INTERVIEW - APRIL ALIERMO TAKES ON THE DOIRON QUESTIONNAIRE

 
Photo Credit: Tanja-Tiziana via Now Toronto

Photo Credit: Tanja-Tiziana via Now Toronto

Last week, we had a chance to chat with April Aliermo and Daniel Lee of Hooded Fang and Phèdre on Sappy Radio. April was gracious enough to answer our new weekly feature known as The Doiron Questionnaire with guest interviewer and Sappy XI performer Julie Doiron

Julie organized a serious of thought-provoking questions to challenge the wits and desires of our dear Sappy XI performers, and April proved wildly successful as a respondent. Check out what she answered below:
 

APRIL ALIERMO (HOODED FANG, PHÈDRE)

Favourite qualities in a bandmate?
"Small, quiet and still, sort of like a garden gnome."

What is the principle vibe of your music?
"Dancing in dark dens."

If you weren't in your band, who's band would you be in?
"M.I.A.'s band"

What defines a good bass line?
"Depends on the song... sometime heart, sometimes sex, sometimes both."

What are the worst qualities of the best musicians?
"Large, loud and moving around all the time - sort of like a busy rush hour crowd."

What talent would you sell your soul for?
"Drumming and rapping at the same time."

Your idea of the best stage outfit?
"Yo, I wear it all the time, guy!"

Your idea of the worst stage outfit?
"I don't have an imagination for that kind of thing."

What would make you quit a band?
"If Daniel makes this terrible joke one more time..."

What would make you kick someone out of a tour van?
"Oh, it's happened... have you smelled Dan's farts?"

What are you afraid of?
"Capitalism, overcosumption and virtual reality."

What quality as a musician do you most wish you had, but don't?
"I wish I were as nuts as Iggy Pop."

Would you rather a child, a dog, or a Toyota Privia?
"Which one could I sell for the most money?"

Favourite small town other than Sackville?
"What? I thought there was only Sackville..."

What is your motto?
"Live fast, die young, bad girls do it well."

MARKET VENDOR + ZINE/CRAFT FAIR VENDOR REGISTRATION

 
Photo Credit: Kim MacMillan 

Photo Credit: Kim MacMillan 

Interested in selling your goods at SappyFest XI? Registration forms are now open.

MARKET VENDORS
If you're interested in selling food or other goods at our festival site on Bridge Street, please find rates, details, and a registration form HERE

ZINE/CRAFT FAIR VENDORS
If you're interested in having a table at our Zine/Craft Fair (which will take place at Cranewood On Main on Saturday, July 30th from 12pm-5pm) please find rates, details, and a registration form HERE.

CENTURY EGG, ADRIAN TEACHER AND THE SUBS, HORSES, DARK FOR DARK + MORE JOIN SAPPY XI LINEUP

 

SappyFest is excited to announce the addition of Century EggAdrian Teacher and the Subs, Dark for Dark, G.L.A.M. Bats, Coco Barracuda, Horses, Zack Bruce and GIRTH to the roster of musicians already announced for the festival on July 29th through 31st

A full schedule of performances and events will be released shortly. Additional performers will be announced in the coming weeks. In the meantime, check out our full slate of artist profiles HERE.

Full weekend passes are now available for $100 (taxes & fees included) and can be purchased via TicketPro HERE.

BILLET FOR SAPPYFEST XI

 

SappyFest is currently seeking billeters in the greater Sackville area to accommodate artists during SappyFest XI: July 29 - 31. Each year we rely on the kindness of folks like you (yes, you) to open their homes. We ensure appropriate matches, fun times, and lifelong connections. 

If you have any space available -  couches, air-mattresses, beds, tents, or yard space - please consider helping us out. You can fill out the billet form by clicking HERE

If you have any questions or require more information on volunteering or billeting, please contact Katharyn Stevenson, our Volunteer Coordinator, at coordinator@sappyfest.com or 647-818-9125.

MOUNT ALLISON UNIVERSITY DORMS: AVAILABLE FOR BOOKING

 

In need of a place to stay during SappyFest XI: July 29 - 31?

The Mount Allison University Dorm Rooms are now available for booking. They offer affordable rates, wireless internet, comfortable and quiet/private rooms, all within a kilometer radius of the festival grounds, local shops, and restaurants. 

Click HERE to reserve your room(s) now! 

INTERVIEW - Becoming "Thick As Thieves" With Sorrey

 

Did you miss out on the first episode of Sappy Radio on CHMA yesterday? Don't worry - our interview with Charlottetown musician Emilee Sorrey of Sorrey is available to stream below. We talked about the supportive PEI music scene, balancing band schedules, and her passion for food and nutrition.

