It’s been an exciting summer of festivals! The highlight for me was ArtsWells Festival in remote Wells BC. Wells is an old gold-rush town that was mostly deserted until re-inhabited by outdoors enthusiasts and artists. This incredible landscape, gateway to Wells Gray Park, is an inspiring site for a fest.

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Many creative collisions occurred! First there was the Sad Song-Off with a slew of incredible songwriters (Corin Raymond, David Simard, Steve Brockley, CR Avery, Raghu Lokanathan, Scott Cook). Then I got to perform with three hang-drum players – Liron Mann, Mariko Ihara & Orion Cleasby – in the tiny wooden church at midnight!

Last but not least, my band Morlove was there to debut a bunch of our new songs. At ArtsWells 2011, Morlove had a Golden Ticket Contest where we hid a golden ticket in one of our new EPs. The winner, Venessa Hydamacka of Wells BC, got to choose a pattern that we would base a song on for the new record. She was just about to give birth to her first child. At ArtsWells 2012 we got to perform her song, There’s a Light, based on her first birth experience. And little baby Alexander was there to hear it too! The world will hear it soon enough as we are in the recording process right now.

I  loved seeing Corwin Raymond’s one man play Bookworm, Rae Spoon, Pharis Romero, David Ross MacDonald, Hannah Epperson, Tequila Mockingbird Orchestra, the hilarious puppetry of Mind of a Snail and on and on. What an incredible weekend! Looking forward to Year 10..