Local Art-Folk Band Ptarmigan Has Released Their Third Album “Cocoon"

Local art-folk band Ptarmigan released their third album, titled ‘Cocoon’ on Nov. 19.

The album title “Cocoon” speaks to the insular and fragile comfort of home and place and the transformations people go through throughout their lives.

“With this album entitled ‘Cocoon,’ we’re exploring the concept of home and how people build their homes literally and figuratively,” said Peter McMurtry, a bandmember, who grew up in Peterborough and now lives in Toronto.

Filtering stories of home through the lens of his own experiences, McMurtry draws inspiration from science fiction, fantasy, and stories of his own family history on Cocoon.

Bandmembers Peter McMurtry (vocals, banjo, guitar), Aaron Hoffman (vocals, mandolin, synthesizer, keyboards), and Sam Gleason (guitar) grew up in Peterborough and met while attending the former Peterborough Collegiate Vocational School, where they started playing music together.

“We explored folk music in high school, performing at coffee houses, and experimenting with different types of music in an environment that fostered creativity,” said McMurty. “With the school being so close to downtown, we were fortunate to perform in venues such as The Spill. That’s where we developed our strong grass roots, folk foundation.”

The song “Once I Knew” is accompanied by a video shot in the countryside south of Rice Lake, directed by Adrienne McLaren. Dancer Oriah Wiersma brought the lyrics to life in her choreographed movements. Viewers can see that and other music videos on www.ptarmiganband.com.

Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Tiktok. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for PTBOBuzz newsletter here.