LAC LA BICHE - The Music in the Forest concert series will close out its 2023 season on Nov. 16 with a performance by Edmonton-based multi-genre artist Mallory Chipman.
The intimate show will take place at Sir Winston Churchill Provincial Park.
The concert — the sixth musical offering through the Alberta Parks department — will take place inside the community hall in Sir Winston Churchill Provincial Park instead of the amphitheatre, whose main stage hosted monthly shows from May-August.
Chipman, who describes her sound as indie-folk with “a bit of rock ‘n’ roll thrown in,” recently completed a busy summer tour, with gigs split between her solo work and the alt-country-slash- Americana group she belongs to, The Goddamsels.
“Over the course of the season, I played over 60 shows throughout Western Canada — as part of festivals, in small clubs, and theatre venues,” Chipman told Lakeland This Week. “This fall, I’m happy to be bringing my music to communities that I didn’t make it to in the summer months, including Lac La Biche, Edson Vulcan, and Cochrane.”
Chipman, who has four solo albums to her credit, is currently working through the final stages of a new album she recorded last April titled Songs to a Wild God. She hopes to have it released by spring 2024.
Like a bird
“I’m really excited about this one…I truly believe it’s my best work yet, and I’ll be previewing a handful of tunes from in at my upcoming show in Lac La Biche,” she explained, adding that concert-goers will also be treated to music from her recent EP As Though I Had Wings, which was released in May and features music she wrote that is based on the melody of bird calls from Alberta birds.
The stop in Lac La Biche is leading to stages much further away for the Edmonton artist. Her tour plans in the new year include international spotlights. Chipman is flying to Japan for her first international tour post-pandemic in February. She will also be touring Ireland and the UK with the Goddamsels, who she co-leads with Montreal-based singer-songwriter Freddi MacDougall.
Last year, the band was nominated for Roots Artist of the Year at the Country Music Alberta Awards.
“I’ve never had the pleasure of touring in Asia before, and I’m really looking forward to bringing my music out there to perform live,” she said.
Juggling a career as a solo artist while playing with a band, as well as writing, teaching, and producing music from her small home studio, Chipman keeps busy. “While we definitely keep busy, with Freddi living in Montreal, we tend to work in seasons of touring, recording… and as a result, I’m able to balance my work with the Goddamsels nicely with the work of my solo project,” she said.
Playing with Heart
Besides her four solo albums (soon to be five), Chipman has also recorded one with the Goddamsels, with a second on its way next year. As a side person and producer, she has worked on dozens more for other artists. One of her musical highlights was singing back-up vocals for the sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson in the rock band Heart.
“You know what they say about being an artist-if you want it to be your livelihood, you need to wear many hats. So, needless to say, it keeps me busy. And I love every minute of it,” Chipman said.
November’s concert will be Chipman’s first stop in Lac La Biche.
“While I’ve performed in other Lakeland communities like St. Paul, I have not yet played in Lac La Biche, so I’m really looking forward to it,” she said. “I’ve heard nothing but great things about Sir Winston Churchill Park, and look forward to seeing it that time of year.”
Tickets for the show are available through the Music in the Park link at the Sir Winston Churchill Park website. Ticket prices start at $15.
The Music in the Park series has been running through Alberta Parks for several years and brings independent musicians from across Canada to intimate settings and local audiences.
