With an appealing blend of award-winning musical talent and authentic personal storytelling, 100 Mile House put on a well-received concert at Canora Composite School on February 7.
100 Mile House, made up of the husband-and-wife team of Peter Stone and Denise MacKay, was presented in concert by the Saskatchewan Arts Council as part of the 2017/18 Stars for Saskatchewan Concert Series.
The Edmonton-based duo was accompanied by Brennan Cameron on mandolin and piano, who joined the group for a 10-show concert tour across rural Saskatchewan, which included Canora.
Stone said he and his wife much prefer performing in rural communities over their experiences in some larger centres.
“We love coming to a town like Canora, where people actually come out to hear us sing. In a big city, sometimes we’re just background music in a noisy bar.”
Stone describes their music as “Transatlantic Folk,” which refers to not only their music but their personal backgrounds as well. MacKay is an Edmonton native while Stone is originally from London, England.
They met 14 years ago while Stone was performing at a bar in Toronto. MacKay took advantage of an opportunity to sing with Stone on-stage, and said they connected immediately.
“When we sang together, we clicked right away. We fell into it so easily. Our voices matched really well and it just seemed effortless.”
They not only clicked musically, there was also a romantic connection. Stone later immigrated to Canada and the couple got married.
100 Mile House has been performing for a number of years, and they both thoroughly enjoy the opportunity to connect with a live audience. The Canora show was attended by approximately 75 concertgoers, which organizers were pleased with, considering the cold early February weather.
Stone said he and MacKay find that the best way to really click with an audience is to tell personal stories, including the origins of their songs. They write most of their own music, sharing observations on what’s going on in the world surrounding them and in their own personal lives.
The couple tried to start a family for six years until their son London was born four months ago. Stone said this situation was both difficult and beneficial for them.
“Of course it was stressful for us as a couple to be trying to start a family, but it also provided plenty of material for songwriting.”
The most recent 100 Mile House album is titled Hiraeth, a Welsh word which roughly translates to, “A sense of nostalgia and longing for place or person that may have never existed.”
Stone said this seemed appropriate for their situation at that point in time before London was born.
They perform songs about a variety of personal relationships, including lines such as, “The next time I see my parents, I’ll tell them how I really feel.”
Events such as severe flooding in southern Alberta and the wildfires in the Fort McMurray region were horrible disasters, but served as further songwriting motivation, “Flames rolled around as far as you could see, never felt this heat before. Run.”
100 Mile House has won multiple Edmonton Music Awards, the Calgary Folk Festival song writing contest, been nominated for a Western Canadian Music Award, and performed at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.
The next performance in the Stars for Saskatchewan Concert Series is set for April 11, featuring Stephen Fearing, who is “known for his mesmerizing blend of folk, roots and pop music.” Fearing is currently on tour in support of his ninth solo record, Every Soul’s a Sailor.