Listen to Sorrey's latest EP, Thick As Thieves on Bandcamp.

SappyFest XI Mixer & Sappy Radio Launch

 

SappyFest XI Mixer - The Soundtrack to Your Summer
Excited to dive into the music of SappyFest XI before the festivities kick off at the end of July? Check out our pre-made mixer playlists on YouTube and Spotify to become acquainted with all of the artists in store for the festival.

Sappy Radio Makes Its Return
Sappy Radio makes it return to CHMA 106.9FM this Friday at 12PM, coming to you each week with interviews, features and songs from SappyFest XI artists. This year, we are excited to announce our collaboration with CFRU 93.3FMCKDU 88.1FM and !earshot 20 in producing Sappy Radio each week. Tune into the first episode this Friday to catch our first guest, Sorrey.

Listen live to Sappy Radio on Friday, June 10th at 12PM AST at chmafm.com.

"Wish You Were Here" Postcard Contest - First Winner Announced

The first winner of the Republic of SappyFest "Wish You Were Here" postcard contest has been announced. Congratulations to @formerly_offensive (Jacob)

If you would like to enter the contest for our next draw in July, mail a "Wish You Were Here" postcard to a loved one, have them snap a photo receiving it, and upload to Instagram with the hashtag #republicofsappyfest to be entered. You could win two full weekend passes to SappyFest XI on July 29-31!

Check out all of the entries so far for #republicofsappyfest on Instagram.

VOLUNTEER at SAPPYFEST XI

Republic of SappyFest
SappyFest XI : July 29 – 31

23 Bridge Street
Sackville, New Brunswick
PO Box 6443

Attention ex-lovers & future friends—

Greetings from the Republic. Flowers are blooming, the summer air is sweet, and SappyFest XI is on the horizon. This year, the festival will take place from July 29 - 31 in Sackville, NB, and we are currently seeking folks to get involved through our numerous volunteer opportunities. This is a great way to become part of the Sappy swamp magic and contribute to the inner workings of the festival!

Volunteers are needed for security, hospitality, transportation, selling merchandise, bar-tending, recycling, stage production, for the box office, campground, and as runners. These jobs, and an array of others, help to keep us afloat during the festival weekend. Volunteering has many perks, including free festival passes. Working one volunteer shift (approximately 4 hours) gets you a day pass for the day you work, and three shifts entitles you to a full festival pass. Many people find that volunteering is the best way to enjoy the festival and meet like-minded people and performers. Some volunteer crews are strictly 19+, but youth volunteers are encouraged and welcome to participate (with signed permission from a legal guardian).

If any of these volunteer opportunities peak your interest, please click HERE for more information, crew descriptions, and for our application application form.

If you have any questions, comments, concerns, or just want to say hello, please email our Volunteer Coordinator, Katharyn Stevenson, at coordinator@sappyfest.com.

Make sure to check us out on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for updates on the festival and upcoming local events.

XO
- Team Sappy

Photo Credit: Corey J. Isenor 

Photo Credit: Corey J. Isenor 

SappyFest XI rounds out 2016 lineup

The almost, but not quite complete lineup for SappyFest XI is here. 
 

Badminton Racquet*  //  Bart  //  By Divine Right  //  Cakes Da Killa  //  Chocolat  //  Corey Isenor
Coszmos Quartette  //  Cupcake Ductape*  //  Dilly Dally  //  Fake Palms  //  Greville Tapes Music Club Revue  //  Heat Vision  //  Hooded Fang  //  Jay Arner  //  Julie & The Wooden Stars
Les Hôtesses d'Hilaire  //  Little Scream  //  LUKA  //  Mauno  //  Nap Eyes  //  Nicole Ariana 
Ought  //  Partner  //  Petra Glynt  //  Phèdre  //  She-Devils^  //  Sorrey  //  The Dirty Nil
Wooden Stars  //  TUNS  //  Tyler Messick  //  Un Blonde^  //  Union Suit  //  Weird Lines


*Presented in partnership with Kazoo! Fest  
^Presented in partnership with Pop Montreal


Passes are on sale now for $100 (taxes and fees included) and are available HERE.

// // //

Wish You Were Here Postcard Campaign // Contest

We're very pleased to launch the Wish You Were Here Postcard campaign this week. Pick up a postcard at one of the upcoming Wish You Were Here tour dates, address it to a friend or lover, drop it in the Sappy Mailbox at the merch table, and we'll pay the postage! We'll also leave/send some to our favourite hotspots across the nation. 

