Graham Nicholas found his country community in the city.
A Toronto native, Nicholas was drawn to the thriving folk and country music scene in the Ontario capital. Now, his music, which includes his latest full-length album from last fall, Sometimes Chicken, Sometimes Feathers, can be visited as comfortably from a Saskatchewan ranch as it can be from a downtown Toronto bar.
Nicholas began a tour of northern Ontario last week, and for the first time he will be performing west of Manitoba, when he stops in Estevan this Friday evening for a show at the Estevan Art Gallery and Museum.
Nicholas鈥檚 music, like a lot of country, centres on stories, and Nicholas picks things up with common characters to the country genre. He said he uses a lot of the clich茅d, archetypical country music characters and tries to put a new spin on them.
鈥淚t鈥檚 kind of like using clich茅s and then making them feel new by applying them in a different way and making them funny again,鈥� Nicholas said.
鈥淚 try to make sad songs funny or funny songs sad. I like to walk the line between the two and maybe show humour to show another perspective on darker emotions or sadder stories. I really like using humour in that way. I think it鈥檚 really effective because it broadens and riches the emotional scope of a song,鈥� he added.
Coming from Toronto, Nicholas noted the country and folk musicians create an encouraging atmosphere.
鈥淭here鈥檚 a pretty vibrant and rambunctious community of country singer-songwriters and musicians in Toronto. They鈥檙e all based out of The Dakota House or the Cameron Tavern,鈥� said Nicholas.
鈥淲hen I moved back to Toronto I started plugging myself into those venues and hanging out there, having a great time meeting everybody. I was addicted to the creative energy for awhile.鈥�
He has found the scene to be filled with ambitious and supportive musicians. It鈥檚 a place that makes him want to work harder, he said.
In that vein, he is always writing, whether it鈥檚 a song a grant application, he joked.
And when he isn鈥檛 writing, he鈥檚 performing. He began a seven-stop tour in Sault Ste. Marie on June 11.
鈥淚鈥檓 having a good time playing some shows and playing the songs for people,鈥� he said told the聽Mercury on June 14 about touring the material from his latest album.
鈥淚t鈥檚 nice to take a little dip,鈥� he added about performing in Estevan and Saskatchewan for the first time.
When Nicholas performs a solo show on Friday, an intent audience is what he may find at the EAGM. Doors open at 8 p.m.
