Hillsburns’ iconic first album, In the Battle Years, is turning 10. In celebration of this milestone, a remixed and remastered anniversary edition releases March 11, 2026. 

The album was met with an outpouring of critical praise in 2016 that noted not only the strength of the songwriting, but also the band’s rare ability to translate emotional intimacy into communal experience. Reviewers across Atlantic Canada and beyond quickly embraced Hillsburn as one of the region’s most compelling indie-folk acts, praising the band’s harmonies, musicianship, and resonant lyrics.

From its opening moments, In The Battle Years established Hillsburn as storytellers unafraid of emotional honesty. In particular, critics singled out tracks such as “Farther In The Fire,” “Run Down,” “Billy,” and “Hold Me Now” for their poignancy. The album arrived at a pivotal moment for the band, following Hillsburn’s national Top 10 finish in CBC’s Searchlight competition. At the time, Rosanna Burrill remarked that In The Battle Years spoke to the band’s collective leap of faith in “taking a long shot at something we’re all really passionate about.”

A decade later, the praise feels well-earned. In The Battle Years continues to be remembered not only as a strong debut, but as an album that captured the spirit of a band and the belief that some battles are worth fighting. A sentiment that still carries weight in 2026.