Take a photo of the postcard(s) you receive and post them to Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter with the ridicuously long hashtag #republicofsappyfest for a chance to win a pair of weekend passes to this year's event in Sackville, NB, July 29-31, 2016.

Employment Opportunity: SappyFest // Canada Summer Jobs Media & Outreach Coordinator

SappyFest Inc.
23 Bridge Street
P.O. Box 6443
Sackville, New Brunswick
E4L 1G6

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

2016 SappyFest Media & Outreach Coordinator
35 hours a week
8 weeks
$10.65/hour

SappyFest Incorporated in partnership with Canada Summer Jobs is offering an employment opportunity for a current post-secondary student. The 2016 Media & Outreach Coordinator will work directly with SappyFest staff and Board of Directors on the production of the 11th annual music festival, July 29-31, 2016. Responsibilities will include; content generation, promotion, press and public relations, artist arrangements, website maintenance, managing social network/online profiles, copy editing, and sponsorship inquiries.

This is an opportunity to work in a fast paced, creative and engaging environment. The position would provide excellent leadership and management experience while developing skills in communications, project administration and creative problem solving.

The successful candidate will be:
- a highly organized, energetic, and adaptable leader
- outgoing and personable
- have experience conducting interviews, transcribing, editing
- a clear communicator with strong writing skills
- comfortable working in an Apple computer environment- experienced with social networking applications

Experience with Adobe design software, Microsoft, and independent culture is an asset. So is a sense of humour.

Please email a resume and cover letter to: submissions@sappyfest.com by Sunday, May 15, 2016 at 12:00PM (AST)Thank you for your interest but only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

For more information please email: mentalist@sappyfest.com.
 

This position is made possible with direct support from Canada Summer Jobs and the Government of Canada

SappyFest Emerging Artist Residency

Sackville NB - SappyFest Inc. is pleased to announce that they will be coordinating a week-long residency for young and emerging artists, scheduled to take place May 22 - 28 in Sackville, NB. The residency is open to artists from multi-media and multi-disciplinary backgrounds, such as visual art, performance, creative writing, etc. Artists will be provided with a small studio space, and will have an opportunity to showcase their work at the end of the residency. Space is limited to three artists, and will be selected on a first-come-first-serve basis. Artists wishing to take part are encouraged to contact SappyFest by May 16, 2016.

SappyFest Inc.
www.sappyfest.com
producer@sappyfest.com

// // //

SappyFest Residency Program: May 22 - 28

Who: 2 opportunities available to young and emerging artists with an interest in a week-long residency program in Sackville, NB. The residency is open to artists from multi-media and disciplinary backgrounds, such as visual art, performance, creative writing, etc.

Amenities: Small studio space located near the SappyFest office, 23 Bridge Street. Residents must coordinate and finance their own stay. No per-diem available at this time. A SappyFest representative will coordinate daily access to studio space.

Display: Artists will have the opportunity to publicly display their works at the end of the residency (Saturday, May 28, 2016 / At studio location). 

Contact: SappyFest Board of Directors
C/O: Joni Fleck Andrews
producer@sappyfest.com

Deadline: May 16, 2016

Availability is on a first-come-first-serve basis.

SappyFest XI expands lineup with Cakes Da Killa, She-Devils, Nap Eyes, Ought, By Divine Right, and Partner

Cakes Da KillaShe-DevilsNap EyesOughtBy Divine Right, and Partner are the second wave of acts added to the lineup for SappyFest XI: Republic Of SappyFest. They join previously announced artists Dilly DallyTUNSJulie Doiron and the Wooden Stars, and Little Scream for the festival, which takes place in Sackville, NB from July 29 - July 31, 2016 

Passes for SappyFest are on sale now for $100 (taxes and fees included) and are available HERE.

 

//

 

CAKES DA KILLA (New Jersey, USA)

CAKES DA KILLA (New Jersey, USA)

"...the music is less about playing games with your memory and more about making weird noises that you won’t recognize, and then about pounding those noises into your head with brutal efficiency. This is alien musical landscape, but Cakes Da Killa sounds absolutely at home on all of it. This is charged, physical, confrontationally sexual music, tactile and specific...with the sort of single-minded focus that reminds me of a great punk record." - Stereogum

 

