Gigs This Week: Hillside in Guelph Friday July 22 thru Sunday July 24

By Will McGuirk

Where do we even begin, except to begin I guess at the beginning which for me is Hillside. Everything I have learnt about sustainable community building I have learned at Hillside; from the Shwaltz thru to the Vault to Kops shows. Hillside is the most worldly of the local fests. It just gets it so right. Hillside is on an island in a lake in a conservation area. Like all island based folk the community has learned growth is not outwards but inwards. Thats its key and its glory. For the past two years we have had to look a lot closer to home for what we need. And even though restrictions are for the most part lifted its still not such a bad idea to stay within your community. For many reasons I consider Guelph to be part of my circle so I will be making the trip and looking forward to connecting again with like-minded folks for a few days. Gonna be lovely lovely lovely.

Interestingly this year the organisers have gone with a strong line-up of mostly single performers; singer/songwriters who have the impact of a band but a smaller footprint. Alison and Dan Mangan are on Friday; Aoife O’Donovan, Bahamas, Cadence Weapon, Kinnie Starr, Shane Koyczan and the Short Story Long, and Tami Neilson perform on the Saturday and Sunday has Danny Michel, Donovan Woods, and Le Ren. Our pal Tania Joy is also making her Hillside debut. Whoot!

There are of course bands including Cancon supergroup the Anyway Gang, Cobourg punks Cleopatrick, Ombiigizi, Habibi, I the Mountain (Oshawa represent!) and Texas King.

More info and tickets here ->

Leela Gilday: Thoughts on her Hillside Festival debut

By Will McGuirk

Born and raised in the Northwest Territories, Leela Gilday writes about the people and the land that created her. The power in her voice conveys the depth of her feelings of love and life in a rugged environment and vibrant culture, as if it comes straight from that earth. Leela’s family is from Délįne on the shore of Great Bear Lake and her rich vocals dance across the rhythmic beats of traditional Dene drumming as smoothly as a bass line onstage the largest venues in the country.

Leela’s fifth album "North Star Calling", released in fall of 2019, won the Indigenous Artist of the Year JUNO Award 2021.

Leela Gilday - “I have never played Hillside. I am really excited to play at the festival as I have heard many great things about it! I am bringing my full band and this last couple of months have been the first time back on the road since Covid. I am grateful to be able to share some of my new Dene language songs with the band.

Mahsi Cho”

Hillside tickets here ->

Julian Taylor: Thoughts on his Hillside debut

By Will McGuirk

On his latest album singer/songwriter Julian Taylor reflects on his Indigenous and West Indian heritage. Titled ‘Beyond the Reservoir” the album is a consideration of dualities, the balance of the urban and the rural as well as his own roots in two communities. The latest single ‘SEEDS” is Taylor’s way to come to terms with ongoing discovery of graveyards at residential schools across Canada.

2022 marks his Hillside debut.

Julian Taylor - “I’m ecstatic to be performing at Hillside this year.  My younger cousins are coming and so is my daughter who is ten which makes the festival experience a family experience and what could possibly be better than that. 

“This will be my first time playing Hillside in person.  In 2020 during the height of the first wave of the pandemic I did do a live stream for Hillside and broadcast from my backyard. “

Hillside tickets here ->

I, The Mountain: Thoughts on their debut at Hillside Festival 2022

By Will McGuirk

I, the Mountain is a four piece indie-folk band based in Kitchener, ON (but with D-Rock connections of course). Known for their joyous harmonies, high energy performances, and infectious song writing, the band has built a passionate fanbase of “Mountaineers” from their hard work, never-quit attitude, and genuine love for music and community. 

Fresh off their studio collaborations with Canadian music icons Simon Ward (The Strumbellas), Jonas Bonnetta (Evening Hymns), and Dan Ledwell, I, the Mountain is ready to bring their indie-folk sound to main stages across Canada.

Their debut album, Little Wild, released at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, explores themes of togetherness, loss, and the need for escape. Little Wild and its singles “The Boat” and “Winter Blues” earned the band national airtime on CBC Radio and solidified their status as true up-and-comers within the Canadian music scene. 

