Three shows in two days for Ontario singer

June 29-30 at Arts Bistro and Wine Bar, and at Medalta

Ontario-based musician Piper Hayes is set to hop on a Via Rail train on June 17 and begin touring Western Canada until early July as part of her Western Canada Tour.

Hayes and her musical partner in crime (and boyfriend) Carson Ritcey-Thorpe will first stop in Winnipeg on June 20, where they will play five shows before heading to Edmonton. Once there, they will play one show, then rent a car and travel around Alberta, playing shows in various cities. The two musicians will then head out to British Columbia for a few shows, then take the Via back to Toronto.

The duo will be stopped in Medicine Hat for three shows in two days — June 29 at Medalta and the Arts Bistro and Wine Bar, then June 30 back at the Arts Bistro and Wine Bar.

“We’re really excited to head out west to play a good amount of shows in about a month,” said Hayes. “I’m really looking forward to going to these venues and to play some really great songs for everyone — the tour is going to be a blast.”

The 30-year-old Hayes has released two EPs and says her pop-folk style of writing has evolved over the years.

“As I’ve written more songs and more music, I’ve really started writing more about some things that are a little more serious,” she said. “I never want to be an overly-political musician, but I do have this platform, so I feel like I have a responsibility to use it.”

Hayes says she has been doing music seriously since 2012 after finishing some schooling in Manhattan and says music just lets her do what she loves.

“Music just lets me be me,” she said. “As I’ve grown more as an artist I’ve found that this is a really great outlet for me.”

The goal for the duo is a simple one, says Hayes, to help people enjoy their time.

“We just want to help get people out of their heads for a few hours and into their bodies,” she said. “We want to see people up and moving to the music and just enjoying their time.”