Jann Arden can鈥檛 wipe the COVID-19 pandemic from the planet, but she can at least erase it from the world of her television series.
And that鈥檚 exactly what the Calgary singer-songwriter did last year when she met with the writers鈥� room of her comedy 鈥淛ann鈥� and decided that everything unpleasant about the pandemic wouldn鈥檛 exist in her version of the real world.
鈥淲e just went: 鈥楢bsolutely not,鈥欌�� Arden matter-of-factly explained of making the show, which airs Mondays on CTV and streams on Crave.
鈥淚t鈥檚 unto itself a fictitious place where the world isn鈥檛 as difficult as the one we live in.鈥�
In 鈥淛ann鈥�-land, many things she dislikes about reality aren鈥檛 present, she points out. There are no wars, no political or social strife, and now she can add no COVID-19 to that list.
But outside of fiction, Arden openly talks about her concerns with the pandemic, which is devastating her home province. Coronavirus-related deaths in Alberta reached new highs last week and active cases there are by far the greatest number in Canada.
On Twitter, she frequently addresses her frustrations, urging her followers to get vaccinated and criticizing Alberta Premier Jason Kenney鈥檚 handling of the pandemic.
鈥淢y dead mother could do a better job,鈥� she deadpanned in one tweet.
She鈥檚 offered her support to health care workers as anti-vaccine protesters hit the streets and misinformation spreads online.
鈥淧eople would rather feel like they鈥檙e right at any cost,鈥� she said.
鈥淚t鈥檚 very unfortunate to see people that could absolutely have kept themselves from death choose not to go down that path, for whatever reason.鈥�
鈥淚 really think that people that don鈥檛 want to get vaccinated are going to find themselves much like smokers found themselves in the 鈥�90s, with fewer and fewer places to stand,鈥� she added.
On 鈥淛ann,鈥� the conflicts are never life and death. Usually, the biggest problem is the TV version of the singer, a stubborn diva who rarely considers anyone but herself.
The third season opens with Jann locked inside her home as she sulks over her recent breakup and soothes herself by overspending on retail therapy. Her only friend is her mother, who鈥檚 suffering from Alzheimer鈥檚.
It鈥檚 a sad state that doesn鈥檛 last long. Eventually, Jann ventures into the dating world with some surprising results. A roster of new celebrity guest stars appear later in the season, including singers Michael Bubl茅, Bif Naked and pop sisters Tegan and Sara.
Beyond 鈥淛ann,鈥� Arden has several other projects she expects will come together soon.
鈥淛ann Arden On Stage!,鈥� a concert album recorded during a livestream event last spring, arrives later this month, and she鈥檒l be playing a run of Canadian tour dates next year, most of them previously delayed by the pandemic.
She鈥檚 also recorded a new studio album in Vancouver with producer and longtime collaborator Bob Rock, called 鈥淒escendent.鈥� Due to be released early next year, the project will reflect on Arden鈥檚 fraught relationship with her family from a newfound perspective.
鈥淭here鈥檚 themes of regretfulness, looking back at where you鈥檝e come from and looking forward,鈥� she said.
鈥淏ut finding joy in all of that too, realizing that life is what it is, and you just have to march on.鈥�
Arden鈥檚 near future also includes her first novel, a project that鈥檚 been in gestation for more than a decade, she said.
After penning a number of memoirs and a book about cooking with her late mother, she鈥檚 trying her hand at a coming-of-age story she intends to hand to her publisher in a matter of weeks.
While Arden wants to keep the plot under wraps, she hints that it will take place at a farm where a young heroine and her friend try to figure out 鈥渉ow bad people get away with the things they get away with.鈥�
鈥淚t鈥檚 a mystery, it鈥檚 quite suspenseful,鈥� she said.
鈥擠avid Friend, The Canadian Press
