Music match

Upbeat in a time of chaos

STORY BY WYATT TREMBLAY | PHOTOS BY SERGEI BELSKI

Two Airdrie musicians entered a weekend songwriting contest and took not only first place, but also found friendship in the journey. Part of this year’s ARTember Festival, the Springwood Studio Songwriting Contest randomly paired participants for a chance to win $500 and studio recording time.

“The idea was to put local talent together to co-write a song,” says Steve Jevne, one of the contest’s organizers and a longtime Airdrie musician.

Jevne says he and Springwood owner Billy Klippert, a first-season Canadian Idol contestant, wanted to use the event to spotlight Airdrie talent and to provide a unique songwriting experience.

“Some of the greatest songs out there have come from a couple of artists sitting down and writing together,” says Jevne. “This is what we wanted this to be.”

The winning duo, Christine Wigley, from Airdrie, and Kristin Grace, from Balzac, knew each other from local events but had never worked together.

Grace is in Grade 12, works part time, teaches piano, plays guitar and enjoys songwriting.

“I love music; it really is my passion,” she says, adding that she plans to pursue a music degree after graduation.

Wigley, a funeral home director and embalmer, played piano when she was younger but now claims the ukulele as her “sidekick.”

“I left Airdrie for a while and travelled, and was drawn to the acoustic sound and portability of the ukulele,” she explains.

Music is a hobby, she admits, but performing at Airdrie’s open mike events “brings balance to my life, because finding balance when you have a job like mine is important.”

Wigley says she entered the contest because she was the performer that sang covers and the idea of collaborating with another artist to write an original song intrigued her.

“I thought, ‘You know what, why not? I’ve never co-written a song and I’d like to experience that.’”

Grace says she entered because she liked the idea of writing with someone she didn’t

know. “I thought it’d be fun having no clue what you’re walking into, or knowing how you would mesh.”

Meeting over Zoom the day they were paired, both say they felt an instant connection, despite a difference in age and life experience.

“It was like we were living the same chaos,” Grace explains. “We immediately wanted to write something that reflected that, but because we’re positive people, it needed to be upbeat.”

They brainstormed and quickly formed an idea, agreeing to meet in person the following day.

“We met, finished it, recorded a video to submit, and called it a day,” laughs Wigley. “It was pretty organic.”

“There was one point where we looked at each other and said, ‘I guess we’re done,’” says Grace.

Their quirky, lyric-driven song, Caffeine and Gasoline, is on YouTube with Grace on guitar and Wigley on ukulele. They perform like lifelong friends, blending their voices and instruments around the song’s upbeat message in a way that immediately brings a smile to your face.

“Oh, that’s OK. Anything but living a cliché, caffeine and gasoline are pumping my heart and pushing the dream, I’ve got what it takes.”

“It’s about perseverance and taking life head on,” Wigley says.

“We’re a lot alike that way,” Grace agrees. “We might have struggles, but we don’t let it get us down.”

The two are looking forward to recording their song at Springwood, but say that won’t be the end of their collaboration.

“I don’t know if every co-write will go this easily,” Wigley says laughing, “but we’re going to try it again.”

“I think we have more to say,” Grace adds. life

“It’s about perseverance and taking life head on”

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GREATLIFE | DINING OUT Bringing back breakfast

Homemade comfort food at its finest

BY STACIE GAETZ | PHOTOS BY KRISTY REIMER

In the past few years, the breakfast restaurant scene in Airdrie has exploded. Not long ago, if you wanted to eat breakfast out in our city, you had to go to a large chain restaurant, but those days are over. The demand for high-quality home-cooked breakfast is strong and a number of mouth-watering establishments have recently opened their doors to feed Airdrie residents the most important meal of the day. Here, we feature three local joints that are bringing homestyle breakfasts to the table.

Jam’s

Jam’s is aptly named as staff make all of their own jams, jellies, salad dressings and a number of sauces from scratch. Other in-house items include their sausage, ham and chili oil.

“We want to make the food Airdrie wants to eat,” says owner Brad Stefaniuk. “When you come to Jam’s, you can expect exactly what you ask for.”

Open in King’s Heights since January 2020, the restaurant has a unique atmosphere that you won’t find anywhere else.

“It’s like you are walking into your grandma’s house, if your grandma listened to the Ramones,” jokes Stefaniuk, adding he considers himself a “breakfast junkie” as he sometimes eats traditional breakfast foods for all three meals.

Jam’s has six employees and currently seats about 28 patrons. Stefaniuk says he prides himself on supporting local by playing Alberta music, showcasing Airdrie artists’ works and buying local ingredients whenever possible.

The restaurant serves high tea on the second Saturday and Sunday of every month from 2 till 4 p.m.

Although the elegant finger foods of high tea are popular, Stefaniuk says their No. 1 seller is Eggs Benedict.

“It’s just so satisfying and real,” he says.

“From the sauce, to the ham, to the English muffin – it’s an experience like no other. “