Country artist brings ‘stripped-down’ tour to city
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An award-winning country-Americana artist is making a stop in Brandon later this month for what she calls an intimate show.
The artist, Mariya Stokes, is coming for a “stripped-down” performance at Black Wheat Brewing on Nov. 12. She said the style strips all the bells and whistles from modern music and leans into solo acoustic performances.
“It makes the entire show much more conversational — there’s much more back and forth,” Stokes told the Sun on Thursday. “I love to get to know people in a little bit more of an intimate environment.”
Alberta country artist Mariya Stokes is performing at Black Wheat Brewing in Brandon on Nov. 12. (Photos by Sebastian Buzzalino/Unfolding Creative)
The stripped-down approach comes with more flexibility in the song choice, allowing for some changes on the fly to meet the mood of the room, she said. The brewery venue will have space for about 100 people, a size chosen as a way to complement the acoustic, natural style.
The Calgary artist, who is a two-time Country Music Alberta winner in the female artist of the year category, is visiting Brandon as part of her fall tour, with stops in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Winnipeg.
Asked about the themes of her current music, Stokes said she wrote songs for her debut album, “Mood Ring,” to reflect a variety of emotion — some sad, some fun. The themes that she has been inspired by lately are vulnerability and self-empowerment.
“The artists that I love, that I listen to, that make me feel seen and heard, are artists that are sometimes uncomfortably honest in their music,” she said. “Or they release music that just makes me shut my brain off and dance and feel good. And so for my shows, that’s the space that I want to create as well.”
Stokes will partner with Devin Cooper, a fellow Calgary country artist who was nominated for six Country Music Alberta awards this year. The two artists work together closely, offering backup vocals for each other and songwriting help in their solo careers, Stokes said. They are partnering for the fall tour and will both be present for the show at Black Wheat Brewing.
“Devin and I have worked together for a lot of years and been friends for a lot of years,” Stokes said. “At the end of the night, because we know so many of each other’s songs, we actually get up and do a few tunes together, and that’s been different every night.”
Devin Cooper is partnering with Mariya Stokes for her fall tour across Western Canada.
Cooper focuses on country rock in his music, while Stokes focuses on Americana country, she said.
Stokes released her debut album this year.
» cmcdowell@brandonsun.com