Hillside helps indie bands make it big
By: Ashley Csanady

WATERLOO REGION — Next weekend’s Hillside Festival is a launch pad for Canadian musicians.

From Broken Social Scene to Feist, the annual festival in Guelph is credited with uncovering unknown musical gems. For young, up-and-coming bands like Waterloo’s Kidstreet or Guelph’s Common Grackle, Adverteyes and Modern Field Recordings, the three-day musicfest could push them into the mainstream — or at least onto a few more playlists.

Dave Clark, who’s performed at Hillside on and off with various groups over the past 20 years, has witnessed countless acts appear at the festival before they make it big.

He said Hillside’s lineup is “usually two or three years ahead,” adding that the year Arcade Fire appeared few people had heard of them but “the next thing you knew they were on David Letterman.”

“I don’t think my expectations are that high,” said Kidstreet vocalist Edna Snyder, who plays with her two brothers. The buzz would be great, but she isn’t expecting international success on the festival’s heels.

But every little bit helps.

“If it helps in anyway to get our name out there, especially before the album, that would be great,” said drummer Karl Snyder.

Karl said Hillside “is good to put on your resume as a musician” as it opens doors to other festivals. “In that way, it does bring up your profile.”

Kidstreet started playing together officially in 2009, although the siblings had penned instrumental pieces together before that.

Since then, they’ve inked a deal with Ford Motors, selling one of their songs for a commercial. They’ve also signed a record deal with Nettwerk and performed at other musical hotbeds, such as North by Northeast and the College Music Journal Music Marathon and Film Festival in New York.

But the band is more excited to check out other acts at Hillside than they are about its profile-boosting possibilities.

“It’s just fantastic to have the opportunity to be exposed to so many other bands you’ve never heard of otherwise,” said Edna, who is both performing at and attending the festival for the first time.

But even Hillside veterans like Clark, who will be playing with the Woodshed Orchestra, relish the festival’s variety of performances and genres, which range from bluegrass folk to freestyle rap.

“My favourite part of the festival (is often) checking out people I don’t know because that’s where the surprises lie,” said Clark.

Attendees “can expect a really grassroots, eclectic, very warm community of people who are open-minded — unusually open-minded,” said Marie Zimmerman, executive director of Hillside. “They come to listen to music that they love, but they also come to be challenged and to be educated.”

“It’s an unusually altruistic community of people who embrace people from the outside because they’re all united by their love of creativity,” said Zimmerman.

Sloan headlines the festival, but will appear alongside such indie heavyweights as Mother Mother and the Dears.

Full-weekend passes have been sold out for weeks, but day passes are still available. The festival runs July 22 to 24. Visit hillsidefestival.ca for a complete lineup and tickets.