For Immediate Release / September 5, 2024
Songwriter Amanda Penner Supports 2SLGBTQIA+ Artists with Toadstool Art & Music Collective
When Amanda Penner founded the Toadstool Arts & Music Collective in 2023, it was a way of making space, of giving themself and musicians they love places to play when they didn’t always feel welcome in the broader music scene. But it’s grown at a speed Penner never anticipated.
“Originally it was like, okay, it'll just be local artists, and I had hopes and dreams to expand that,” they explain. “Now we've had artists from B.C., Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario, the Yukon, and Nova Scotia. It's really hit all of these different places in the country, which is super cool to see—to have those people come through, and have a place that they know that they can play.”
Penner’s growing producer capabilities culminated in Folx Fest: a two-day queer music and arts festival in June, that Penner co-produced and curated with a friend, featuring artists from all over the country.
“It definitely was a very large undertaking,” they say. “But honestly, for it being the first time I ever did anything like that, I think it went quite well.”
Expanding the producer side of their musical career has partly been a necessity: Folx Fest came about as Penner was recovering from a car accident, which forced them to set their own music aside as they recovered.
“It was kind of an intentional way to try and heal from a lot of the bad things that have happened in my life this year,” Penner reflects, of the festival. “I was like, well, if I can't do anything for myself, then why wouldn't I use whatever I have to try and uplift other people?”
While Penner’s warmth as a producer seems unmatched, their own music pulls depth and wisdom from the honeyed bends of folk. Raised in St. Albert, Penner was a co-recipient of this year’s Youth Artist Award at the St. Albert Mayor’s Celebration of the Arts.
“It's really lovely to have people recognize your work,” they note. “It was an honor, honestly, especially as an artist. That meant a lot to have that showcased and celebrated.”
Now that Penner’s on the mend, they’re looking forward to centering their own art for a while.
“I’m just about to start a duo project with a good friend of mine who I met when I was on tour last fall. … We’ve become really close friends, and did a little small tour in the spring,” Penner says. “We've been writing some stuff and getting our groundwork in for that. And I'm also starting to record a record in a couple weeks here … [there’s] a lot of big transitional things in my life right now, and seeing how it all comes together.”
Article Written by: Paul Blinov
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Last edited: September 4, 2024