To help break up the long, monotonous month of January, Fredericton’s annual Shivering Songs Festival has comedy, music and art shows at 10 venues.
Singer-songwriter Jerry-Faye Flatt is part of the all-New Brunswick lineup.
Her band, The Jerry-Faye Band, will be hitting the stage at Officers’ Square.
“It’s really exciting. I’ve never been on a stage this big before, so it’s going to be really exciting for me to play to hopefully a large audience,” said Flatt on Friday.
She said she hopes to encourage other emerging acts to get involved in the Maritime music scene.
“Just start talking to people in your community and go to open mics and go out to shows,” said Flatt.
“The music community in New Brunswick, it’s really small and if you want to be a part of it, all you have to do is jump in.”
Shivering Songs started in 2010 and there’s a wide variety of acts, including standup comedy, theatre and photography.
Organizers say the festival usually draws a crowd of around 2,000 people.
“We wanted to use the milestone and our own story to sort of pivot and recognize the amazing contributions from New Brunswick artists both those working here at home and those that have gone on to succeed in other parts of the world,” said Brendan Magee, co-organizer of the festival
Dylan Ward, a member of The Jerry-Faye Band, said that it’ll be a treat for people looking to see “great home-grown talent.
For those on a tight budget after the holidays, there’s no need to fret. Magee says everyone can find something to enjoy.
“Half of our programming is either free or by donation and the idea behind that is to try and get people out and we want people to take advantage of the festival,” he said.
Although the spotlight will be on Flatt, she said she’s happy to share it with other creative minds.
“It’s not just for musicians, it’s not just for artists, it’s for everybody to come and check out the wonderful things that New Brunswick has to offer when it comes to visual and musical talent,” she said.