Erin Berland to play July 18 show for Music in the Forest

LAC LA BICHE - Erin Berland, an Indigenous musician who lives in Saskatoon but grew up in the Lac La Biche area, will be hitting the stage for the July 18 edition of the Music in the Forest concert series. The show will be taking place at the Sir Winston...

LAC LA BICHE - Erin Berland, an Indigenous musician who lives in Saskatoon but grew up in the Lac La Biche area, will be hitting the stage for the July 18 edition of the Music in the Forest concert series. The show will be taking place at the Sir Winston Churchill Provincial Park community amphitheatre. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., while the music starts at 7:30 p.m.

Berland is excited to be performing at the provincial park. “Churchill Park is so incredibly beautiful, and I am so excited that I get to play there. I hope to see some familiar faces in the audience,” she told Lakeland This Week.

While Berland describes her musical style as acoustic singer-songwriter, the artist blends many different genres. “Lately, I have been more on the alternative country/folk style, which has been really fun,” she explained. Berland’s parents also served as a significant influence regarding her musical career.

“I grew up listening to the same music that they listened to and also performed, which is how I got my start in music,” she said. “I did various types of performances, which really helped with my confidence as an artist who was just getting started. I am so thankful to Lac La Biche for providing me with so many opportunities as I was growing up,” she said.

While Berland doesn’t have a new album in the works, the musician is constantly writing new material, and would love to get back in the studio in the near future. To date, she has released a number of singles, including ‘My Portrait’ and ‘Ghost Town.’ She hasn’t embarked on a tour yet.

However, that is definitely one of her goals. Although Berland mostly plays in Saskatoon as of right now, she has traveled back to Alberta for different events such as Métis Fest at Métis Crossing and Lethbridge for an event with Métis Nations there. For Berland, the best thing about playing in smaller venues such as the Sir Winston Churchill Park community amphitheatre is that it allows her to connect with the audience and tell the stories that go along with her songs.

“I love storytelling through my music, but I also like to give the background to why I wrote what I did,” she explained. “Having a small, intimate venue gives me the chance to do that. I hope the audience will feel what I am feeling while I perform.”

When writing songs, Berland derives inspiration from her personal life experiences. Writing, she says, helps her express how she feels without always saying it. “You can see how my life and my writing have changed throughout the years just based on the lyrics.

Lately, I have been so thankful and happy with my life, and my writing correlates with that feeling,” she said.