Rebecca Aadland’s new album, Stronger Broken, is an eclectic collection of original songs, bridging styles of folk, rock and blues. Her resonant and beautiful vocals infuse this record, which is the culmination of six years in the studio with some of Minnesota’s finest musicians. Stronger Broken was released fifteen years after her debut record. Her lyrics are soulful, sometimes humorous, with themes of getting unstuck, finding love, and wrestling with life’s hardships.
The album features a stellar band. It was recorded and engineered by Dik Shopteau (Judd, Tina Turner, Todd Rundgren, Tex Pistols Band) and mastered by Greg Reierson (Prince, Jonny Lang, Jenny Lewis, The Suburbs). The musicians include drummer Greg Schutte (Ryan Bingham, Stephen Stills, Chastity Brown), guitarist Lantz Dale (Jeremy Poland Band, IV Play), guitarist Kurt Jorgensen (The Jorgensens), guitarist Boyd Lee (Tex Pistols, 2 Girls & a Boyd), multi-instrumentalist Paul Winchester, cellist Jacqueline Ultan (Laurels String Quartet, Ondara, Dan Wilson, Shabby Road Orchestra), vocalist Elizabeth Ghandour (Elour) and bassist Dik Shopteau (mentioned above). Rebecca’s youngest son, Luke Schoper, has contributed to many of the arrangements and also plays keyboards on the album.
This music became even more poignant with the sudden passing of Rebecca’s husband and artistic collaborator, Dr. Brian Tillotson. On the very day they celebrated the completion of the album tracks and artwork and sent it off to manufacturing, he died unexpectedly of cardiac arrest in the ER. Brian was one of Rebecca’s biggest champions. He wrote the lyrics for one of the songs (“Too Many Songs”), as a tribute to his love for her. Heartbroken and devastated, Rebecca released the album three months after his death in 2022, honoring his devotion to her music and the deep love they shared. The irony of the title, Stronger Broken, captures the challenge Rebecca is now facing, forging ahead without him. A year after the official release, Rebecca and her band performed a concert to a sell-out crowd at Crooners Main Stage in Minneapolis to celebrate the album release. Rebecca was able to share her stories and songs with a rare humor and honesty. Promotion of this album was delayed due to Brian’s death, but now Rebecca is writing new songs, creating videos and recording. She is back to performing and promoting her album.
Evoking Tracy Chapman’s soul-piercing lyrics and Shawn Colvin’s folk and pop sensibilities, Rebecca Aadland ties together themes of love (“I’ll Walk With You”), loss (“Broken Pieces”) and change (“Twist in the Plot”). Stronger Broken is a touching musical guide for people looking to forge a new life path.
Bio
Rebecca Aadland is a soulful singer/songwriter and lifelong observer of the human condition. Having also worked as a teacher, psychotherapist, and public speaker, she is drawn to courageous stories of finding true love and pursuing joyful work. For more than 35 years, the Minneapolis-based artist has performed at music clubs, colleges and conferences, sharing her folk/pop originals with a rare humor and honesty.
Born into a musical family in Absarokee, Montana, Rebecca was the seventh of 10 children. Her father was a minister and pipe organ builder, her mother played the church organ, and all the children sang. “Singing harmony was a requirement for all of us kids by the time we were six,” Rebecca laughs. From a young age, she became intrigued by themes of psychology, family, and religion and how these forces can shape our life story.
Rebecca earned her bachelor’s degree in music, specializing in voice and music education. She taught choral music in public schools for 14 years, and before that, she donned big hair in an all-girl cover band in the 80s. Although she took a break from pursuing music professionally to raise three children, she also completed a master’s degree in psychology while teaching and eventually worked as a psychotherapist. Yet, music continued to be central to her work, and Rebecca often weaved musical performances into her teaching and public speaking engagements.
Leaving her first marriage in 2001 was pivotal in Rebecca’s story, leaping into the unknown to find true love and writing songs along the way. In 2007, she released her debut album, Foreign Soul, and was selected as the Midwest Regional Finalist in the prestigious New Song Contest in 2009. A true labor of love, Rebecca released Stronger Broken on June 13, 2022, as a tribute to her late husband.
In addition to her work as a musician and therapist, Rebecca is a potter, painter, gardener, mother, and grandmother.
Photos
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Videos
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Press Quotes
“Wandering between rootsy delicacy and rock drive, between pop infectiousness and more ornate sonic machinations, between bluesy grooves and folk finesse and country cool, this is about as fine a collection of songs, ones happy to wander across the musical landscape with grace and ease, as you are likely to hear. Stronger Broken would have been a deep and meaningful, intimate, yet relatable album in any normal circumstances, but given the tragic passing of events, it has taken on a heightened and heartfelt poignancy. It’s a great album in its own right, but it’s also an eloquent and elegant sonic document of love, life, and loss.”
Read full review here.
