During the past decade Whitehorse musician Kim Beggs has toured throughout North America and even hopped the pond to Denmark.
This March, however, she is organizing a very different kind of road show — one that takes place right here in the Yukon.
The second installation of her Triple Songwriter Series features Beggs in the company of Tennessee’s Linda McRae and MC Hansen of Denmark. The three songwriters are currently traveling throughout the Yukon, playing shows and house concerts in Atlin, Haines Junction, Keno City, Dawson, Whitehorse and Marsh Lake, among others.
For Beggs, who organized a similar event in 2011, the songwriter tour is a chance to travel the territory and share music and artists she appreciates.
“It’s great to bring music that I have discovered up and share it with the Yukon,” she says, “And also to bring exposure to these artists and help them build their fan base in the Yukon so they can come back again.”
Both MC Hansen and Linda McRae already possess impressive resumes. MC Hansen, a Danish, self-described guitar-slinger, plays with The Sentimentals, a backing band that tours with folk music greats like Jonathan Byrd, Ana Egge, Matt Harlan, Dana Cooper and Sam Baker.
Linda McRae hails from Canada, though she is now based out of Tennessee. She left Spirit of the West, in which she played bass and accordion for eight years, to pursue her solo career.
Beggs has worked with both artists previously.
“MC Hansen and Linda McRae are both artists that I’ve come across frequently – and have really appreciated their music and their artistic contributions and also their spirit,” Beggs says. “They’re just really awesome people.”
She’s confident the Yukon audience will appreciate Hansen and McRae.
“I think that their writing is amazing and inspiring, and their performances are inspiring as well,” she says. “I think that Yukoners have a real appreciation for great songwriting.”
Beggs will be playing music from her self-titled solo project, including songs from her upcoming fourth album.
“[This tour] also gets me to push my envelope… I don’t want people to get bored of me,” she laughs. “I use a lot of metaphors, I like to write so people can get a picture, more of a painting than an essay. I like to convey emotion; I like people to feel things.”
While each artist will perform solo, Beggs also anticipates getting on stage together.
“We will also be doing some collaboration, whether it’s sharing harmonies or having some instrumental backup for each other,” she says.
The Triple Songwriter Series will be playing March 14 in Keno City; March 16 Dawson City; March 20 in Whitehorse; and March 21 in Marsh Lake.
Check out Kim Beggs’ website at www.KimBeggs.com for more information.