SHE-DEVILS (Montreal, QC) - Co-Presented with Pop Montreal 

SHE-DEVILS (Montreal, QC) - Co-Presented with Pop Montreal 

"'Precise' is not a word one might use to describe She-Devils, a Montreal-based duo that paints in broad, messy strokes on their self-titled debut EP. Instead of showing off tightly wound musical chops, Audrey Ann and Kyle Jukka create murky sonic textures that meander through various states of consciousness without fully committing to one. The EP’s four tracks fluctuate between sweet and vaguely sinister, with Jukka’s vinyl samples colliding with Ann’s voice and lending it an extra layer of emotional depth." - Consequence of Sound

 

NAP EYES (Halifax, NS)

NAP EYES (Halifax, NS)

"Nap Eyes sound like the kind of slacker-rock band that plays while slumped over on half-folded futons, but even in its quietest moments, Thought Rock Fish Scale is an album brimming with passion and protest. It finds confidence in humility, power in relaxation. Its lethargy feels like an act of defiance against the hyper-speed pace of modern life. Its pledges of sobriety and good health constitute affronts to peer-pressured intoxication and food-blogged indulgence. And its purity of vision amounts to a declaration of war against a culture that encourages mass distraction.." - Pitchfork

 

OUGHT (Montreal, QC)

OUGHT (Montreal, QC)

"These Montreal post-punks (Ought) write harsh songs for harsh times on their excellent second album, building on last year's debut More Than Any Other Day. Tim Darcy squawks about trying to keep what's left of his human feelings alive, over abrasive guitar that clangs like Mission of Burma. When he sneers, 'Put on your evening attire/We've got a lot of forgetting to do' in 'On The Line,' he sounds like a cross between The Fall's Mark E. Smith and the grifter on the corner selling you the watch he stole off your wrist an hour ago. 'This is the high watermark of civilization,' Darcy says over the throbbing bass-and-feedback groove of the finale, 'Never Better.' The sad part is, he probably means it." - Rolling Stone

 

BY DIVINE RIGHT (Toronto, ON)

BY DIVINE RIGHT (Toronto, ON)

"Sunny, uplifting, jangly pop. All words often used to describe By Divine Right’s brand of psychedelic-tinged rock, which has been an influential force in Canadian indie music since the band’s seminal 1997 album, All Hail Discordia. On BDR’s ninth studio effort, it sounds less like [José] Contreras is struggling to hold on to anything, and more like he’s letting go, giving into improvisation and ending up with an album mixed with rich, psychedelic grooves, pop-driven hooks and dreamy, Beach Boys-esque harmonies."  - CBC Music

 

PARTNER (Sackville, NB)

PARTNER (Sackville, NB)

"Young, gifted and stoned, Partner are the best new band in Canada. Drumroll, chug and then the heaviest, phosphorescing riffs – a cri-de-coeur of overflowing confidence and ambition, with somehow still a sense of slacker haplessness. It’s a mighty trick: making something so perfectly composed, meticulously rehearsed, feel messy and alive. Their success rests on Caron’s premier shredding skills but just as much on [Josée] Niles’s deadpan presence: she’s like a punk-rock spirit animal, dry and goofy, singing perfect harmony at the top of her lungs."  - The Globe and Mail 

Employment Opportunity: SappyFest // Campbell-Verduyn Family Summer Internship

SappyFest Inc.
23 Bridge Street
P.O. Box 6443
Sackville, New Brunswick
E4L 1G6

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

2016 SappyFest Summer Internship
Employment Opportunity: Returning Mount Allison Student
30 hours/week
10 weeks (possibility of extension pending approval of employment grant)
$10.65/hour

SappyFest Incorporated in partnership with the Campbell-Verduyn Family is offering an employment opportunity for a current Mount Allison Student. The 2016 Festival Intern will work directly with SappyFest staff and Board of Directors on the production of the 11th annual music festival, July 29-31, 2016. Responsibilities will include; volunteer coordination/management, press and public relations, artist arrangements, website maintenance, managing social network/online profiles, copy editing, and sponsorship inquiries.

A SappyFest Internship is an opportunity to work in a fast paced, creative and engaging environment. The position would provide excellent leadership and management experience while developing skills in communications, project administration and creative problem solving.

The successful candidate will be:
- a highly organized, energetic, and adaptable leader
- outgoing and personable
- a clear communicator with strong writing skills
- comfortable working in an Apple computer environment- experienced with social networking applications

Experience with Adobe design software, Microsoft Excel, and independent culture is an asset. So is a sense of humour.

Please email a resume and cover letter to: submissions@sappyfest.com by Monday, April 18, 2016 at 5:00PM (AST)Thank you for your interest but only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

For more information please call: 506 540 1327 or email: mentalist@sappyfest.com.
 

This position is made possible with direct support from the Campbell-Verduyn Family.