– Dave Franklin, The Big Takeover
“Her return to performing marks a new chapter, as she steps back into the world with fresh songs and the courage to keep telling her story. Fans who attend her concerts are treated not just to her soulful music but to her warmth, humor, and unguarded honesty — a rare combination that invites listeners to find strength in their own broken places. Rebecca Aadland’s Stronger Broken isn’t just an album; it’s a journey. It’s for anyone who’s ever had to pick up the pieces and press on, finding themselves stronger and more whole for having done so. For those in need of a soundtrack to accompany their own stories of resilience, Stronger Broken is a gift. It reminds us all that sometimes, in the breaking, we find our truest, most unbreakable selves.need of a soundtrack to accompany their own stories of resilience, Stronger Broken is a gift. It reminds us all that sometimes, in the breaking, we find our truest, most unbreakable selves.”
Read the full review here.
– Stevie Conner, The Sound Cafe Magazine
“Stronger Broken is an album that proved impossible not to fall for, not only because of the quality and accessibility of the songwriting but also because of less tangible factors such as relatability and depth, poeticism, and poise. At the heart of this album of sonic gems is “Stuck in Yesterday,” which now receives its day in the sun as a single and video.”
– Dave Franklin, The Big Takeover
Read the full review here.
“Through the development of her own musical gifts, Rebecca Aadland intuited what health researchers are finding: music is powerful beyond its ability to delight us—it can actually affect the way we perceive the world. Rebecca’s artistic journey through an intimate emotional landscape charts a course available to all of us—to navigate, via creative gifts, our own personal passage to understanding and growth.”
– Marian Deegan, Fortuni
“Rebecca is a dedicated artist and songwriter that captures her own experience in a way that moves her audience.”
– Chad Shank, Berklee College of Music, Online Faculty
“… it’s sweet and it stands as a reminder to cherish and appreciate the steps we get to take with our loved ones. I’m sure the song has taken a bittersweet tone that wasn’t there in the original writing, but it feels like a celebration, not a mourning.”
– Ann Treacy, Mostly Minnesota
“Rebecca Aadland is my favorite kind of singer/songwriter because you can feel her heart. Her truth and authenticity shines through her songs.”
– Mary Jane Alm, Minneapolis Singer-Songwriter
“Stronger Broken is an outstanding example of perseverance through hard work and a desire to make something great. Rebecca began this recording as a songwriter and emerged an artist!”
– Dik Shopteau, recorded and engineered STRONGER BROKEN
One-Sheet
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Accomplishments
TCF Rotunda Mall of America, Lake Harriet Bandshell, Minnesota State Fair, Minnehaha Park Bandshell, Midtown Global Market, Aster Cafe, 318 Cafe, Crooners, Plums Bar & Grill, Dunn Brothers
Rebecca has performed her original songs with her guitar at many venues in the Twin Cities.
Crooner’s | Fridley, MN
Sold-out album release show with her 7-piece band in 2023.
Frog Island Blues Band, 19th Annual Block Party, Excelsior, MN
Rebecca performed as the guest vocalist and rhythm guitarist in an outdoor show on Lake Minnetonka in August 2024.
New Song Contest 2009
Midwest Regional Finalist.
NWCT Studio, Northwest Community Television | Brooklyn Park, MN
Several of Rebecca’s original songs have been included in the Minnesingers Program, which is aired on 19 public-access TV channels serving more than 120 cities in three states.
Mamapolooza | Mankato Arts & Historical District, Mankato, MN
Headline performer and keynote speaker at this two-day event which celebrated women and motherhood.
Concert Series, Rhein River Arts Center | New Ulm, MN
Rebecca performed a two-hour concert as part of a musical duo to a sold-out crowd.
Opening Ceremonies at Minnesota State University’s Women & Spirituality Conference | Mankato, MN
Rebecca & Friends (7-pc. band) was showcased as the musical headline act for The Women & Spirituality National Conference at MSU, with an evening concert in the MSU Ostrander Auditorium.
KFIL Radio Show Over The Back Fence, Commonweal Theatre | Lanesboro, MN
Rebecca performed several of her original songs and was interviewed as the featured musical guest.
KNUJ Radio | New Ulm, MN
Rebecca has been a musical guest and has been interviewed as a mental health consultant on several occasions.
Professional Seminars | “I’m Miserable Because of You: Undoing the Blame Game
Rebecca’s popular full-day seminar has been presented to crowds of psychologists, therapists and counselors in Minneapolis, St. Paul, Rochester, Duluth, Fargo, St. Cloud and Mankato for the past 10 years. Along with her gift of humor and storytelling, Rebecca shares several of her original songs as part of the program.
Live Television Consultant | Fox 9 News
Greater Minneapolis-St. Paul Area: Rebecca was interviewed by Fox News anchor Heidi Collins on the nine-o’clock evening news on October 13, 2010, to provide commentary on the rescue of the Chilean Miners. Questions about the miners’ possible struggles with PTSD and the effect that “good news” has on the nation were themes.
Contact Me
Publicity
Krista Vilinskis
Elephants & Flowers Media
612 242 1727
elephantsandflowersmedia@gmail.com
General info and booking
Rebecca Aadland
beccada10@gmail.com
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