Road to Go North: Sault support gave her the courage to move to Nashville

In preparation for the third installment of the annual Go North Music Festival on St. Joseph Island, SooToday reached out to the participating artists to have a little fun getting to know these hard working musicians.

Next up on our Road to Go North series, we meet Juno award-winner Crystal Shawanda.

What are your three favourite things about touring northern Ontario?

• My three favourite things are the scenery, the water, and the people.

What are three ways you battle through bug season in northern Ontario?

• I battle the bugs by not going outside… haha… no JK! Bug spray, and just keep moving!

What are the three most important things to pack for festival season?

• Sunglasses, comfy shoes, and lots of glitter!

What are your top three road trip listening essentials?

• Tom Petty, a healthy serving of blues, and Sirius radio so we can surf the waves of every style of music there is.

What are your three favourite ways to pass time on a long tour?

• My three favourite ways to pass the time are social media promoting shows and keeping up with fans, I write a lot, staring out the window and doing my best to be in the moment and absorb every where I go, because I used to forget to do that.

What are your three favourite Ontario skinny dipping spots?

• Haha, I’m not telling!

What are your three favourite Ontario craft brews?

• Sorry, not a big beer drinker. It makes me sleepy… haha, yawn...

What are your three favourite topics to read about?

• History, biographies, and yes, love.

Besides being a musician, what are three skills you'd like to learn?

• I’d love to learn how to cook and bake at a whole other level, sewing – so I can just make what I see in my head, and audio engineering – I tinker but would love to learn officially.

What are three things you know about St. Joseph Island and/or Sault Ste. Marie?

• Whether it’s winter or summer, it’s Ontario’s playland – lots of good people. I lived there for three years in high school and had a lot of support with my singing at the high school I attended, Korah, and with Dave Patterson and the country music singing competitions he used to hold, and down at Reggie’s Place in their singing contests, too. So for me, it was a place of opportunity. That support gave me the courage to move to Nashville.

The Go North Music Festival is a one-day event held in Richards Landing on St. Joseph Island on July 13.

Headlining the 2019 lineup is the Juno award-winning blues/country artist Crystal Shawanda. Also included on the entertainment roster are Birds of Bellwoods (alt-rock), Sun K (rock), Skye Wallace (folk-rock), Sarah Smith (singer-songwriter), and Another Crush (indie rock), as well as local acts Jesse Merineau (indie pop-rock) and Dustin Jones and The Rising Tide (celtic punk rock).

Other festival highlights include food vendors, locally-crafted beer, and local artisans and producers. In addition to the main stage, there will be activities for kids and a kids stage with performances by the main stage acts (kids 12 and under are admitted to the festival for free).

Overnight camping will again be available for tents and trailers with an additional night of camping available on the Friday night before the festival.

Full festival details and ticket information can be found here.