Singer-songwriter turned airline pilot Mike Haggith may have moved from the Sault to Thompson, Man. in 2017, but the community is never far from his mind.
“The last time I played live in the Sault was August 2019,” says Haggith.
“The world was a vastly different place, and to put it lightly, a lot has certainly happened since that time.”
In addition to being impacted by a global pandemic, Haggith also got married and released two solo albums, If Ever Comes The Day in 2020 and Bridges in 2021 in those two years.
The singer recently announced a special concert in the Sault at the Mane Street Café.
“To me, this concert symbolizes a return to the world we once knew, and I'll be celebrating that,” he says.
“The past two years have been incredibly difficult and, as my album Bridges explores, I wholeheartedly believe that the feeling of isolation can have a tremendous impact on peoples' mental health. Coming out of that and coming together is, in many ways, everything the album stands for and I can't wait to bring that to life with this concert.”
To further celebrate his coming back to life as a performer, Haggith is giving away an autographed vinyl copy of Bridges. (People can enter for their chance to win by going here.)
The singer/songwriter plans to perform both his recent albums in their entirety from start to finish.
“Each record tells a unique story inspired by personal events, and not only will those in attendance hear the songs, but they’ll hear the stories which shaped them as well,” he says.
“It's really sort of a storyteller event, featuring yours truly and an acoustic guitar.”
Not one to rest on his laurels, Haggith is currently working on another new album, tentatively titled All The Best In All You Do.
“In many ways, [the new album] traces the events which came in the wake of the story which shaped 2020's If Ever Comes The Day album,” he says.
“I'll be working on a few tracks from this upcoming record [for the Mane Street Café show], as they relate to the overall story.”
Haggith notes that this type of story cycle often happens when inspiration comes from one’s life experiences.
“The story is never over.”
Although the Mane Street Café show features Haggith and an acoustic guitar, he has plans in the works for a future full band live show in the Sault.
Mike Haggith will perform live at Mane Street Café on April 19, 2022, at 7 p.m.
For more information and the latest news on Haggith, you can connect with him on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube or Bandcamp.