K.S. McCUTCHEON

On March 15 local musicians took to the stage, promoting their work at The Underground Cafe for an event called The Ides. Artists included Quinzee Town, Lindsay Anderson, Anna Haverstock of Six Moons Later and Sonorific performing for an impressive audience of 82 people.

The Ides presents new opportunities for artists, such as being Anderson’s first paid show and Sonorific’s debut performance under that name.

Aiming to instill confidence in young female talent, The Ides empowers female ambition in a way that is subtle as males were also involved in the show.

“The more women are encouraged to do anything, the more women will do everything. Think about it — there are more women in music than in politics,” said Brenda Jackson, a member of Quinzee Town.

Quinzee Town started with roommates Jackson and Kathryn Imrie and has recently made the move from their living room to the stage. Influenced by the band Ween and music from the 60s, Quinzee Town plays one to two shows each month and recently auditioned for the Ness Creek 2014 music festival.

On the other hand, Sonorific classifies their music as free-association rock-and-roll. They write most of their own songs, as the only cover played at The Ides was “Bad Moon Rising” by Creedence Clearwater Revival.

Anderson has not yet categorized her music, preferring to leave it open to the audience to determine what her genre is.

“I invite the audience to attend my shows in order to know and understand what I sound like,” Anderson said.

Anderson’s sister Emma Jean Anderson also performed as a member of Sonorific. The Anderson sisters emphasize the support they have for each other and the importance of honesty when critiquing each other’s music.

Each of The Ides’ performers encouraged one another in multiple ways, removing any competition and replacing it with balance and cooperation.

“Every artist has their own sound — why compete with that? If the artist has a different sound and is doing what they want to do, then embrace and support them,” Lindsay said.

Jackson further stated that performers should not strive to be other musicians — instead, they should want to play with other musicians. The musicians at The Ides emphasize that artists should simply sing how they sing and embrace their own talent.

Emma highlights her interest in embracing other arts in addition to music. She is working on developing alternative performance events — combining music with actors, visual artists and unfolding narratives. She aims to destroy the narrative in order to catch the audience’s attention and keep them listening by having a positive stage presence.

“I love all sorts of creativity. They mutually feed each other,” said Emma. “The more energy you give, the more energy you get.”

Her sister adds that creativity connects people, allowing the audience to experience what the artist is feeling.

Emma tries to send out a certain vibe that she wishes to receive in return when performing. She also asks herself how she would like to add to people’s experiences and tries to affect her audience’s lives in progressive ways through musical experience.

Both Anderson sisters are drawn to the city and the artistic community of Saskatoon. They have discovered unwavering support from the community and a welcoming space to connect and collaborate with others. As Emma states that she is drawn to the city for unexplainable reasons, Lindsay emphasizes that the comfort and positivity of the city influence her to call Saskatoon home.