''Three'' is the third solo album by Canadian

indie rock Indie rock is a Music subgenre, subgenre of rock music that originated in the United States, United Kingdom and New Zealand from the 1970s to the 1980s. Originally used to describe independent record labels, the term became associated with the mu ...

musician

Joel Plaskett William Joel MacDonald Plaskett (born April 18, 1975) is a Canadian rock musician and songwriter based in Halifax, Nova Scotia. He was a member of Halifax alternative rock band Thrush Hermit in the 1990s. Plaskett performs in a number of genres ...

, released on March 24, 2009.Thiessen, Brock (January 27, 2009).
Joel Plaskett Is Obsessed With the Number Three
. ''

Exclaim! ''Exclaim!'' is a Canadian music and entertainment publisher based in Toronto, which features in-depth coverage of new music across all genres with a special focus on Canadian and emerging artists. The monthly Exclaim! print magazine publishes 7 ...

''. Retrieved on 2009-03-12. Plaskett produced and recorded the album himself at his own Scotland Yard studio in

Dartmouth, Nova Scotia Dartmouth ( ) is an urban community and former city located in the Halifax Regional Municipality of Nova Scotia, Canada. Dartmouth is located on the eastern shore of Halifax Harbour. Dartmouth has been nicknamed the City of Lakes, after the larg ...

. In addition to being released as a

triple album A double album (or double record) is an audio album that spans two units of the primary medium in which it is sold, typically either records or compact disc. A double album is usually, though not always, released as such because the recording i ...

, the number three is reflected in several other aspects of the album. Each disc has nine songs on it, many of which are titled with a single word or phrase repeated three times. The album's release date of 3/24/09 also consists of numbers divisible by three, the cover features an image of Plaskett holding three fingers up, and preorders through

MapleMusic Cadence Recordings, formerly MapleMusic, is a Canadian independent record label founded by Andy Maize, Jeff Maize, Mike Alkier, Evan Hu, Lorique Mindel and Grant Dexter in 1999 and based in Toronto, Ontario. Other investors include Gary Slaight ...

were distributed with access to exclusive tickets, priced at $66, which would entitle the purchaser to a seat in the first twelve rows of Plaskett's concert at

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...

's Massey Hall the night before the album's release. According to Plaskett, the discs tell a story of "going away, being alone and coming home", with each disc representing one of those three themes.Flinn, Sean (May 28, 2009).
Joel Plaskett: Three for the road
, ''

The Coast The Coast may refer to: * ''The Coast'' (newspaper), a weekly newspaper in Halifax, Canada * The Coast, Newark, New Jersey, a neighborhood in Newark, New Jersey, USA * "The Coast", a song by Paul Simon from his 1990 album ''The Rhythm of the Saints ...

''. Retrieved on 2009-07-18. Guest musicians on the album include singers

Ana Egge Ana G. Egge (born September 20, 1976, in Estevan, Saskatchewan, Canada) is a Canadian/American musician and songwriter. Egge grew up the daughter of a teacher and a wheat farmer in Ambrose, North Dakota, and later moved to Silver City, New ...

and Rose Cousins, who were at the

Folk Alliance Folk Alliance International (previously the ''North American Folk Music and Dance Alliance'') is a non-profit organization that produces an annual conference that is the world's largest gathering of the folk music industry and community. Founded ...

festival in Memphis in 2007. The three of them tried jamming at

Easley McCain Recording Easley McCain Recording is an American recording studio, based in Memphis, Tennessee, notable for recording musicians such as Tav Falco's Panther Burns, Oblivians, Grifters, Pavement, Sonic Youth, Come, White Stripes, Townes Van Zandt, Pezz, Je ...

in Memphis, and Plaskett decided he wanted to have them on his new album and write parts for them. Plaskett's father

Bill Bill(s) may refer to: Common meanings * Banknote, paper cash (especially in the United States) * Bill (law), a proposed law put before a legislature * Invoice, commercial document issued by a seller to a buyer * Bill, a bird or animal's beak Plac ...

was also a significant contributor to the album, offering songwriting and arranging, vocals, and playing bouzouki, acoustic guitar, tenor guitar, and piano. The album was shortlisted for the

2009 Polaris Music Prize The 2009 edition of the Canadian Polaris Music Prize was presented on September 21, 2009 in Toronto

. It won Contemporary Album of the Year at the 2009 Canadian Folk Music Awards. In June 2009, Plaskett released a follow-up EP, entitled ''Three More'', which contained three songs not featured on the original album. In 2010, Plaskett released a condensed version of ''Three'' called ''Three to One'' primarily for the non-Canadian market.BBC review of Three to One
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Track listing

''Three More''

''Three to One''

References

{{Authority control 2009 albums Joel Plaskett albums MapleMusic Recordings albums Juno Award for Adult Alternative Album of the Year albums