Carolyn Mark at Dunedin Hall

With all of her acerbic wit in tow, Canadian indie virtuoso Carolyn Mark will soon roll into town alongside Joey Wright and Tuxedo, who will themselves contribute their brand of “lyrically dreamy and poetic” acoustic bluegrass to a musical collaboration that is sure to yield entertaining results.

“It makes me feel like a somebody that he wants to play with me,” said Mark of Wright. “And there is the matter of his wife, Jenny Whiteley, who is singing harmonies on this tour. Her pitch is incredible. They inspire me to really play and sing.”

Both Mark and Wright are no strangers to such collaboration, with Mark having worked in the past with both Canadian darling – and former member of The New Pornographers – Neko Case, and Wright having partnered with various members of Stars, the Montreal-based band who will soon play The New Farm.

Now, on June 30, they are coming to play the Dunedin Hall.

For Mark, who has been playing solo since 2000 and recently completed a new album, The Queen of Vancouver, there was a time – after the breaking up of her first band, “all-girl surfy twang popsters” The Vinaigrettes – when her musical future was in doubt.

“I thought I was only ever going to have one band, and when my first band broke up, I thought my musical career was over,” said Mark. “But then I took up the guitar and got a weekly gig at The Hootenanny, which I still have. I find if you know where you’re going people want to come along. Now I’ll play with anyone.”

It was only recently that Wright took the vocals on his own compositions, having acted as co-writer for years alongside Whiteley.
Critics and fans alike have been enthusiastic about the results.

“Christine Bougie is one of my musical heroes,” said Mark of the Tuxedo guitarist. “So calm, so brave, so tasteful – not bad for a girl, eh?”