Joel Manchester: I am currently sitting actually in Colin Fowlie’s Recording studio in Fredericton, New Brunswick. The city of Fredericton, which I would call my home town - population of about 60,000 people. So, you know, a growing number of people out on the streets, on nights that are especially cold, in positions that are especially uncomfortable, in ways that just... if you're a person with a heart, you can't see that and not think that something needs to change about that.
Really, the hope for the song was that it would bring some more attention to Coldest Night of the Year. But of course, then bring more attention to, you know, the problem of those experiencing homelessness.
Especially for someone like myself who experiences mental health issues, a lot of that is very real to me because... this could be me. I could easily see myself in that position. It wasn't so much a problem that needed to be dealt with, it was kind of like something that I completely related to and could understand so easily - how you could end up in that position with, just like the blink of your eyes.
The idea to do a song, to use my creativity to give back, It was just like the perfect opportunity.
Colin Fowlie: So Joel actually reached out to me with the idea to create a song, and maybe a music video as well, in support of Coldest Night of the Year. And I was immediately on board. And we got together here in this room and just kind of started riffing on it, and coming up with, like, the two perspectives thing...
Joel: The perspective of walking the streets when it's cold. And then, shifted the perspective and started writing from the perspective of being on the streets when it’s cold. From either perspective, there's a person, and they can be the same one, basically.
Colin: I like creating stuff that I love that changes people's frame of mind, even for just a few minutes at a time.
Joel: I think the main thing that inspires me as an artist, and to create, is connecting with other people.
Colin: And there is somebody out there that's going to connect with what you have to say.
Joel: Suddenly, I'm not just me by myself, I'm part of a community. And that makes the journey a lot less scary for sure. I think it's important that there are people who will genuinely care.
Colin: You’re going to reach somebody - somebody’s always listening.