SappyFest XI: Initial Line-Up // Wish You Were Here Tour & Residency

Dilly DallyTUNSJulie Doiron and The Wooden Stars, and Little Scream are the initial acts announced for SappyFest XI: Republic Of SappyFest, taking place in Sackville, NB from July 29 - July 31, 2016. 

A limited number of early bird tickets for the festival are on sale now for $90 (fees & taxes included) and are available HERE.

 

//

 

DILLY DALLY (Toronto, ON)

DILLY DALLY (Toronto, ON)

"What makes a band like Toronto’s Dilly Dally so endearing is that they speak directly to the disdain of every working band. They aren’t showy but rather loud and a little messy, and they don’t give a shit about wrapping it up with a bow...In a time when the pool is flooded and everyone’s clambering but no one has the answer, these guys are frustrated but motivated, restless but still full of wonder. They’ve cultivated a fiercely noisy but completely intriguing sound, and sometimes that’s all it really takes." - Noisey

 

TUNS (Halifax, NS/Toronto, ON)

TUNS (Halifax, NS/Toronto, ON)

"Rumblings about Halifax supergroup TUNS first began last September, and six months and a couple of shows later, here's what we know: 1. The band includes Sloan's Chris Murphy on drums, Super Friendz/Flashing Lights' Matt Murphy on guitar and theInbreds' Mike O'Neill on bass. All three sing. 2. They're named after the Technical University of Nova Scotia (now Dal Tech). 3. First single "Throw It All Away" is a jangly, guitar-driven ditty with boyish three-part harmonies. 4. Expect a release in 2016." - NOW

 

JULIE DOIRON (Sackville, NB) 

JULIE DOIRON (Sackville, NB) 

"Back in the pre-millennial fog of 1999, Julie Doiron made one of her first, decisive steps away from being 'the former bassist for Eric’s Trip' and towards establishing herself as a heart-on-sleeve solo troubadour celebrated on her own merits. She did it with a little help from some unlikely friends, too: inscrutable Ottawa art-popsters the Wooden Stars. A blazingly talented indie quintet perpetually doomed to the 'too good to catch on' files, the Stars’ and their shape-shifting, mathematical headiness seemed an odd match for Doiron’s plainspoken, lo-fi folk confessionals. But the combination worked, yielding an understated, tinglingly emotive CanCon classic in a one-off collaborative effort simply titled Julie Doiron and the Wooden Stars." - Toronto Star

 

LITTLE SCREAM (Montreal, QC)

LITTLE SCREAM (Montreal, QC)

"...in 2011, Laurel Sprengelmeyer released The Golden Record, her debut album as Little Scream. Her corroded guitar playing forged earthy, beautifully arranged epics that warranted comparisons to Neko Case, but they never seemed to earn the props they deserved. Her comeback takes a different tack entirely. 'Love as a Weapon' evokes what might transpire if St. Vincent covered the Bee Gees: bright, tight synthetic funk where Sprengelmeyer's unrelenting falsetto holds court over strutting bass Moog and zippy guitar." - Pitchfork


SappyFest artist residency program & Wish You Were Here tour:
In addition to these initial artists, SappyFest also announces the introduction of a new artist residency program and tour today.  In the spirit of collaboration that first motivated the humble beginnings and development of SappyFest, Inc., this new residency sees ten artists from Sappy's past spanning multiple disciplines - written word, video, visual arts, puppetry, music, and new media - working together in the studio space above local pub and arts complex, Thunder & Lightning Ltd. in Sackville, NB from May 6 - 14, 2016. 

At the end of the week, the collective works will be presented as a large exhibit at Thunder & Lightning. Coupled with a rock show, the exhibition will kick off the Wish You Were Here tour taking portions of the multi-disciplinary variety show on the road throughout the Maritimes. 

Together, the residency and the tour aim to encapsulate all that has made Sappy, well, Sappy. Collaborations, good times, bad ideas.

The artists in residency are: Shotgun JimmieIan RoyMichael FeuerstackPaul HendersonAmy SiegelGraeme PattersonMitchell WiebeAmanda FauteuxJon Claytor, and Steven Lambke.
 

The artists on tour are: Shotgun JimmieIan RoyG.L.A.M. BATSAmy Siegel, andSteven Lambke

Wish You Were Here tour dates are as follows:
May 14 - Sackville, NB @ Thunder & Lightning Ltd.

May 17 - Charlottetown, PE @ Baba's Lounge
May 19 - Fredericton, NB @ Wilser's Room
May 20 - Halifax, NS @ Gus' Pub
May 21 - Sydney, NS @ St. Patrick's Church