Renaissance: Stories, Songs & Fresh Beginnings — A Conversation with Annie Haslam (with Jim McCarty)
If you could bottle the feeling of light pouring through stained glass, that’s Renaissance for me—uplifting, symphonic, and timeless. In this special episode of the Now Spinning Magazine Podcast I’m joined by the incomparable Annie Haslam—and, as a brilliant surprise, Jim McCarty, co-founder of Renaissance. We talk about the band’s origins, Annie’s life in music and art, the alchemy of voice and orchestration, and the new “stories & music” concerts coming this November.
From farewell to fresh start: how a one-woman storytelling idea turned into a short run of Renaissance “stories & music” shows—rekindling the band spirit with very little lead-time.
Accidental invention: Jim recalls the spark of Renaissance’s classical–rock fusion—the moment Beethoven crept into a jam and a sound was born.
Annie’s singular voice: classical training, five octaves, and lessons that shaped the colour and confidence behind her signature tone.
The lyric lens: Betty Thatcher’s extraordinary words—how poetry became songcraft, and why “Mother Russia” and “Northern Lights” still resonate so deeply.
Art that sings: Annie’s painting practice, synaesthesia-tinged colour work, and the breathtaking backdrops created for orchestral shows (A Symphonic Journey).
Cornwall connections: memories of living in Cornwall and how place lingers in art and life.
Setlist hints & deep cuts: from “Face of Yesterday” and “Island” to songs that reach right back to the Illusion era—and even a nod to Jim’s Shoot project.
From ‘farewell’… to ‘one more story’
After what was billed as a farewell tour, Annie focused on health and art—until a promoter invited her to Edwardsville for a storytelling evening. Annie felt the show needed musical heart, and the “angel whisper” pointed straight to Jim McCarty. One call later, the idea snowballed: bring in the band, blend memories with music, and give fans something intimate and rare.
The Renaissance recipe (and a happy accident)
As Jim tells it, the band’s signature classical flourish arrived unexpectedly: a rock-and-roll keyboardist hit a Beethoven phrase in rehearsal, and everyone lit up. The hybrid language—folk, classical, rock—began to take form, ultimately blossoming into the music so many of us treasure.
Five octaves, one voice
Annie shares formative moments: an early classical coach, the encouragement to double-track leads (refined with Roy Wood on Annie in Wonderland), and the choices that protected and preserved her voice over decades. The result is a tone that feels both pure and powerful—utterly unmistakable.
The poetry of Betty Thatcher
Renaissance was unusual in working with a dedicated lyricist. Through Betty’s words—recommended via Cornish connections—the band found images vast enough for their sweeping arrangements. “Mother Russia,” “Northern Lights,” “Bound for Infinity”—the stories inside the music still carry the same emotional charge today.
Painting the songs
Annie’s art began with a nudge-from-nowhere: “It’s time to start oil painting now.” What followed were interplanetary-scapes, fields of living grass, and—later—paintings of songs. For A Symphonic Journey, she created original canvases for each piece, enlarged as stage backdrops behind a 10-piece orchestra. Music in colour; colour as music.
“When I paint, I don’t plan—I feel.
The colours choose themselves, like the song choosing its own light.” —Annie Haslam
The shows: stories, songs… and surprises
Expect conversation threaded through cherished repertoire. Hints include “Face of Yesterday,” “Island,” “Madonna Blue,” “Isadora,” and early Illusion-era touches—plus a couple from Jim’s post-Renaissance project Shoot. It’s a look back that feels forward—personal, warm, and alive.
Links to dates and tickets will be in the video and podcast descriptions (and added here on the site). If you’re discovering Renaissance now—or returning after years—these shows sound like the perfect doorway in.
Explore Annie’s paintings at anniehaslam.com (new website in the works)
Phil Aston | Now Spinning Magazine
