This year, Toronto’s annual Winterfolk Blues and Roots Festival will go virtual.
We have decided to chat with some of the artists that are set to perform on the 19th installment of this prestigious festival. So far, we’ve chatted with Suzie Vinnick,Ken Whiteley, and Melanie Peterson. Today, we chat with Toronto-based singer, comedian, and author, Mandy Goodhandy.
Check out the latest release, Just Call Me Lady below, and find out more about Mandy via our mini-interview.
First off, care to introduce yourself to our readers?
Hello, I am Mandy Goodhandy aka Amanda Taylor. I am a singer, comedian, author and public speaker. I will be accompanied on the piano by my singer/song writer partner Sebastian Ellis. We recently joined together to form the musical duo “Lady & the Rambler”.
You will be taking part in the upcoming 19th edition of Winterfolk, how does it feel to be a part of such a long-running festival?
I am both excited and honoured to be part of the Winterfolk Festival this year. Even though it takes place online only this year it is not any less a wonderful experience.
This year, Winterfolk will be virtual for the first time, due to the ongoing Pandemic, does this change your strategy for preparing your set?
I love performing to a live audience. Nothing compares to the energy an artist feels from a room full of people who appreciate live entertainment. As a stand-up comic and story teller, I like adding fun banter and antidotes between songs. This is a style that does not always transfer well online with only your cat nearby, if he chooses to bother paying attention between sleeping, eating or cleaning himself. Some of the songs I enjoy lean a bit to cabaret and rely on that audience contact. Thankfully I now do a variety of genres since joining forces with Sebastian. Our selections for the Winterfolk online festival will be more suited to a television studio setting.
What can someone who has yet to see you live expect to see from your performance?
Our show will contain a medley of Beatles songs followed by a Wizard of Oz medley ending with a medley of jazz favourites. Keeping with that theme this is all filmed at the beautiful Medley, a brand new live entertainment venue at Davisville and Yonge in Toronto. Even with no audience, the backdrop, lighting and sound helped create a warm feeling. We hope the online audience agrees.
Last but not least, how have you been keeping creative during the Pandemic?
We have had a chance, in between total lockdown, to work on new duets, solos and medleys for our music act. I have also started writing articles for Pink Pages and the Buzz magazine. Not to mention, look I just did, hosting and performing an online variety show through Glad Day Bookstore on February 25th. This whole thing sucks but it has created time and as artists who have stories to tell, time is a gift. So lets take this time to fancy wrap our gifts and get them ready to be opened when this is all over.