Playing ‘for nobody’: Terra Lightfoot to live stream from the U of G

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Be gentle with yourself. Don’t be discouraged if you’re not creating as much because it is a really stressful time. It’s okay to take a break from creating.

— Terra Lightfoot

Terra Lightfoot began her musical journey as a teenager, a passion that was fostered by her grandmother and great aunt. CREDIT: MATT DUNLAP

Playing ‘for nobody’: Terra Lightfoot to live stream from the U of G

Lightfoot will rock songs off her latest album in a COVID-friendly way this March

ELENI KOPSAFTIS

Canadian musician Terra Lightfoot will be stepping onto the University of Guelph campus on March 25 for a rock performance at The Bullring, promoting her latest album Consider the Speed.

Lightfoot has been in the rock business for 10 years. Her journey into music began when she was a young girl, sitting on the edge of a piano bench at age five as her grandmother led choir practice.

“My music runs in my family, and the descent is matrilineal,” she told The Ontarion.

“My grandmother was a professional piano player, and my great aunt on the other side of the family was a professional guitar player,” Lightfoot said. “I didn’t honestly realize until I had my own professional career that it was kind of unique that females in my family had had jobs in the music industry.”

Lightfoot began her musical journey as a teenager, with private lessons taught by the talented women in her family. When she turned 21, she released her first self-titled album, which consisted of soft pieces like “Heads, Tails, Tails” and fired-up tunes like “Lucid Dreams.”

At 27, she made a record with Gus van Go called Every Time My Mind Runs Wild which featured her most listened-to song on Spotify, “No Hurry.” This is when Lightfoot says her career really took off. She toured Canada, and eventually Japan, Australia, and various other regions around the world.

Now, she’s visiting U of G to perform at a live streaming event at The Bullring promoting Consider the Speed.

“I put out the record in October which strangely related exactly to my career during the pandemic because there was no more speed,” Lightfoot said. “There was no more driving to shows, there was no more going to any more countries. It just halted.”

For The Bullring event, named Livestock From The Bullring, Lightfoot will be performing in the building itself. However, instead of an in-person show, the event will be broadcasted to the public on Twitch.

“I think it’s going to be really fun.” said Lightfoot. “I’m so used to being on the road for 150 days, so it’s really exciting to go and play for nobody at the university. It’ll be cool!”

Since releasing Consider the Speed, Livestock From The Bullring will be one out of three other online band events Lightfoot will be performing with a full band.

“[COVID-19] has decimated the number of shows we play,” said Lightfoot. “But I’m finding other ways of connecting”

Having played alongside Canadian alternative country band The Bros. Landreth before, Lightfoot has been co-writing music with Joey Landreth and a number of other artists during the lockdown. She’s now working on a new EP from home that she says will likely feature “chill” and “slow-moving” classical guitar music.

“The pandemic has been, let’s say, bearable for artists that are more intermediate level like me,” said Lightfoot. “But for artists in the beginning stages of their career, it can be really discouraging to be starting out playing shows and then have those shows taken away because the stage is where we learn our craft.”

“So be gentle with yourself. Don’t be discouraged if you’re not creating as much because it is a really stressful time. It’s okay to take a break from creating,” she said.

Terra Lightfoot’s records can be found on various music streaming services such as Spotify and Apple Music. She can also be found on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and on her website: terralightfoot.com