Why are the six tantalizing songs on Sarah Vanderzon's new Fortune Teller EP - including her sensational first single, "Are You With Me?" - so good?

It's because she has a secret weapon.

Her corgi, Ragnar.

Singer and songwriter Vanderzon insists her short legged pal plays an integral role whenever the native of rural Montreal is in the mood to craft her latest earworm.

Produced by Jordan Honsinger (Patrick James Clark, Morgan Griffiths) at his Nashville home studio and mixed by Jordan Oorebeek (Kalsey Kulyk, Sully Burrows), Fortune Teller serves Vanderzon's resilient alto as an amplifier to her heartfelt narratives about love, attraction, loyalty and heartbreak: all delivered with potent melodies that underscore her universally relatable lyrics.

There's no better example than the EP's anthemic first single, "Are You With Me?," distinguished by an ascending vocal lick and a slight Celtic folk feel mindful of Mumford & Sons.  

"This song is kind of an open letter to my partner, " states Vanderzon, "I was telling her, 'This career comes with many lows and a few highs. Can you handle all of this uncertainty?''

For Vanderzon, thankfully the answer was 'yes,' but she was also surprised at the impact it had on her audiences as she road-tested the number.

There's the rollicking folk elation of "Fortune Teller," an affirmation of lifelong love and devotion fueled by a noticeable banjo propellant; the bluesy bluster of "Give Me One Reason" that's highlighted by a tour-de-force Vanderzon vocal delivery of a love-me-or-leave-me ultimatum- and the cheeky, country-flavoured "Hey Partner," which tells a tale of a cowboy in a singles bar hitting on the wrong type of girl.

The stylistic versatility showcased on Fortune Teller also reveals a lot about Sarah Vanderzon's dedication to her craft and an ability to inventively adapt to different genres that fall under the umbrella of Americana, folk, and country.

Initially shy, Sarah Vanderzon spent her high school days playing basketball and soccer, but found her true love in music. She lived with her family (which included two older brothers) "on a random road that nobody knows exists" located on the outskirts of Montréal and in a largely rural setting.  

"I don't like the city," she admits. "I thrive in nature and sunsets where there are open fields. I lead a calm life."

Well, not entirely tranquil: the geographical isolation prompted Vanderzon, her brothers and three cousins down the road to grab a video camera and invent and perform skits, which she credits "playing into the creative part of my music."

It also helped her develop a confident stage presence as she found various venues to perform her originals, including applying to - and winning - the Emerging Artists Showcase at 2024's Boots and Hearts Music Festival, which led to her contract with Universal Music Canada.

“Playing the largest country music Festival in Canada was not on my bingo card,” Vanderzon says. “Let alone winning the showcase and signing a recording contract… which all still feels very surreal.”

"My favourite part of my career is live performance," she states. "I love connecting with the crowd, especially when I have intimate shows. People come up to me and tell me their story of how they connected with a song and sometimes it comes from a completely different perspective that I would have had.  

"And that's what is really beautiful about music: you can put out all these songs into the world and everybody interprets it in their own way. Sometimes it's healing - but live performance for me is very important."

For many, Fortune Teller will be an important addition to their collection, as it announces the arrival of a fresh, insightful and enjoyable singer-songwriter in Sarah Vanderzon in the form of six sensational songs.

Most importantly, they're Ragnar-approved.

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