Honeymoon not over between band, charity
One of BC’s favourite folk bands has a sweet spot for Friends Of Children.
Wild Honey has made the rural-focused charity one of their special causes. Multiple concerts have been held to raise money for the organization, and all the band members have to do is look at their own children - eight in total - to remind them why.
“As a mom, the feeling of helplessness you have when your child is in need of medical attention can leave you frozen,” said Shelby Knudsen, one of the Wild Honey members. “It's hard to deal with any of the practical decisions that need to be made - where will I stay?, where will I park?, what should I bring with me?, how long will I be gone?... I love that Friends of Children is there, with all their contacts and support systems and resources, to help with these details that seem so overwhelming during this stressful time. They don't require excessive paperwork or ask too many questions, they just help. We've met many families over the years that have benefitted from their service and everyone is so deeply grateful.”
The three singer-songwriter musicians in Wild Honey all live in the east Kootenays region, so they know on a very personal level what it means to reside in small communities far from the big urban areas where medical specialists are centred.
There are many benefits to living in rural regions, but when a healthcare emergency strikes a family in those smaller dots on the map, those distances can become terrifying. Friends Of Children Society works hard year after year to ease those burdens.
“I think that support from organisations such as STARS (air ambulance charity) and Friends Of Children give parents the peace of mind that might make living in rural communities unbearable otherwise, especially if your child is dealing with chronic or severe illness,” Knudsen said. “That's why I feel so passionately about supporting these services any way I can.”
Knudsen and bandmates Laura Cain and Jessica Niedermayer combine their musical skills into a widely appreciated trio that has endured for 10 years and counting, producing the debut album Distant Skies, and their latest is a tightly set cluster of gems on an EP titled Let’s Be Cowboys.
The band has worked frequently with The High Bar Gang, The Cariboo Express, and with Barney Bentall as both a producer and live concert collaborator. They are pals with the likes of Dustin Bentall, Leeroy Stagger, JJ Shiplett, Ryland Moranz, Daniel Lapp, even Lyle Lovett has crossed their path.
Dating back almost from the beginning, Friends Of Children has been their go-to charity of choice.
“Their organization and the volunteers who work there are wonderful to work with, and always lots of fun,” said Knudsen. “I always think when we can get a group of people together to come out and support art or an artist, it's always an opportunity to support a good cause at the same time. I think using art as a conduit for goodwill and generosity is what makes art special in the first place.”
Wild Honey bloomed when the three friends understood they needed a hive if they were going to stick together the way they wanted. The kids, the jobs, the facts of life all grab at people and can pull relationships apart without anyone even noticing. Music was their way of holding space for each other, and they extended that to Friends Of Children as well. Together, they have created quite the buzz.