Slowcity.ca Open Mic: summersets, Slow Leaves, Flasher, Bodywash, Luka Kuplowsky, Mark Bragg, NQ Arbuckle, and Alexis Normand

By Will McGuirk

“I guess these songs serve as a reminder for myself, since I’m forgetful, that all moments are equal in that they pass through us once only in long stretches of boredom or by bursts of love and death. In the meantime, I only hope not to let any more go by unnoticed.” - Grant Davidson, Slow Leaves

‘Perfect Blue’ (the song) is an exploration of the many facets of my own cultural identity. Being both British and Japanese has often felt like a compromise. While it might be easy to romanticize this duality, the reality is that it’s impossible to wholly belong to either culture.” - Chris Steward, Bodywash

“the song is a recognition of the unanswerable. It is an attunement to the spiritual worlds that intersect and illuminate our daily lives.” - Luka Kuplowsky

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Gigs This Week: Skye Wallace at the Biltmore Theatre, an interview

By Will McGuirk

Whitby rock ‘n roller Skye Wallace rolls into Oshawa’s Biltmore Theatre Friday Nov. 25 2022 on the eve of the close of her cross-Canada tour. Wallace is on the road promoting her latest long player, ‘Terribly Good’ available via Six Shooter Records. Its an apt title for the record, in the Old Blighty sense of the phrase. The album follows her self-titled which won the 2020 OMAs for Album of the Year. Wallace is, as they say a star on the rise; Grant Lawrence over on the CBC says "Everything this woman does is with raw passion and musical power.".

We have to agree, ‘Terribly Good’ kicks off with a kick full of that passion and power so we reached out over email and Skye responded, terribly kind of her.

Slowcity.ca: Straight off the bat such a strong song, Who or what were you fighting tooth and nail, and where does that determination to continue come from?

Skye Wallace: “The song is definitely a reminder of how far you've come and everything you had to fight for to be standing where you are today. That can mean the doubters, the people that wanted to take you down a peg along the way, and even your own mind - sometimes the biggest obstacles to overcome are within. What the song has become for me is a reminder to look at your current life through the eyes of your younger self - it's easy to get too close to it and lose sight of the long path you've walked, but there's a power in recognizing what you want and how you've fought to achieve it.”

SC: There is a sense of celebration, of joy to the album, is it a celebration of self, of survival or. . . ?

SW: “Kind of all of those things. There's definitely an introspection to this record that made me dig deep and look at all the little messy pieces of being alive. I think you have to celebrate your Self in order to keep going and growing, or to just keep surviving. And you definitely have to celebrate the little things, which can be fun and exciting, but can even be just getting out of bed in the morning when you're going through a tough time. I think it's a celebration of all of those pieces of life that shine brilliantly when you look at them altogether.”

SC: Tell me about the recording of the album, done during the restrictions, what was that like?

SK: “Technology has come a long way and allowed for so much work to be done remotely - it felt great to keep the momentum going on the record during that time. But another thing that I felt I was afforded during the album's fruition was time, space to be introspective, to try new things, to really dig deep and think about it all. So often when things are busy, I can't even think straight. I can't access my real emotions. Too busy to look inward. That kind of existence was stripped away and left a very raw and vulnerable space to move through the creation of this project and I'm pretty grateful to have had that time and space. I think, too, that being mindful of that oversaturation and burnout is something that we all need to focus on now that we're becoming active and busy again. It's something I'm trying to stay on top of as things ramp up.”

SC: How has it been back out on stage, some people built up habits during lockdown that might be hard to break, and some took a second look at their lives and said nah!

SW: “That is very fair! It's not an easy life and it's certainly not for everyone. For me, taking a step back and asking myself whether I wanted to continue and being met with an inner resounding "yes" made it all very clear. Touring is a wild west world out there right now, but this tour has really filled my cup with full rooms and full hearts. Connecting with people over all these new songs and rocking out in person has felt immensely special.”

SC: It could be just me, but there are parts of the album, 'Keeper,' in particular that have a very sweet Lowest of the Low vibe, is it there? What have you learned from being around those guys?

SW: “We have been very lucky to have shared the stage with lots of awesome acts like The Lowest of the Low, Matt Mays, Crown Lands, and Sam Roberts, and all have been so incredibly welcoming and supportive - I don't take that lightly, it's a privilege to be friends with all these folks and to get to continue to learn so much from them. The Low have always been a big influence for me and that tour formed a very bonded friendship between all of us that felt rare and intimate. My band and I still hang out with them all and work with them in many capacities. I think it's been an amazing growing opportunity to learn from the Low, who have had such a prolific and well-respected career - they've been so influential in the Canadian rock scene and I love how political they've been with their platform. I think you're right in your observation about their influence around Keeper and the dynamic of the album, because I think that's another thing that LOTL does so well is that dynamic in their music. They can rock out while accessing real conversations and topics, and they can also strip it down and sing the most beautiful tender song and have it completely make sense in their set. I think that's something I strive toward and really look up to them in their ability to create these spaces and emotional dynamics in their musical landscape.”

Slowcity.ca Open Mic: Andrew Bird and Phoebe Bridgers, Digging Roots, Whitehorse, Jill Barber and Slow Leaves, Jason Collett, JEEN, Ayoni, and Sunglaciers

By Will McGuirk

“I came across this Emily Dickinson poem and found it to be the most vivid description of an inner world I’ve ever encountered,” - Andrew Bird

“This duet playfully pulls back the curtain on a romantic proposition, exposing the inherent pragmatism in joining forces with another person,” - Jill Barber

"I let go of some swagger and embraced intimacy and joy and wonder. I hear this in the record and it makes me very happy to have made it.” - Jason Collett

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Slowcity.ca Open Mic: Jason Collett, Margo Price, Boy Golden, Golden Feather, Emi Jeen, Amanda Sum, White Lung, and Speaker Wars,

By Will McGuirk

"In absorbing the tumult of the times, there's a lot of shit to write through, that Bruce Cockburn line comes to mind, ‘you've got to kick at the darkness until it bleeds daylight’, and the challenge is to get to the other side with something positive to contribute," - Jason Collett

“You get stuck in the same patterns of thinking, the same loops of addiction. But there comes a point where you just have to say, ‘I'm going to be here, I'm going to enjoy it, and I'm not going to put so much stock into checking the boxes for everyone else.’ “ Margo Price

“You can put a lot of energy and discipline into a project while leaving room for spontaneity, fun, and authentic creativity. In the end, why are we so serious about life?’’ - Emi Jeen

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Sonic Unyon Records · Golden Feather "You've Been On My Mind"

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