MOOSE JAW — The Moose Jaw Co-op and the Co-op Ethanol Complex present “A Night in Nashville,” featuring a captivating songwriter’s round with the incredible talents of Damhnait Doyle, Jeff Cohen, and Phil Barton sponsored by River Street Promotions (RSP) and hosted by Joel Stewart this December.
, from 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. at the Mae Wilson Theatre with doors opening at 6:30 p.m.
Damhnait Doyle’s career began with a chance encounter while working at a record store in her hometown of St. John’s, Nfld., at the age of 17. While working between semesters, Doyle was overheard singing to herself by a visiting record executive from Toronto, Ont.
“Someone came down from Toronto to set up a record company, and at the time, McIsaac, Sloan, and everything on the east coast was kind of exploding. They came down, overheard me singing, and were like, literally, ‘We’re going to make you a star,’” she recalled.
This serendipitous encounter led to her first record deal, and her debut album was released two years later at the age of 19 — an experience she described as “absolutely surreal”.
Doyle described herself as being “a bit all over the map.” Her musical style is “Americana, some pop, some Indie, a little bit of old country and a little bit of (contemporary) country,” a style she described simply as “storytelling.”
When it comes to finding inspiration for her next song, Doyle described her creative process as cyclical, with long periods of information gathering followed by “bursts of songwriting.” She absorbs experiences from her own life and the world around her and, eventually, this reaches a tipping point that sparks “a flurry of creativity” where she’ll write “intensively for months.”
“I’m in the middle of that right now,” she said. “I’m writing and recording new material, but I haven’t written anything, really, in like five years.”
Set to return to Moose Jaw this December, Doyle’s no stranger to The Notorious City. “I’ve played at the Mae Wilson Theatre… for this event a couple of times, and I’ve always had the best time,” she said, with an appreciative nod to the Temple Gardens Mineral Spa.
“I love coming to Moose Jaw,” she continued. “Everybody’s so wonderful and nice. I’m really looking forward to coming just as a personal getaway, to be honest, because I love it there.”
Doyle first visited Moose Jaw around a decade ago when her band, “The Heartbroken,” was invited by her close friend Jared Mathiesen to perform at a fundraiser. The two quickly became friends and their ongoing connection has brought her back on several occasions since.
Doyle enjoys the guitar pull format for its intimate and dynamic nature, and appreciates the freedom to adapt her performance — often changing her song choices on the fly to complement the contribution of other artists on stage.
The format also allows her to fully embrace being in the moment — a philosophy she carries throughout her life and music.
During A Night in Nashville, . “Joel Stewart is… a Canadian icon there in the film and TV (industry). I worked with him a lot when he was a big wig at CMT. He did a bunch of videos for me, and he is the most entertaining person I know.”
For Moose Jaw residents unable to make it out to Nashville anytime soon, Doyle said the upcoming show offers a “strikingly similar” experience.
“It’s going to be, honestly, probably exactly the same — except with maybe cheaper drink prices…,” she said with a chuckle. “I was just in Nashville in September and you’re going to get a very accurate representation of what would happen in a songwriter circle down there.”
Doyle concluded with a very specific message: “Watch out, Bobby — I’m coming for you!”
Tickets can be purchased now from the Moose Jaw Centre for Arts & Culture at , [email protected], or by calling 306-693-4700.
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