For some, it乌鸦传媒檚 all for a shot at fame and fortune.
But for Alex Vissia (VISSIA), who hits the Record City stage Oct. 3, it乌鸦传媒檚 all about the love of playing music.
乌鸦传媒淚 think the physical aspect of playing music is the most enjoyable thing, and playing for people is a lot better than playing in your room,乌鸦传媒 Vissia said. 乌鸦传媒淚t乌鸦传媒檚 really energizing to experience how people also experience your music.乌鸦传媒
In support of her upcoming album Place Holder, which drops Nov. 10, Vissia is taking her love of playing on tour, with over 20 confirmed dates stretching across the province from B.C. to Quebec.
乌鸦传媒淵ou find yourself in new territory a lot and it pushes you outside your comfort zone,乌鸦传媒 Vissia said.
Vernon is one such new territory for Vissia to explore, and she乌鸦传媒檚 looking forward to the opportunity to share her passion with a new audience.
乌鸦传媒淚乌鸦传媒檝e toured through B.C., but never Vernon,乌鸦传媒 Vissia said. 乌鸦传媒淚乌鸦传媒檓 kind of just trying to branch out more and expand my network.乌鸦传媒
And Vernon came highly recommended by Vissia乌鸦传媒檚 musician friends.
乌鸦传媒淚 have a lot of friends who have toured through Vernon before and say it乌鸦传媒檚 really cool. I乌鸦传媒檓 really excited to go back (to B.C.). It should be a lot of fun.乌鸦传媒
The Edmonton-based folk-rocker乌鸦传媒檚 B.C. gigs come on the heels of a month-long Canada-wide tour throughout the month of November.
乌鸦传媒淭his one is kind of nice because it乌鸦传媒檚 not too long,乌鸦传媒 Vissia said of the tour乌鸦传媒檚 B.C. leg. 乌鸦传媒淭he road life is very different than being at home for sure.乌鸦传媒
But Vissia is looking forward to the cycle of hitting the road and touring, with a special interest in her Nov. 10 gig in Toronto, where Place Holder is officially launched, though she will have copies of the album available at shows prior to the Toronto stop.
Place Holder is an evolution of Vissia乌鸦传媒檚 iconic warm sound, as evidenced by the album乌鸦传媒檚 first single I Wanted and teaser EP You Should Be Sleeping.
乌鸦传媒淚t乌鸦传媒檚 where folk and rock meet in the middle. The record does have a lot of electric guitar and full band tracks. I think each song has it乌鸦传媒檚 own persona. I just kind of stepped into new categories,乌鸦传媒 Vissia said of Place Holder, adding that some of her folk-rock jams take on a country sound.
And it乌鸦传媒檚 an evolution that translates well to the stage.
乌鸦传媒淚 think there乌鸦传媒檚 a lot of energy for sure 乌鸦传媒 I tend to get really absorbed in the performance,乌鸦传媒 Vissia said. 乌鸦传媒淚 have a really great time on stage.乌鸦传媒
As a byproduct of extensive touring, Vissia feels her stage performance has taken on a new life.
乌鸦传媒淭he more experience I have, the easier it is to keep that consistency,乌鸦传媒 Vissia said. 乌鸦传媒淵ou have to be prepared for anything and do what you do, no matter what happens.乌鸦传媒
With her indie-musician background and love of all things music, Vissia decided to take her musician career in another direction, and alongside the release of I Wanted and with the help of business partner Nich Davies, Vissia launched her new independent record label Hurry Hard Records.
乌鸦传媒淎s an indie artist you乌鸦传媒檙e already doing everything 乌鸦传媒 it felt like a good idea to start it,乌鸦传媒 Vissia said of her new endeavor.
And it乌鸦传媒檚 all with the intent of assisting and promoting Edmonton musicians.
乌鸦传媒淚乌鸦传媒檝e been doing this music project for five or six years and have formed some really good relationships through it,乌鸦传媒 Vissia said. 乌鸦传媒淚t乌鸦传媒檚 really hard to do everything on your own as a musician, and I乌鸦传媒檓 looking forward to showing what musicians in this area can do to Canada and the world.乌鸦传媒
Place Holder is available for pre-sale online at , with a limited edition 180g gold vinyl available while supplies last.
SMG Endeavors presents VISSIA and Lili Starr 乌鸦传媒 Tanya Lipscomb乌鸦传媒檚 country persona, at Record City stage Oct. 3. Tickets are available for $10 in advance through or $15 at the door. Doors open at 7 p.m. and music starts by 8 p.m. All ages.