cello
DON’T PUSH (ON AN OPEN DOOR)
Lead Vocals – Sherri Harding; Drums – Jamie Holmes; Bass – Brian Cooper;
Guitar – Kelvin Holly, Robert Farrell; Keyboards – Clayton Connell
BG vocals – DeeDee Butters, Mackenzie DeMillo, Sherri Harding, Robert Farrell, Rob Holtz
Horns – The Muscle Shoals Horns featuring: Charles Rose – trombone and horn arrangements
Steve Herrman – trumpet; Brad Guin – tenor sax; Jimmy Bowland – baritone sax
STORYLAND
Lead Vocals – Sherri Harding; Drums – Jamie Holmes; Bass – Brian Cooper; Guitar – Robert Farrell
Additional Guitars – Kelvin Holly and Darwin Demers; Keyboards – Clayton Connell
BG vocals – DeeDee Butters, Mackenzie DeMillo, Sherri Harding
_________________________
June 23, 2023 – Review in Record World International:
June 23, 2023 – Review in Cashbox Canada:
June 23, 2023 – Article by Eric Alper for Sound Café:
June 22, 2023 – Article in Find Your Sounds:
https://findyoursounds.com/ottawa-ons-soulful-bluesy-rock-star-sherri-harding-knows-whos-the-boss-in-lady-of-the-house/?fbclid=IwAR3Oc8UFT6wf57dLAen1A8nTW45mLtlMDBRrujYx4rONzJKeyEfr9Y9mCm0
June 21, 2023 – Article by Darryl Sterdan for Tinnitist:
June 1, 2023 – Article by Wendy Gibb for The Morrisburg Leader:
April 14, 2023 – Interview with Jarod Smith, Volatile Weekly:
April 11, 2023 – Article in BK On the Scene:
April 6, 2023 – Mention in FYI Music news:
March 26, 2023 – Video Essay by Christopher Paine on our show at the Gladstone Theatre in Ottawa (March 25, 2023):
https://www.facebook.com/sherrihardingmusic/videos/720991742907281
March 24, 2023 – Article from Cashbox, Canada:
March 23, 2023 – Article by Lynn Saxberg for The Ottawa Citizen:
March 23, 2023 – Interview with Leanne Cusack, CTV Ottawa:
March 23, 2023 – Article in Find Your Sounds:
March 22, 2023 – Article by Darryl Sterdan, for Tinnitist:
February 23, 2023 – Article in The Kitchissippi times:
