Tag: Ontario

LISTEN: Decoration Day, “Harry Goes to War”

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Artist: Decoration Day
Hometown: Toronto, Ontario
Song: “Harry Goes to War”
Album: Makeshift Future
Release Date: September 18, 2020

In Their Words: “A few months before he died, my grandpa sent me a typewritten letter in the mail with the title ‘Anti-Dementia Memoir #4.’ Every one of the grandkids had gotten one — it was just his charming way of preserving his memories and keeping his mind sharp until the end. The letter recounts his times as a soldier in the Canadian Army during World War II. There is quite a range in the two short pages; he writes about a joyous weekend playing hooky from the army camp, and also about the weight of being forced to burn the instruments of prisoners of war, who would later go on to open their own businesses in Canada. The story flowed in such a natural, folk-like way that I knew it had to be adapted into a song. When I hear it back now, it doesn’t feel like anything I’ve written, but instead like a piece of family lore that’s always existed.” — Justin Orok, Decoration Day

Photo credit: Brianna Roye

WATCH: Evangeline Gentle, “Ordinary People” (Live)

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Artist: Evangeline Gentle
Hometown: Born in Peterhead, Scotland; moved to Peterborough, Ontario, at age 11; now living in Hamilton, Ontario
Song: “Ordinary People” (Live)
Album: Evangeline Gentle
Release Date: August 21, 2020
Record Label: Sonic Unyon

In Their Words: “I wrote ‘Ordinary People’ for my loved ones, who soften the world for me when I’m feeling hardened by it. The video was filmed spontaneously on the set of a full production video for my song ‘Sundays.’ It was shot in Peterborough, Ontario, at the Sisters of St. Joseph convent — also known as ‘The Mount’ — outside what used to be their old laundry building. The director Rob Viscardis and I decided that it was such a beautiful location and would be the perfect setting for a live video of this song.” — Evangeline Gentle

Photo courtesy of Sonic Unyon

WATCH: Donovan Woods, “Grew Apart”

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Artist: Donovan Woods
Hometown: Sarnia, Ontario
Song: “Grew Apart” (single)
Label: Meant Well

In Their Words: “‘Grew Apart’ is about the little lies inside the words we use when we’re hurting after a relationship ends. We wanted to tell a story in the video about men trying to help each other — and fucking it up, but trying. Men seem to think that there’s some physical trial we need to put ourselves through when we’re lovesick — drinking, fighting. The wrongheadedness of that idea is on display here. So often it feels like we can’t escape those breakup clichés. The song and the video are about why that might be.” — Donovan Woods

Photo credit: Joey Senft

WATCH: Wild Rivers, “Kinda Feels Alright”

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Artist: Wild Rivers
Hometown: Toronto, Ontario
Song: “Kinda Feels Alright”
Album: Songs To Break Up To EP
Release Date: May 1, 2020
Label: Nettwerk

In Their Words: “‘Kinda Feels Alright’ holds an important place on the Songs To Break Up To EP, exploring the positive side of a breakup. It’s also a big part of the personal story of the record. It’s about beginning to accept a breakup and feel alright. Sonically, it feels like a bridge between a classic Wild Rivers song and the new territory we explore with the rest of the EP.” — Khalid Yassein, Wild Rivers

Photo credit: Stefan Kohli

LISTEN: Union Duke, “Left Behind”

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Artist: Union Duke
Hometown: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Song: “Left Behind”
Release Date: January 28, 2020

In Their Words: “‘Left Behind’ is exactly what you think it is: a song about leaving things behind. We were trying to capture the feeling of loneliness and isolation one can feel when they’re far from the one(s) they love — both lyrically and musically. It’s about the distance often forced between us and the longing to be together again.

“The last of our four newest songs produced by Jeff Hazin, ‘Left Behind’ is the only soft-ish song of the music we’ve released over the last year and once we got in the studio with it we had the opportunity to explore some really cool ideas that are pretty new for us. It was a lot of fun building this tune and taking it from mellow and simmering to a driving banjo-driven sing-along. Plus: lap steel! (Played by our guitarist Rob McLaren.)” — Matt Warry-Smith, Union Duke

Photo credit: Alex Nunes

LISTEN: B. Knox, “The Fault Lies”

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Artist Name: B. Knox
Hometown: Barrie, Ontario, Canada
Song: “The Fault Lies”
Album: Heartbreak and Landscape
Release Date: Early 2020

In Their Words: “It’s hard to feel any sense of permanence when the seasons are constantly changing. I love the interplay between landscape, weather, and emotion. I think most of what I write reflects that, in one way or another. I tried to lean heavily on barren images and vast amounts of space: the distance between things. Emotions, like the seasons, are things we all experience, but they are also extremely individual. Here in Canada, we have a lot of open space and vastly different seasons. In a way, that’s what both connects and isolates us.” — B. Knox

Photo credit: Baldwin

LISTEN: Ariana Gillis, “The Maze”

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Artist: Ariana Gillis
Hometown: Vineland, Ontario, Canada
Song: “The Maze”
Album: The Maze
Release Date: June 14, 2019

In Their Words: “‘The Maze’ is based upon the Greek myth of the Minotaur in the labyrinth. The hero, Theseus, needs to find his way back out and he does so with the help of a ball of thread. The song deals with the questions, ‘What are we most afraid of? Are these fears real or are they just imagined?’ The ribbon in the song is the thread that guides us through dark and frightening times in our lives. By facing our fears head-on we develop a strength and courage that we never had before.That’s what ‘The Maze’ means to me.” — Ariana Gillis

Photo credit: David Gillis

BGS 5+5: Gillian Nicola

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Artist: Gillian Nicola
Hometown: Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Latest album: Dried Flowers
Personal nicknames (or rejected band names): Ginny, Giggy, Giggz

Which artist has influenced you the most … and how?

This is a really tough question for me to pin down, because I am influenced by so many people. Kathleen Edwards is probably my most influential songwriter. I love her storytelling and how easily she can float between fragility and strength. She was one of the first Americana/Canadiana artists I started listening to and I think her music very much shaped the way I think about songwriting. I am also very influenced by genre-fusing artists like Joni Mitchell and Kacey Musgraves.

What’s your favorite memory from being on stage?

Last year, I performed a small house concert in cottage country in Ontario. We performed the concert on a dock and it was a very beautiful, intimate concert — with a nice summer breeze as the sun was setting. That on its own was magical enough. What I didn’t know at first was that while we were playing, boats were pulling up to watch from the lake. It was such a perfect Canadian scene and I will remember that one forever.

What was the first moment that you knew you wanted to be a musician?

I don’t remember this one too clearly, but I’m often told this story by my family. When I was about 4, I was at a family friend’s birthday. In a party mostly full of boys who were playing sports and racing around the room, I took out a chair, sat down, and insisted that everybody stop what they were doing, because I was “going to sing for them now.” Music has always been a part of me — it’s not a firm memory, but rather, an inseparable part of who I am.

Which elements of nature do you spend the most time with and how do those impact your work?

I think open space and the atmosphere of nighttime is a strong part of my work. I sing about the night a fair bit on my new album (“Night Comes to Call” and “Moonshine”) and write the most during the night. There’s also been a lot of influence from water, mostly in terms of writing about space and distance, and how well that’s reflected through bodies of water.

How often do you hide behind a character in a song or use “you” when it’s actually “me”?

I have a very strict policy of never revealing who a song is about and whether or not it’s a personal anecdote or about someone else. Many of my closest friends don’t know who or what I am singing about (though I’m sure many could take a stab at it) and I prefer to keep it private that way. The only song that I’ve written where I explicitly talk about who the character is on “Across the Sea” off of Dried Flowers.

I wrote this song about one of my best friends who moved to London, England, a few years ago. He is the first person I send new songs to and despite the distance, we have remained very close. It was really nice to be able to write a love song for a friend, instead of from a romantic angle. Other than that, everyone will just have to make their own assumptions, which they probably would do anyways even if I confirmed or denied anything.

Photo credit: Jen Squires

Huck Finn Jubilee Makes Big Return for 41st Year of California Bluegrass

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For bluegrass fans in Southern California, Huck Finn Jubilee has been a destination for more than 40 years.  After a two-year hiatus, the long-celebrated family event returns to Ontario, California, on Oct. 5-7. This year’s lineup features headliners such as the Infamous Stringdusters, Yonder Mountain String Band, and The Lone Bellow, and BGS will be on site all weekend to present the BGS House Party jam after the main stage sets wrap up…

Leading up to next weekend, the festival’s new owners, Roger and Nikki Malinowski, chatted with The Bluegrass Situation.

Don’t miss our special video sessions highlighting some of the acts you’ll see on the lineup below!

Fans can discover music in so many ways now. What is it about a music festival that is special?

The wonderful thing about music festivals is that they’re shared experiences. They bring people together. Those moments when the audience sings together with the artist, and each other, or when you literally feel the music move you – times like those can’t be beat. Music festivals create communities where neighbors can meet, families reunite and spend time together, where we can get away from it all for just a little while.

What have you learned about the process of booking festivals that has really surprised you?

We’ve been surprised by the amount of love and support from the Huck Finn audience. The festival has a 40-year-plus history, yet it almost ceased to exist. I remember when we made the announcement on Facebook that Huck was back, the messages of gratitude were overwhelming. We’ve also found that putting on a festival of this size is a significant amount of work. The time, energy and effort behind pulling off an event of this size is enormous. The support and love from the bluegrass community and fans of Huck Finn continues to motivate us to create the best experience we possibly can.

When you are selecting artists, do you have a certain audience in mind? In other words, is there a common thread that runs through your lineup and/or your ticket holders?

Absolutely. We want to take our audience on a musical journey. It is important that we honor the traditions of bluegrass music while ensuring that we give space for the evolution of the music. Our hope is that our younger audience gets exposure to the roots of bluegrass and appreciates the amazing musicianship, harmonies and tradition of the genre. We also hope that the entire audience will enjoy how the music itself is progressing, exploring the unique textures and sounds of acoustic instrumentation in more modern takes on the style.

For someone who has never been to Ontario, California, and the area, how would you describe it to them?

Ontario is essentially a suburb of Los Angeles. It has all the amenities one might want in traveling to a new place: great places to eat, drink, shop and stay. It has a small airport and a great number of hotels in the area. The park where Huck Finn is held is a little oasis tucked away within the city. It is absolutely beautiful with two stocked lakes for fishing, a zero-depth splash play area, a sizable playground for kids, and plenty of quiet shaded areas to relax and unwind. There is ample parking, great spots for tent camping and expansive area for RVs. It’s easy to get to, yet far from the busyness of LA. Ontario provides all the conveniences for anyone looking to spend a single day or the whole weekend with us.

People get hungry! How did you choose the vendors for Huck Finn?

The word that has driven all of our decisions this year has been ‘balance.’ We want to accommodate for all tastes, simple and more refined. We wanted to provide the types of foods you might expect at a festival, but also provide some more elevated offerings as well.

What do you hope that attendees will take away from the Huck Finn experience?

We hope to forge connections, ultimately. Connections to the music and the artists performing. Connections to each other, and to their families, neighbors and friends. We hope that people come with an open mind, enjoy a great lineup of music that spans the bluegrass genre, and get to put the stresses and worries that they might have behind them. I hope that they smile at each other and meet new people during the show, eat great food, spend undistracted time with their loved ones and make it something that they will want to bring their friends and family to for years to come.

You can still purchase tickets to HUCK FINN JUBILEE here.

 

STREAM: The Slocan Ramblers, ‘Queen City Jubilee’

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Artist: The Slocan Ramblers
Hometown: Toronto, Ontario
Album: Queen City Jubilee
Release Date: June 15, 2018

In their words: “My favourite music comes from watching ‘working bands,’ bands that play all the time—they get tight musically and stay loose in spirit and approach. The music presented is a deliberate statement but there’s a real spontaneity in the details. Therein lies the aesthetic for Queen City Jubilee, the culmination of three years on the road since Coffee Creek came out. We had a ball putting this record together, writing a lot of new songs, unearthing old obscure gems, and generally trying to stay out of the way of the music. And check out the artwork! Done by our very own Frank Evans, it offers a rare glimpse into the dark mind of the contemporary bluegrass banjo player.” — Adrian Gross


Photo credit: Jen Squires