Sylvia Tyson revisits her songwriting roots and the early days of Ian & Sylvia

Originally published on Sept. 5, 2019

Sylvia Tyson is one half of the singing and songwriting duo Ian & Sylvia. They were the two trailblazers in the North American folk scene through the '60s and '70s. The duo performed everywhere from Toronto's coffeehouses to the folk bars that covered Greenwich Village. They covered traditional songs and become even more popular once they started to record songs of their own.  

Now, Tyson has uncovered some lost recordings from their early work together. She's sharing the tracks in their new music collection, Ian & Sylvia: The Lost Tapes.

In a conversation with Q host Tom Power, Sylvia Tyson looks back at their early career, through some of the "lost" recordings dating back to the early '70s. 

Ian Tyson and Sylvia Tyson are each being inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame in Calgary on Sept. 5. The two are being recognized separately, for their large collections of solo work that have stretched beyond the time they spent performing together. 

Ian & Sylvia: The Lost Tapes will be released on Friday, Sept. 6. 

— Produced by ​Emma Godmere