Summer is Percolating!

Hello friends,

Writing to you from Toronto Pearson airport! Just enjoyed a lovely visit with my friend Katie and her partner Jay who I both met at Acadia back in the day. Katie and I were roommates in Seminary House in first year, and we have had a special bond since. Katie is one of those friends who you don’t necessarily talk to very often, but when you do get together, it’s like no time has passed and you can pick up exactly where you left off. We went to the Royal Ontario Museum, Riverdale Park East, Fresh Kitchen (an amazing vegan restaurant chain), walked by the University of Toronto and shot a music video!

A few months ago, I came across a video of Bells Larsen singing in a canoe on Instagram, which is part of a series called Live From the Canoe. I checked out the other videos and thought, how cool would it be to fly to Toronto and get one of my songs recorded in a boat?! Canoeing and playing guitar are two of my favourite things, so it really was the best combination. I filled out the application form, was met with a yes, then asked Katie if she would sing harmonies for the video. She said yes and was excited to host me in her new apartment. Last time I visited, she was in the West End practically living in a hole in the wall (her words). Gotta love Toronto apartments!

On Friday morning, we hit the subway, helped the videographer get the canoe in the water, and settled in to perform my next single Where I Stand. I wrote it with Tyler last spring/summer about feeling kind of lost and not really knowing why. It felt right to sing it while floating down a river. Going to be released later this summer!

The view just before the dock on the Humber River. As you can see in the trees on the other side of the water, the air was hazy, which was from all the wildfire smoke blowing in from the prairies. It’s going to make for a cool effect in the video, but my heart went out to all the people and wildlife who are losing their homes due to the fires. A pair of mallard ducks swam right next to the canoe as we were filming a take which felt bittersweet and fortuitous to the moment.

Tyler and I have been recording Where I Stand with our past Acadia prof and friend Mark Adam since the spring. It’s a funny process working with your old teacher but we all have great creative chemistry together and a strong foundation of trust. This project is being funded in part through Music Nova Scotia’s Artist 1 Recording grant, which I am so grateful to have earned for a second time. WIS is going in an exciting direction and I’m eager to share it with you very soon. In the meantime, here are a few photos from our second session with Mark in April that my friend Memo Calderon took for us. Check out Memo’s photography show at the Tides Art Gallery in Kentville!

Back in May, Tyler and I went off to New Brunswick in my little ‘08 Toyota Corolla for a 5-day stint of shows over Victoria Day long weekend. We debuted our new duo setup which features Tyler playing drums and bass synth at the same time. The idea was inspired by Mark’s setup with Pat LePoidevin and it is so fun to create a full band sound with two people. We led a songwriting workshop at my old high school in Sackville, played a show in Cap Pele, then hit Fredericton before heading to St. Andrews for Paddlefest. After that, we played at Yip Cider then the Shoebox in New Glasgow on our way home. We had a blast chatting in the car, reimagining the songs at each show, and seeing all the music at Paddlefest. Seeing Kelly McMichael, Garrett Mason and Jake Vaadeland play were some big highlights for both of us. Plus the late night jams and conversations at Salty Towers.

On the Belleisle Ferry and playing at Yip Cider. Nicky & Kevin Scott hosted us at their place the night we played at Yip. They live right on the water so they took us kayaking and out for a ride on the side-by-side on the backroads. Such a lovely place to relax after a busy weekend.

This summer has shaped up to be a really great one. A few things in the works but this is how things are looking for now. Little * next to the dates that Tyler and I are playing as a duo. Some milestones to be achieved!!

June 14: Big Spruce Brewing - Baddeck, NS
> 2-4pm. No cover.

June 27: Schoolhouse Brewery - Windsor, NS *
> 7-9pm. No cover.

June 28: Valley Pride Festival - Kentville, NS *
> 12-1pm. Free community event.

July 11: Winnipeg Folk Festival - Winnipeg, MB
> Super excited to announce that I got accepted to the Winnipeg Folk Festival Young Performers Program this year!!!! Apparently this is the most competitive year they’ve had for applications, so I am super grateful I got in.
> The program includes 2 days of industry workshops and mentorship sessions with artists from the lineup, a 4-day backstage pass, plus a slot to play at the festival.
> Some of my favourite Canadian music has been coming out of Winnipeg so I’ve been wanting to visit for the last couple years. Now I finally get to! Looking forward to seeing Jason Isbell, Begonia, Peach Pit, and Bruce Cockburn, to name a few!!!!

July 18: Dyke Night at The Marquee - Halifax, NS
> My first show at the Marquee! Featuring all local queer musicians (specifically queer women and trans/non-binary folks) covering iconic sapphic pop songs!!!
> Get your tickets here before they sell out!

July 20: Halifax Pride Festival - Halifax, NS
> First time at Halifax Pride! Playing at 2pm alongside a great lineup of local queer artists including Mo Kenney, Good Dear Good and Burry, among many others! Free!

July 26: 2 Crows Brewing w/ DoubleSpeak & Mat Hughes - Halifax, NS *
> $10 tickets at the door! Doors at 7:30pm, show at 8:30pm
> Excited to share the stage with these guys. Mat just released a new groovy little EP. Check it out here!

Well, its safe to say there’s a lot going on. Being busy is an easy excuse not to do meal prep but you’ve got to find a way to do it anyway. As promised, here is a recipe I have really enjoyed making lately. So much so that I made it twice in one week. Kind of overkill but worth it. I follow recipes quite loosely so I invite you to choose your own adventure with this Mexican Tofu Scramble. Website linked in the doc with the recipe!

My AOTM for June is Hejira by Joni Mitchell. A few years back I played Both Sides Now at Paddy’s Open Mic in Wolfville and an older couple approached me with praise shortly after, wondering if I knew any songs from Hejira. I hadn’t heard of the album at that time and they strongly suggested that I listen to it, so I added it to my list of albums / songs to listen to, which is overwhelmingly long, ha!

Hejira is one of those albums, for me, that I wish I could hear for the first time again. Every arrangement is so thoughtful and interesting, plus Joni’s lyrics are always evocative, and somehow remain so timeless decades after their creation. My favourite song is the title-track, Hejira. Many of the lines in this one resonate with me, but this verse has got to be nearest to the top.

There's comfort in melancholy / When there's no need to explain
It's just as natural as the weather / In this moody sky today

Happy listening and cooking! Better yet, listen to Hejira while you make the tofu scramble. I’ve discovered a lot of great music while in the kitchen. Thank you for being here and reading to the end. Hope to see you along the winding road!

Freya