mike haggith - the warrenside

     The 49th official release in Haggith's solo catalogue, The Warrenside (alternatively, The War Inside) was shaped by a series of personal events and incidents which largely took place in late 2014. Recording took place between October 2014 and May 2015, between Haggith's personal label in Windsor, ON, and his jointly-operated Sault Ste Marie, ON label, PaperClip Productions. The Sault-based sessions were conducted alongside Curtis McKenzie, who appears on the record as a session musician over a number of tracks.

     At the time of its release, The Warrenside was Haggith's most anticipated solo endeavor, and was his first to see a proper album release concert. Its sales also surpassed those of his previously released albums at the time, making The Warrenside Haggith's best-selling record over the first fifteen years of his recording career. Although this sales record would eventually be outdone by 2020's If Ever Comes The Day, The Warrenside is still viewed as a pivotal point of Haggith's musical journey, coinciding with his discovery of cognitive behavioral therapy, and serving as the springboard for some of his most introspective material to that point. The majority of Haggith's vocal tracking sessions at PaperClip Productions included dedicated time for personal reflection, relaxation, and further examination of written lyrics, for last-minute revisions prior to recording.

     A notably upbeat record when compared to his other solo releases of the time, this album reflects the evolution of Haggith's writing and composing style through his early 20s, meshing often melancholy lyrical content with bright and bold instrumental arrangements- a trend which would be further refined during his work with The Din between 2015 and 2017. The Warrenside's biggest claim to fame is certainly rooted in its role of reflecting Haggith's growth as both a songwriter and storyteller.

     The first solo release from Haggith to feature a session musician, Curtis McKenzie was hired to provide additional guitar work on Tracks 1, 6, 9, and 10, and backing vocals on Tracks 2, 6, and 8. In addition, Track 3 was co-written by Candace Warren. While CD pressings were manufactured and sold, they have since sold out, and this record is currently not available in physical print. It continues to be available for digital download.