Where saltwater folk meets flower power country you’ll find Shiretown, a cosmically inspired trio with roots deep in Nova Scotia’s music scene. Bandmates Jess Favaro, Greg Favaro, and Betsy MacDonald groove with three-part harmonies, lush guitars, and heartfelt anthems for today’s hurtin’ world.
Shiretown is set to play Stan Rogers Folk Festival in Canso, Nova Scotia, through the weekend of July 25-28, 2024.
First off, care to introduce yourself to our readers?
We are Betsy, Greg, and Jess, songsters inspired by the human condition and the seascape from which we washed up. We had a band about 15 years ago then parted ways to chase non-musical careers. We have since regained our senses and have set to work reimagining our sound, conjuring anthems around our new understandings and letting down our copious amounts of hair.
What does it mean to you to perform at the Stan Rogers Folk Festival, a festival known for its dedication to celebrating songwriters?
Well, it just doesn’t get any better or any more ridiculous. Being invited to perform alongside legendary writers, with our own material is just deeply deeply humbling. Being in the same lineup with Canadian song Wizards is something that will never sink in. We keep thinking we got away with something!
As part of a festival that honors the legacy of Stan Rogers, how do you incorporate storytelling into your performances to connect with the audience on a deeper level?
We keep it vague honestly. We’re after a bit of a different take on folk music. Folk is typically a 3rd person narrative, like the poetry of Chauser and Burns, where the anecdotes and cadence of the storyteller are as cherished as the story itself. Stan Rogers was a captivating modern-day bard or minstrel. Shiretown would liken more to a druid’s apprentice. Our songs derive from exploration inward so revealing specific aspects could remove that self-discovery and self-acceptance journey we’re hoping to inspire in the listener. A deeper level connection with one’s own story.
Stanfest is known for its intimate and community-oriented atmosphere. How does performing in such a setting differ from larger venues or other festivals you’ve played at?
Well, we’re spoiled. We have been incredibly fortunate to have played Stanfest in our formative years and that has trained us to seek out listening rooms and intimate experiences. Maritime festivals in general offer that community vibe, it’s in our culture to care for one another, but there is nothing like a Canso applause. It will bring you to tears.
What new projects or upcoming releases are you working on, and will Stanfest attendees get a preview of any new material during your set?
In the past year we have written a full album, recorded 4 tracks, and are planning a tour to support that work for the fall/winter. We may release it all at once or as multiple projects, but however it makes its way to the world, we will be playing all our new material at Stanfest!
The festival is kicking off with “The Circle Continues – Stanfest Celebrates Bruce Guthro.” What’s your favourite song by Bruce?
Three Little Birds. A decade or so ago at Stanfest, in a workshop called “All in the Family”, Greg and I (Jess) along with my brother Jason Wright (The Stanfields), my father Steve Wright (songwriter/Stanfest alumni), and Bruce and Dylan Guthro, sang a set of our original tunes and then spontaneously jammed Bob Marley to end the set. I watched my dad and Bruce exchange “proud papa” smiles and that will live in my heart always.
Collaboration is a big part of the folk music tradition. Are there any artists on this year’s lineup that you’re particularly excited to collaborate with or watch perform?
It’s all about the ladies! Hearts of Kin, Terra Spencer, Emma Stevens, Carsie Blanton, Campbell and Johnston, to name a few. Christine Campbell is Nova Scotia rock royalty and Hearts of Kin are my new obsession.