Matt Lamers (Lead Vocals and Acoustic Guitar): "It is a little bit surreal because I always grew up listening to many many artists who would play Hillside and at times it seemed out of reach as a band, so the fact that we have reached this accomplishment is very validating." 

Allison Dyjach (Keyboard and Vocals): "I spent four years in Guelph for university and had friends that went to Hillside every summer. I had never been, but could tell by the way they would talk about it that it was such a special place. The new artists they would discover, the workshops, the beautiful setting, and general sense of community and belonging made it sound like this magical utopia of arts, nature, and community building. I finally attended the festival after graduating and it lived up to everything I had imagined. We feel so honoured to be included in the lineup this year and can't wait for July." 

Rory McLachlin (Lead Guitar and Vocals): "I spent many of my summers camping at Guelph Lake, always looking at the Hillside stage. Back then, I would have never thought that I would have been up there playing the festival." 

Matt Rappolt (Percussion and Vocals): Hillside is an amazing festival, one that truly celebrates music and community. This is something that we strive to embody as a band and we are so grateful that the festival has chosen us to take part.”

Guelph's The Lifers release 'Front Door" and ask you to enter their world

Always partial to all things Guelph here at SlowCity.ca - in some ways it all began in Guelph so when The Lifers (Liv and Anita Cazzola) came across our electronic stoop well we opened the front door and you should open your front door to these sisters who are, oddly given the events of the last day or so,  a little Cranberries sauce poured over the raucous gang vox of the Strumbellas. Their single "Front Door" of their album, Honey Suite, due in May, is an exploration of what home means so we asked them of course what home is.

Anita:  "Home can hold many definitions for me - it can be a physical space or an emotional state.  For a while I thought that a space was made “home” if I had been there for a long time, if I had specific routines in place, and I if had particular objects in the space with me (a certain mug, blanket, artwork, chair, etc).  While this still remains true, I think “home” is so much more based in who is around you and how they make you feel - comforted, cared for, safe, important, supported.  I also think of home as a space (or relationship) of reciprocal kindness.  It is as much what the space/relationship does for you as what you do in turn to sustain it."  

Q: In what ways has been at "home" in Guelph informed and influenced your music?

Anita: "Guelph is a very special place. There is such a wonderful community of people who support and care about art, music, sustainability, culture, community, and general well-being.  It is really important to be surrounded by other creators to feed off each other’s energy.  Guelph’s Hillside Festival has had a huge influence on our musical lives, both in the musical discoveries that we make each year and the care they put into their social and environmental impact.  Liv and I have been attending the festival for years now, and each summer we walk away with a stronger drive to keep making music and be kind to others."  

Liv: "After having lived in a couple other cities, coming back to Guelph always feels like a giant hug - the kind where all your muscles release, and even under the gentle pressure you feel you can breathe more deeply. Having my family close by does this for me, as does the community of musical mentors and peers we have nestled ourselves into."

Q: The PR says 'Rooted in female empowerment and environmental activism" - what does this look like in your everyday life?

Liv: "As a musician, a lot of our activities directly relate to our position as feminists and environmental activists. When choosing who to work with, our vision of equality is always a consideration; it is part of our mandate to actively support female/non-binary folks in the music industry. When choosing the materials we work with, sustainability is our number one priority (for example, with our band merch, we print on second-hand t-shirts and other recycled materials, and create items that support sustainable lifestyles). The trickiest barrier for us right now is that we cannot afford a tour vehicle that is considerably eco-friendly.
Seemingly little actions, thoughts and comments make a big difference. I question my everyday decisions, to see if there's any change I could make to lead by example. I listen deeply to people's experiences. I actively support people and organizations who I feel match my environmental and feminist beliefs, and I don't take part in purchases or activities that go against them. When it comes to creating change, we can't overlook the small stuff!"

Q: I get the sense that place and the maintenance of place is central to your art? If you agree, why do you think it is?

Anita: "It definitely is.  I think the ‘maintenance of place’ piece is the most central at the moment.  As much as the idea of personal space and ‘home’ is subject in our writing, it relates to a greater perspective of living in and maintaining our natural environment - the common ground for all inhabitants of the earth - our communal space.  The maintenance of this place is vital - now more than ever."

Photo by Alex Lam