Album
Reimagine
Jamie Penner’s first album to combine instrumental music with vocals, Reimagine represents a major change in direction—bringing together personal songwriting, new interpretations of influential songs, and stories drawn from his own life and the people around him.
Release date: August 1, 2024
In stock
Album introduction
Jamie Penner’s first album to combine instrumental music with vocals, Reimagine represents a major change in direction—bringing together personal songwriting, new interpretations of influential songs, and stories drawn from his own life and the people around him.
Track listing
About this release
About Reimagine
Reimagine marks a major turning point in Jamie Penner’s catalogue. After three entirely instrumental releases, Penner changed the direction and character of his music by introducing vocals—first through new interpretations of songs that had influenced him, and then through original songs built around his own experiences and the lives of people close to him.
The transition began unexpectedly. One Sunday at church, Penner accidentally knocked his guitar while it sat in its stand with the signal still live. Someone joked that the resulting sound resembled the opening chord of “A Hard Day’s Night.” The following week, he began trying to recreate that chord. By the end of the weekend, he had recorded the entire song, including his first-ever vocal performance, and released it as a single.
A month later, he challenged himself again with “My Maria.” That was followed by “While My Guitar Gently Weeps,” inspired in part by seeing Prince’s celebrated performance of the song. The recording became one of the most complex productions Penner had attempted. Those singles were later brought into the album alongside an instrumental interpretation of “Boogie Fever,” selected in large part because of its unmistakable bass line.
The original material gives Reimagine its personal centre. “Time Moves On” reflects on people whose lives changed without warning and the realization that time does not wait for circumstances to improve. “Chasing Andromeda” draws from Penner’s interest in amateur astrophotography and is echoed in the cover artwork, which features an image of the Andromeda Galaxy photographed by longtime friend Peter Andersen. “Blue Skies” was written for Sue Hindle, a high school friend who reconnected with Penner years later and became a consistently positive and encouraging supporter of his music.
Other songs move further into personal storytelling. “An Endless Journey” traces Penner’s own life, with nearly every line representing part of his experience. “Fierce” was written as encouragement for someone close to him facing the fight of her life—a battle she overcame, but one that continues to require strength throughout her life. “Just a Moment” offers reassurance that mistakes and difficult periods do not have to define a person: even the worst experience is still only a moment, and it is never too late to move forward.
Recorded, engineered, and produced by Penner at The Rock Quarry in Nanaimo, British Columbia, Reimagine is both a musical reinvention and a statement of growth. It is his first album to include vocals, his first to feature vocal songs he wrote himself, and the beginning of a broader direction in which instrumental music and lyrical storytelling could exist side by side.
Track notes
Inside the tracks
01While My Guitar Gently Weeps
Penner’s interpretation of the George Harrison composition. The recording followed a renewed interest in the song after watching Prince’s acclaimed live performance and became one of the most complex productions Penner had completed at that point.
02Time Moves On
An instrumental reflection on people Penner knew whose lives changed suddenly. The track carries the underlying idea that a person can wait for circumstances to improve, but time continues moving regardless. Its music video was created to communicate that theme without lyrics.
03Chasing Andromeda
Inspired by Penner’s interest in amateur astrophotography and the ongoing pursuit of different objects in the night sky. The title is reflected in the album artwork, which features a photograph of the Andromeda Galaxy taken by Peter Andersen.
04Blue Skies
Written for Sue Hindle, a high school friend who reconnected with Penner years later. She became a fan of his music and was consistently positive and encouraging about his work.
05Confident
An original composition built around a sense of swagger, certainty, and forward momentum.
06An Endless Journey
A deeply personal song about Penner’s own life journey. Nearly every line represents an experience, stage, or memory from his life.
07Fierce
Written as representation and encouragement for someone close to Penner who was facing the fight of her life. The song reflects the strength with which she overcame that battle and continues to face its lasting challenges.
08Boogie Fever
Penner’s instrumental interpretation of the song written by Keni St. Lewis and Freddie Perren. He chose to record it because he had always loved its distinctive and memorable bass line.
09Just A Moment
Written for someone close to Penner as a reminder that mistakes and difficult experiences do not need to be relived indefinitely or allowed to become overwhelming. A bad period is still only a moment, and it is never too late to move beyond it.
10My Maria
Penner’s interpretation of the B.W. Stevenson and Daniel Moore composition. Recorded and released as a single one month after “A Hard Day’s Night,” it became his next challenge as he began developing confidence as a vocalist.
11A Hard Day’s Night
The recording that initiated Penner’s move into vocal music. It began after an accidentally struck guitar at church was jokingly compared to the song’s famous opening chord. Penner attempted to recreate the chord the following week and, by the end of that weekend, had recorded the entire song and his first-ever vocal performance.
12An Endless Journey (Reprise)
A shorter instrumental version of “An Endless Journey,” created for radio use and placed at the end of the album as a reflective closing piece.