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Musician and actress Miranda Mulholland launches Sawdust City Music Festival

Miranda Mulholland picks up the phone, and I can tell immediately I’m speaking to a fellow Canadian. The Guelph-born musician is in New York City for the month of July performing on Broadway with Toronto’s very own Soulpepper theatre company. Marking its US debut, SoulPepper’s production of Spoon River has received more than praise-worthy reviews from the New York Times, and Mulholland – one of 19 cast-members – has certainly made her mark acting, singing and playing violin in the folksy musical.

As if she weren’t busy enough, she’s also performing cabaret two or three nights a week while in NYC; is the owner of the Canadian indie label, Roaring Girl records; has toured extensively throughout the UKand Europe; has played with numerous Canadian bands including the alt-country bluegrass band, Luther Wright and the Wrongs, and the Canadian-Irish punk band, The Mahones, and the Vancouverfolk band The Paperboys. She’s also associated with a number of other bands, including, Belle Starr and Great Lake Swimmers. Mulholland released her debut solo album, Whipping Boy, in 2014, and currently plays with the Harrow Fair duo, along with Andrew Penner. And, to top it all, she’s also the founder of the Sawdust City Music Festival, which kicks off in Gravenhurst on August 4th.

A bit of a mouthful? A little bit. Accomplished? Most definitely.

In a rare quiet moment for Mulholland, I managed to have her sit still long enough to fill me in on her artistic vision for the inaugural Sawdust City Music Festival, her Muskoka roots, and why Sawdust City is so close to her heart.

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Ivy Reiss: I heard you just got back from touring in Belfast with your latest album, Whipping Boy. How was that?

Miranda Mulholland: They loved us! Way back, I have Celtic roots. Most of the things I do are quietly Celtic. I sneak it in. I’m going back to the UK in the fall to tour with Harrow Fair’s debut album, Call to Arms.

IR: How would you describe Harrow Fair’s sound?

MM: Rock and Roll meets folk Americana with quite a bit of percussion. For two people, we make a lot of noise!

IR: Why did you choose to call it the Sawdust City Music Festival, and when did the idea come to you?

MM: Sawdust City is Gravenhurst’s nickname, which actually came from the lumber mill my great-great-grandfather, Charles Mickle, owned. The idea came to me last August and we’ve been pulling it together for this very special inaugural event ever since. Doing this festival has made me feel very close to my great-great-grandfather. Harrow Fair will be performing at the Fest, but I will be there over-seeing everything all weekend.

IR: Why is the Sawdust City Music Festival so close to home for you?

MM: I heard a lot about my great-great-grandfather’s love of the arts growing up. He believed the arts were very important. His wife was a piano player and he loved music. He was the mayor of Gravenhurst two times. He commissioned to have the Gravenhurst opera house built – he said it is very important to have a cultural hub. I feel very similar to him. The more involved I am with music and the community, the closer I feel to him.

IR: Not a lot of people play the fiddle. How did that come to be your instrument of choice?

MM: I started playing violin at the age of four, and then studied classically. It was not until university that I discovered folk music, and the fiddle naturally works with that. I played fiddle at Hurley’s Pub in Montreal to support myself through university, and got more into folk. It was the beautiful stories of folk music that really drew me in. Folk music suited where I wanted to go, and I became a better listener. I’ve been a professional musician for 17 years now and I still learn something new every time I play.

IR: Tell me about some of the other bands that will be at the Sawdust Festival? I understand Jim Cuddy from Blue Rodeo is going to be there with his band?

MM: Yes! The Jim Cuddy Family Band is a real special treat. They are fabulous! And he’s a huge supporter of the local arts with family ties to Gravenhurst as well. All the other bands on the bill are extremely talented individuals, too. The festival has a fabulous array of folk and country music. I’m so happy to have the opportunity to provide a platform and give exposure to these gifted and creative artists, musicians, and the community.

The Sawdust City Festival kicks off on August 4th long weekend and runs until August 6th.

Visit https://www.sawdustcitymusicfestival.com/ for more details.