Mikhail Laxton – Ottawa’s Ice Dragon Boat Performers – Interview

Jenna Melanson·February 6, 2023

Mikhail Laxton

Originally from Australia, now based in Ottawa, Mikhail Laxton has not one but two projects on the go. His self-titled solo career and his newest project, Blackbird Valley.

Mikhail is set to perform at Ottawa’s Ice Dragon Boat Festival on February 9 at The Rainbow Bistro at 8:00 pm.

Listen to “Wasting Our Time” below and learn more about Mikhail Laxton via our festival edition mini-interview.

First off, care to introduce yourself to the readers?

I’m Mikhail Laxton, Mik (Mick) for short.

I’m an Indigenous man from Far North Queensland, Australia. I now call Ottawa home, and I’m a Singer-Songwriter and recording artist.

Tell us a bit about your newest release.

So I actually have two projects. Mainly my solo career, “Mikhail Laxton,” and a side-project I created during the pandemic called “Blackbird Valley.”

My debut EP was released in 2021, with the last single, “Wasting our Time,” being released earlier that year. It’s a song about two lovers that come to a point in their relationship where they both
realize they’re not meant to be together. They love each other, but they just don’t fit.

This song was added to SiriusXM channels North Americana and Indigiverse.

Blackbird Valley’s latest release, “Seasons,” is a song I wrote about moving to Canada from Australia. Me and my people (the Kuku-Yalanji people) come from an ancient Rainforest along the north-eastern coast of Australia, where we’ve never experienced seasons like Autumn, where the leaves fall off the trees. I’m pretty sure the coldest my hometown has ever been is no lower than 8°C.

So when I came to Ottawa in February 2016. I walked into a breath-taking -20°C night. That night was also the first time I ever saw snow.

In the coming months, I saw things I’d never seen before, Snow, what seemed to be dead trees, then the slow rebirth of the Spring, The beautiful lush greenery of Summer, and then a true Fall.
I had to write a song about these amazing things, and I couldn’t help but see the correlation between the seasonal patterns in nature in comparison to my own life.

Blackbird Valley is set to release its 5th and final track, “Dance With You,” from its self-titled EP on February 10th, 2023.

You’ll be playing at Ottawa’s Ice Dragon Boat Festival in February. Is this your first time performing at the festival?

This is my first time attending and performing at Ottawa’s Ice Dragon Boat Festival. I’m keen to see what ya’ll crazy Canadians get up to with this event, and I’m very excited to have been invited to perform my songs for you wonderful people.