When Little Miss Higgins—AKA Jolene Higgins—rolls into your town, expect a merch table with a few surprising items on it. The singer-songwriter will be selling home-grown garlic, handmade soap, wooden spoons, and other items she’s made.
Born in Brooks, Alberta, Higgins has also lived in Saskatchewan, and now calls Ste. Anne, Manitoba home. She’s a JUNO nominee with numerous recordings to her credit, but she also gets really excited when she talks about her garden.
“It all started when I started growing tons of garlic, which I love to do,” laughs Higgins. “I had way too much, so I took it on tour with me.
I sold it at shows, and I thought it was hilarious.”
That led to the Harvest Tour, an annual celebration of story, song, and the bounties of Autumn. Her upcoming Alberta tour dates will see a trio on stage. You’ll hear Higgins on vocals, guitar, and baritone ukulele. Daniel Péloquin-Hopfner will play banjo, mandolin, lap steel. Patrick Alexandre will be on upright bass.
Higgins loves performing, but she still enjoys the recording process, too. She notes that recording can lead to interesting collaborative opportunities that touring doesn’t allow. “I’m working with a super-talented Métis fiddler. I can’t take him on the road, but it’s great to have his beautiful playing on this song we’re recording.”
How did she find this fiddler? “I live on the Seine River, and we were canoeing one evening. I heard this beautiful Métis fiddle music.” She says she just had to follow the sound, which was coming from a park.
She told her canoeing partner to follow that sound, saying, “Pull over! Pull the canoe over. I need a fiddle player! So we pulled the canoe over and we found the player, Gilles Crevier. We got his number, and he came over and recorded with us. I love those moments when the magic happens.”
Higgins has a loyal fan base, and she knows that local and community broadcasters have helped her music reach people, particularly in Western Canada.
“I don’t play mainstream music, and I never really have. I’ve usually created music that’s influenced by early 1900s blues and jazz, folk and country. I love it and it fits my voice. I really enjoyed learning how to play guitar like that, but I knew I’d never get on mainstream radio.”
Higgins recalls growing up in Alberta and hearing Billie Holiday for the first time. It was on CKUA. “I had never heard her before, so I wrote the name down and went out to find her CDs. It all branched out from there. CKUA has been supportive of my music, but it’s also influenced me. Having my music played on the radio is an honour. To be accepted by a radio station like CKUA is big.”
Little Miss Higgins Harvest Tour has eight stops in Alberta in October. Find all the information here.
Here’s Miss Higgins with a fun video about her soap-making project.