Slowcity.ca Open Mic: The Gertrudes, Sarah Hiltz, Busty and the Bass + Cadence Weapon, Scott Hardware, Skeggs, The Night Owls, Harrow Fair, and Wet Leg

Will McGuirk February 3, 2022

By Will McGuirk

"... The Gertrudes' "Boys' Town" music video reflects on the 1969 documentary "Dear Landlord", Directed by Dennis Crossfield and featuring nationally renowned activist Joan Kuyek, who analyse Kingston's housing crisis at that time. Unfortunately, not much has changed. Kingston's housing continues to be in short supply — historically, the city has had some of the lowest vacancy rates in the province." - Greg Tilson

“We are all human beings meant to experience the breadth of human emotion, including anger. That doesn’t have to be negative or even divisive. It’s true it might be uncomfortable, but discomfort and danger are not the same thing." - Sarah Hiltz

"finding a way to allow yourself to truly relax and disconnect in the age of the notification." - Cadence Weapon

“The night I wrote it, I was in a mad rush against my own urge to self-censor, the lyrics bare no mystery or even much poetry. More than that, they're honest in a way that STILL makes me uncomfortable. Being able to get them out before I could stifle this loud and proclamation of love was a big deal for me as a songwriter and as a person." - Scott Hardware

"I think I wrote it a while ago, being in a mood where it's epic to try and ride out your ambitions and try and always look back when you kook it at life, and say I will try to be better, be a better friend, better partner, get better at getting better,” - Ben Reed, Skeggs

“We like to play music at night. The only thing that matters is each other, because in those times we feel like there’s only the two of us in the universe.” - the Night Owls

Slowcity.ca Open Mic - turning inwards with Grace Potter, Jordan Klassen, Laurent Bourque, Yoke Lore, The New Pornographers, Close Talkers, Geneviève Racette and Reuben and the Dark

Will McGuirk September 29, 2019

By Will McGuirk

Change is constant but there is reoccurrence, there is pattern, season, cycles and revolutions. It is time again to settle inside, to pull closer the elements of warmth, all that which brings comfort and look forward to the curve which brings it all back round again.

“It's so easy to just assume that the narratives we're telling ourselves about ourselves are true and that can be pretty debilitating. The song is about those moments when you're quiet and present and suddenly you realize that the story you've been telling is false, and there's this tremendous relief that maybe you'll be ok, that everything will be ok.” - Jordan Klassen

"but when you move quickly, you miss certain aspects of the journey. I could be missing out on some really wonderful information that I would get if I stopped to smell the roses once in a while. I worry that when something or someone really important comes around, I will be moving too quickly to catch it or them." - Adrian Glavin, Yoke Lore.

Slowcity.ca Open Mic: Still Winter Edition featuring Jadea Kelly, Micah Erenberg, Geneviève Racette, Lydia Persaud, Living Hour, Gesaffelstein & Pharrell Williams, Bad Animal and Ben Rogers

Will McGuirk March 4, 2019

By Will McGuirk

Its like its Groundhog Day, you know where the beast sees his shadow and the sun is to shine in six weeks but you think it would be gradually warmer but not that Groundhog Day, Groundhog Day the movie and you wake up and EVERYDAY IS THE SAME; more snow, more cold, more snow, stop with the cold!!! The beast has a cold, cold heart or maybe its not Groundhog Day its Russian Doll, either way these tunes will warm you up and keep you sane. Lets kick it with our pal, the clean as crystal voice of Jadea Kelly, two-fer-one special from Darth Jadea. The rest of the line-up is Micah Erenberg, Geneviève Racette, Lydia Persaud, Living Hour, Gesaffelstein & Pharrell Williams, Bad Animal and Ben Rogers. Stay warm, stay positive, the sun will shine eventually.

Shows:

Ben Rogers Mar 23, New Vision United Church, Hamilton, ON; Mar 25 Showplace Performance Theatre, Peterborough, ON

Jadea Kelly May 9 Burdock, Toronto, ON. (Early Show: 6pm & Late Show: 9pm)

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

Will McGuirk January 16, 2018

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."