Liz Stringer came all the way from Australia to be at the Robson Valley Music Festival this weekend. Nobody wants to travel that whole distance just for one show, so she has set up camp in the region.
All this weekend Stringer will be presenting her melodic modern folk in Dunster at the annual festival that calls out an eclectic roster of musicians, actors, clowns, live painters, etc. She is on a 2015 roster that includes Buckman Coe, Souljah Fyah, Old Time Honey, Lee The Puppet Guy, Green Fools Theatre, and many more.
On Wednesday and Thursday she will perform in Prince George at a pair of house concerts. Then, from the 21st to the 23rd she will be back in festival form, playing in Fort St. James at the Music On The Mountain event.
"It'll be a trip of firsts for me. I feel like its time for me to do this," Stringer told The Citizen. "My good friend has toured there a few times and will be coming along with me. Actually, quite a few of my friends have toured there and say great things. It's quite a beautiful place, so there's that too, but it's a similar arts and culture scene to Australia. Musically, you're on the same page. All the Canadians I've met, we seem to be a similar people. A similar sense of humour. I feel like we're cousins in some ways."
Stringer's tour mate has a large music career of her own, down under. Cat Leahy is Sal Kimber's drummer (Kimber played P.G. last summer) and, with Leisha Jungalwalla, forms the new duo This Way North.
"Oh yeah I've been over a few times playing session drums for people. I actually met my new band mate in Canada last time I was there," said Leahy.
Consider also that Jungalwalla was in the rock group Jungal with bass player Victoria Beard who was at The Exploration Place last week playing the thick strings in Sarah Burton's band. So yes, this region is clearly on the same page as Australia. Those are too many crossovers to be coincidence.
Stringer, for those unintroduced, has been called Melbourne's Bruce Springsteen. She has a half-dozen albums to her repertoire, an Australian who's who of guest musicians collaborate with her recordings, the Music Australia Guide called her "a true wordsmith" for the intimacy and articulation of her story songs, and audiences regularly report utter captivation during her concerts.
She is devoutly indie in her business life, but she has still performed in the grand scope of the Sydney Opera House, the palatial Hamer Hall in Melbourne, and at the Australasian World Music Expo, to name a few.
While it is difficult to write songs while touring, with all the practical distractions of travel and being in unfamiliar, constantly changing environments, Stringer is firstly a songwriter. She is keeping an open eye and keened ear to the experiential material this trip will almost certainly seep into her thinking. She'll be in the United States for a bit (she is finishing up an album at a Portland recording studio with high-reputation producer Adam Selzer) but then in Canada for several weeks.
"I'm anticipating that will happen, for sure. Being in a completely new environment tends to spark new inspirations for songs, for me," she said. And it is also new audience territory.
"I'm actually really looking forward to the faces of strangers," she said. "There's no expectations, nothing to lose really. There's no danger of people being bored of the songs yet, I can wheel out all my shitty joke material. I was in Europe a while back, and I find it's great to be playing in a totally new place and meeting entirely knew people."
She is also looking for some all-Canadian personal experiences. Stringer is coming with little in her suitcases but a couple of changes of clothes and her Ugg Boots "not because I think my feet will be cold, I know Canada isn't in winter right now, but because I can't live without them." She'll be acquiring what she needs. That includes eating pancakes slathered in maple syrup, and she's heard intriguing rumours of a sweet nectar called ice wine.
The Wednesday concert is set for 7 p.m. in the garden (or inside if weather requires) of Elissa Meiklem at 1111 Connaught Dr. Admission is $25 each and for information look up the Liz Stringer Garden Show and BBQ event page on Facebook.
The Thursday night concert is at the home of George and Angela Lesniewicz. To obtain an invitation to that appearance, call 250-964-0890. Admission is $20.
For both house concerts, pot-luck food participation is encouraged and bring cash for purchasing Stringer's albums and other merchandise.
