Angie McMahon is on her way to Alberta, and she’s bringing the band! The Australian singer-songwriter, who will play the main stage at the Edmonton Folk Fest on Saturday evening, says, “There are five of us, flying a long way.” Then she adds with a laugh, “If we all make it!”
Edmonton is the first stop on a month-long tour. Some of the band members have been together for a while, but there’s one new player. McMahon’s longtime drummer is staying home in Australia to become a father, so Canadian Laurie Torres has been added to the mix. “We’ve been touring all year,” says McMahon. “So we feel blessed to keep it going.”
McMahon’s 2023 album, Light, Dark, Light Again is a record that includes breakup songs, hopeful songs, and deep feelings. She spends time in nature when she needs to clear her head or wrestle with the highs and lows of being a person. “It’s about accepting both sides of the coin,” she says. “Things are always changing. While the light goes away sometimes, it’s also important to remember that the darkness also doesn’t last forever.” She says she often imagines a tree, which is calm and beautiful in a storm and in good weather.
The album is McMahon’s second, and she says she felt freedom while making it. During the pandemic, when touring was impossible, she focused on songwriting, and enjoyed the slower pace. “Without the big pause, I wouldn’t have been able to understand that phase of my life the same way. It might have been half the record.”
She mentions American recording artist Mary Gauthier, who has spoken about honesty in songwriting. Gauthier said, “Finding truth is always hard, and that’s what I challenge myself to do. And the truth I’m referencing is not the facts. It’s emotional truth.”
That idea of emotional truth speaks to McMahon. “In writing, the feeling of it being true is instinctual. When you find the words that make someone feel seen, that is truthful. Whether the events are 100% factual is not so important.”
She adds, “When we read fiction, it’s no less true to the human experience than nonfiction. It something resonates, if something sings to your heart, then it’s true. The goal is to connect with the true human experience.”
Angie McMahon and her band will play the main stage at the Edmonton Folk Music Festival on Saturday, August 10.
Hear “Letting Go” from the album Light, Dark, Light Again.
