The Road To Sawdust City Music Festival – Songwriters’ Circle

This August long weekend (August 3-5),  Gravenhurst, ON is the place to be. Of course, I’m speaking of the 2nd annual Sawdust City Music Festival. In an effort to showcase some of the great talent taking part in the festival, we are doing a series of interviews throughout the next few weeks. Saturday afternoon (August 4, 2018) at 2 pm at the Trinity United Church, a songwriters’ circle will take place hosted by Russell deCarle, and will feature Liam Russell, Lydia Persaud & Dana Sipos. We had a chat with Lydia & Dana, check it out below. Grab your tickets HERE.

Photo Credit: Jen Squires

Lydia Persaud:

Is this your first time playing the Sawdust City Music Festival? 

Yes!

Who are you looking forward to seeing perform from the festival line up? 

I’m most looking forward to seeing Dana Sipos and Damhnait Doyle!

What excites you about being part of a music festival? 

I’m really excited to be apart of a music festival that has an awareness towards gender diversity as seen through all of the amazing female musicians/female fronted bands. I’m also really looking forward to hanging with some old friends that I haven’t seen in a while and making some new ones.

How would you say playing a festival differs from a solo show? 

Performing at festivals comes with such an overarching vibe of openness and excitement from the audience, along with inspiration and collaboration between musicians. While a solo show is focused on the performance of one artist, well-curated festivals create a platform for so many amazing moments to be remembered by both the audience and the artist.

What are some things you think make this specific music festival great? 

As I mentioned earlier, the emphasis on gender diversity has already been an inspiring element. Otherwise, this will be my first folk festival performance as a solo artist, so I am especially honoured and excited to share my music in beautiful Gravenhurst and with so many great musicians.

If you were to headline a festival and create your own lineup, who would you choose?

There are so many up and coming Canadian musicians to choose from! To name a few:

Tika the Creator
James Baley
Makhail Laxton
SATE

Too Attached
Tush
Forces
Bernice
Dawn Pemberton
Liz Stringer
Denielle Bassels
Georgian Bay
illyan pipes
Joanna Mohammad
Yuka
Alyson McNamara>
Charlotte Cornfield
Meaghan Blanchard
Kaia Kater
Cecile Doo Kingue
Joan Smith
Bonjay

Michelle Willis
Tara Kanangara
Kyra May

If you could pick a place to have your own music festival, where would it be and why?

All of the festivals that I have attended in Northern Ontario have been magical. Taking people out of the city and putting them in nature while surrounding them with amazing art and music is an experience I would want for everyone!

Explain your performance in five words or less.

Honest, vulnerable, soulful, funny and groovey.

Are there any other major dates or festivals you would like to mention for upcoming shows?

August 17th – Meridian Place, Barrie, ON (Opening for Donovan Woods)
August 19th – Markham, ON Jazz Festival
August 24th – Windsong Music Festival, Powassan, ON

Photo Credit: Polina Teif

Dana Sipos:

Is this your first time playing the Sawdust City Music Festival? 

This is my first time playing the Sawdust City Music Festival and I’m so excited for it.

What excites you about being part of a music festival? 

Music festivals are awesome because they allow for greater intimacy – with the audience who you see several times over the course of the weekend, as opposed to just a one-off solo show – as well as with fellow artists, performing together, eating together, etc. I also love when a festival is spread out over a little town, the opportunity to check out different spaces which lends itself to different vibes and a beautiful lake doesn’t hurt either!

Are there any other major dates or festivals you would like to mention for upcoming shows?

Coming up after SCMF, I’m performing at the Philadelphia Folk Festival, Whispering Beard Folk Festival (Friendship, IN) and the Copenhagen Songwriters Festival.

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