The sounds of The Great Plains are coming to Yorkton. Saskia and Darrel will be bringing their show Song of the Prairies to the Yorkton New Horizons Hall on Thursday, June 18 at 7:00 p.m.
Saskia and Darrel come from what she describes as very different, but similar backgrounds, both growing up in rural areas but with an ocean between them, Saskia coming from Holland and Darrel in Saskatchewan. Their background plays into their music, Saskia says, with Darrel’s roots coming through in their more historic songs and the meeting of their different backgrounds informing the music they make.
“We both have that down to earth feel in our music... It makes for a very interesting mix, my influence is very European, I love the sweeping beautiful songs with the minor chords. Darrel grew up playing country in the country halls when he was young, at 10 years old he had a guitar and was playing rhythm guitar with country bands.”
They’ve played it all, Saskia says, and they say they’ve settled on their style because it’s organic, something that feels and sounds good. She says that’s why audiences connect, because the music is something everyone in the room recognizes can connect to.
“We like it because it’s good music... People go to listen because it’s good music... Everybody leaves smiling.”
Saskia describes it as a mix of folk, Celtic and old time music that speak to life in this part of the world. She says that they write songs about people, including prominent historical figures like Louis Riel. They also include songs about the prairie grain elevator and war brides coming to Canada.
“It’s songs about Canadian living, and especially rural living.”
It’s also about having fun, and the music they make is about connecting to a wide range of people. Playing in the province Saskia says that their music is something a lot of people can relate to, whether it’s connecting with their roots or just enjoying the style of music they make.
“We try to entertain everybody, it’s easy going and fun.”
The fun comes from the music, but also from the banter with the crowd, Saskia says. Their goal is to make people comfortable and ensure everyone leaves the hall having enjoyed themselves, and sometimes that means finding a way to break down any barriers that might be there.
“The important thing is that somewhere along the line you touch the audience with either laughter, a good story, when you poke fun at yourself, it doesn’t matter. We go out in the beginning of the evening to make everyone as comfortable and at ease as we possibly can, with our stories and our songs. Sometimes you poke extreme fun at yourself and that makes people feel as though they are a part of you. We’re all in the same boat in this life.”
The duo plays a wide range of venues, from large to small – and are coming off of a tour of western Europe – but Saskia says that they love playing the smaller venues such as the New Horizons here just for the intimacy of the evening.
“The smaller venues are quite cozy, they’re quite fun and they’re super, super friendly... It’s really relaxing and everybody likes it.”
The Great Plains will be in Yorkton on June 18 at 7:00 p.m. Tickets are $12 in advance or $15 at the door, and are available from Peter at 306-783-6109 or Vi at 306-782-7218.
