Over Instagram, Sled Island announced that they are cancelling their 2020 Music & Arts Festival. It’s the responsible thing to do amidst the Coronavirus pandemic, nonetheless, it is still very sad. Last year, the festival introduced me to so many amazing artists that I still listen to today. I got to see more of my city, listen to live music, and enjoy the summer weather. Today I’m going to share a show review I wrote last year for the band Silvering. Silvering continues to be one of my favourite bands, and it was a privilege to be able to interview Shalom Toy, their lead singer, and articulate what makes them so special. Stay safe everyone!
The Intersection of Music and Honesty: Shalom Toy of Silvering at Central Memorial Park for Sled Island (Saturday, June 22, 2019)
Standing in Central Memorial Park, Shalom Toy stood tall and proud in front of her band Silvering, consisting of Tyler Shields, Bobby Henderson, and Connor Mead, as they performed at Sled Island on June 22. The performance was intimate, keeping the personal aspect of the bedroom pop alive. Being their first Sled Island, Silvering had unreal confidence, making space their own and using it to amplify their sound and the emotional vulnerability of each song. “I feel like the atmosphere changes,” Toy explained about playing outdoors, “You’re not subject to effects of the [indoor] space.” The openness of the venue projected Toy’s impressive vocal ability, allowing the sound of the entire band to drift throughout the park and assert itself in everyone’s ears. At times, the music was delicate and fragile, but suddenly, it would transform into a loud and direct display of emotion. Consistently, the lyrical content on their EP, ‘Minefield Memory,’ expressed vulnerability and personal pain, while still being able to articulate and evoke relatability to complex emotions. Toy explained, “I tend to write very introspective music. I feel like the music is doing a good job if that comes off onto other people towards themselves, thinking thoughts they didn’t have time for that the music makes room for, breaking through the bustle of everyday life.” On songs like ‘Some Light,’ that aspect of introspectiveness is made profoundly clear. “I had written about my parents and someone I had cared about… I knew I had attached myself too much, but I wasn’t open about it,” Toy described as she laid out why ‘Some Light’ was the hardest song to write personally. Through performing live, the audience was able to feel that personal struggle and make it their own. Toy explained that after she stopped writing for a year, this was the first song that came out. “I was relieved because I knew I was holding onto that for so long. Part of it was my dad not wanting me to do music, which was why I quit for a year, and I ended up quitting not because he asked me to but it was just too much for me to go against it and have a healthy relationship.” In spending time away from music, Toy was allowed to focus on her mental health and to reinvent her return with that shifting of inner turmoil.
Lyrically, honesty seems to be a driving force in Silvering’s music. This emotional honesty was even further articulated through impassioned vocals and supportive instrumentals. Toy revealed a regularity in her songs, explaining that, “One thing I do notice between songs, I like to try and have one or two things that I wouldn’t say in real life in my songs.” This vulnerability is a quality Toy appreciates in other artists like Julien Baker and Soccer Mommy, who she draws inspiration from for her music. “That’s one consistency… pushing myself to say things that I know are true for me, but I wouldn’t say easily otherwise. I used to always wince at that, but I loved it in other people’s music.” Holistically, the band, which has only been together for a year, portrayed earnestness at all levels, not only lyrically, but through the way, each song was played. It showed a genuine passion, making the set exciting and refreshing. Even with refined skill and acute storytelling abilities, Silvering experienced difficulty with their first EP, ‘Minefield Memory.’ “There was a lot of post-production stuff that made it difficult for me because I had quit and slowly returned to music. It was already sensitive for me to come back. I felt like obstacles that I didn’t have before were hitting me harder than if I was already more confident.” Regardless, Toy believes it was worth it, making her and the band resilient. Silvering’s desire to make music and the ability to overcome obstacles was present that day. It was clear that each song was crafted with care and purpose, and it was performed in the same way.
Shalom Toy has a clear vision for Silvering, as she intersected her visual and musical art by making the cover and packaging for Silvering’s EP and 7” vinyl under the moniker ‘Cosmic Cavern.’ The cover was nominated for the ‘Breakout West: Western Canadian Music Award for Design’ this year. For Toy, she wants to explore more music design by networking and embracing opportunities like designing the Sled Island poster for Julien Baker. “I want to visually propel people’s music I relate to and think are working hard,” she explained. “Album art is important,” she says, “I feel like a lot of bands that I may not have otherwise known I got into because of their artwork. In middle school, I saw the Rocket Summer’s ‘Do You Feel’ album. I didn’t know what he sounded like, I just picked it up and that was it for me, and I’ve been listening to his stuff ever since.” The art for ‘Minefield Memory’ is stunning and surreal, providing an accurate introduction to the intimate songs, amplified by accomplished instrumentals. The passion put into the EP was consistent in their performance at Central Memorial Park. The entire band took control of the venue and made it their own, having a transformative effect on the space. The summery and soft atmosphere was quickly juxtaposed by direction, force, and articulation of painful emotions. Toy’s falsetto tended to drift away with the breeze, surrounding the audience with the sound of Silvering. There was a pleasant passion in her voice, which made it seem as if the set was a necessity for the band; a matter of survival, rather than one of will. The listener was brought with the band on a journey of vital honesty, indulging in the bands’ relatability.
In the near future, Silvering is going to continue working on new music, taking the time to make sure it is “just right.” Currently, Silvering fills a gap in Calgary in many ways. Through their music, Silvering enhances emotional honesty throughout the city. Their performance at Sled Island in Central Memorial Park made their vitality in Calgary abundantly clear. In a short period, they have grown into a voice of candour, articulating modern experiences with talent and clear passion. The set was completed with a love song that melted and mixed with the outdoor space. As the treacherous and emotional journey of their set came to an end, the summer wind carried the exciting and brilliantly refreshing honesty of Silvering and Shalom Toy throughout the city and into eternity.
