Despite a busy touring schedule that takes her around the world, Irish Mythen never tires of being invited back to Orillia.
“They’re a brilliant crowd,” the Prince Edward Island-based contemporary folk/roots singer-songwriter said of local audiences. “They’re very warm, and they’ve been following me along.”
Regular attendees of the Mariposa Folk Festival will likely recognize Mythen. She is in good company. Mythen, Gordon Lightfoot and Joni Mitchell are reportedly the artists who have been asked back to the festival more than anyone else.
Next month, she’ll make her debut on a different local stage.
Mythen is among the headliners for the Roots North Music Festival, happening April 20 and 21 at various venues in the city. Mythen will perform April 21 at 9 p.m. at St. Paul’s Centre.
Fans who have been following her rising career since she moved from Ireland to Canada in 2007 should be in for a treat, as Mythen is putting the finishing touches on her fourth full-length album.
“It’s my best work yet,” she told OrilliaMatters. “It’s been the most arduous one. It’s taken a bit of time.”
Her last album, a self-titled release, came out in 2014.
It’s no surprise it’s been a few years between albums. When writing and recording a new album, Mythen is always trying to one-up herself.
“In any job, if you don’t get better with each project, you’re not very good at what you do,” she said. “Being in the recording business is no different. That’s why this took so long.”
She also tries to create something that is different but at the same time familiar to fans. With the new album, “the songs have more expanse,” she said.
“I want to be able to give the listener a real journey.”
The new release will feature guest artists whose names will be familiar to listeners, but Mythen isn’t ready to disclose their identities yet.
Her most recent album earned her the Roots Album of the Year title at the 2015 East Coast Music Awards. She was also nominated for Folk Artist of the Year at the International Folk Music Awards. But it was her SOCAN Songwriter of the Year win in 2016, decided by her peers, that propelled her “to the big table.”
She could brush off the hype and say awards and nominations don’t matter, but that’s not the case with Mythen.
“I’d like to be really cool and say this is for my art. That’s nonsense,” she said. “I’m a performer. I have to sell albums. I have to sell tickets. That’s my job.”
While awards aren’t on her mind while she’s recording, she is always humbled when she is recognized.
“I am in awe every time I get nominated for anything because the standards here are just insane. Canada produces some of the best unheard-of musicians on the planet,” she said. “They realize that this is one of our own and we bloody love it. That’s super special to me. It was evident to me because I’m not a born-and-bred Canadian.”
Like many Canadian folk artists, Mythen has stories to tell. During her live show, her charismatic personality and big voice are on full display, but she makes sure the message isn’t lost among the showmanship.
“I will tell you a little joke to get you to laugh with me and then I’ll hit you with the moral of the story, which could be about mental health or clean water for Indigenous people,” she said. “No one wants to listen to a preacher unless they’re happy about sitting in a pew on a Sunday.”
She doesn’t prepare the preambles to her songs, but she knows she has to be creative to get the message across, and that message is important to her.
“I’d be very remiss and a selfish little so-and-so if I didn’t use my voice on occasion to talk about (the issues),” she said.
Roots spreading
Like Mythen when she’s writing, Roots North organizers strive to go above and beyond their previous offering.
“It’s so artistically diverse. There are styles that will appeal to everyone,” said Sarah Duffy, who is the event’s artistic director alongside Amy Mangan. “They’re going to see artists they know and they’re going to discover some new favourites.”
Now in its fourth year, Roots North has been growing.
“We have been building, so we’ve been able to bank a bit of money, which allows us to spend a bit more,” Duffy said.
Community support has grown along with the festival, she noted, with more venues and sponsors showing interest.
“The whole festival is super community oriented,” she said. “We’re always overwhelmed with gratitude by the business sponsors that make this possible.”
While many of the artists are not from this area, the festival still includes a focus on “our local culture,” Duffy said. That’s why it’s important to showcase local talent, including Craig Mainprize and Danny Webster.
The lineup for the weekend also includes The Wooden Sky, Oh Susanna, Jeremie Albino, Joey Landreth and more. For a full list of artists and venues, check out rootsnorthmusic.ca.
Tickets cost $35 for a weekend pass. That will increase to $45 April 2. Tickets are available on the festival website or in person at Alleycats Music. They are also sold on Saturdays at the Orillia Farmers’ Market.