Vancouver-based singer-songwriter Danielle Schroeder returns with her poignant new single “I’m Ready”, the second heartfelt preview of her upcoming album Later is Here (out June 18). A masterclass in emotional authenticity, the track grapples with the painful, often paradoxical journey of letting go—revealing that readiness isn’t always a straight path, but a messy, deeply human struggle.
Recorded at Monarch Studios with producer Aaron Klassen and bandmates Jeremiah Schneider and Paolo Pietropaolo, “I’m Ready” is a soulful blend of folk introspection and alt-country warmth, anchored by Schroeder’s rich, weathered vocals. There’s a palpable tension in her delivery—equal parts desperation and determination—as she sings of releasing old wounds, patterns, and relationships that linger like ghosts. The instrumentation mirrors this duality: gentle acoustic strums and aching pedal steel underscore the song’s vulnerability, while subtle rhythmic pulses hint at the resolve beneath the sorrow.
Schroeder cuts to the bone, capturing the midlife reckoning of realizing that some goodbyes take years to truly mean. “No matter how much we are ready to let go,” she reflects, “sometimes they aren’t ready to let go of us—or harder still, we aren’t ready to let go of them.” It’s a universal truth, rendered with such specificity that it feels like a confessional late-night conversation.
Danielle Schroeder’s ‘I’m Ready’ is a soul-baring alt-folk gem—achingly honest, quietly defiant, and a tender reminder that healing rarely follows a straight line.
