Michaela Slinger will headline her first-ever concert tour in less than two weeks with live shows in nine cities across North America.
But the Port Moody musician and recording artist is even more excited to get out on the road as the timing will coincide with the release of her sophomore album.
So, what better way to celebrate the release than by singing the new songs, plus others, before thousands of people in cities like Nashville, New York, Washington, D.C., and Vancouver, where Slinger is signed with 604 Records.
"I feel excited, and a bit nervous," the 26-year-old admitted in an interview with the Tri-City News.
"This will be my first real tour, and there are so many lessons I'm sure I'll learn along the way — everything from the inevitable chaos of travelling and road tripping, to how to ensure I stay healthy and grounded. Mostly, I can't wait to share this new music with so many people."
This Can't Last Forever will be the second official album Slinger has pieced together since Panorama in 2021.
She would've liked to have hit the road earlier for the inaugural collection, but the COVID-19 pandemic that resulted in lockdowns and travel restrictions was declared soon after she finished recording the album.
And what followed presented a lot of challenges for most musicians and singers.
"It was a very strange time to begin building my music career and fan base, especially as an artist whose priority is still live shows," Slinger explained.
"It's been challenging to figure out how to enter into the world of live shows both in Canada and the U.S. at a time when the whole ecosystem is changing and still fragile from the pandemic."
So, to mitigate the lack of gigs, Slinger went on several writing trips to build connections and fan bases by performing at smaller venues in Toronto, Los Angeles and Nashville.
She was also able to book shows at festivals since gathering restrictions were ultimately lifted, as well as record and release EPs to maintain her following.
The result: nearly 20,000 monthly subscribers on her verified Spotify profile that includes several million listens combined for her songs.
Now, after endless emails and pitches for many months, Slinger will set out on, what could arguably be, the biggest and most humbling adventure of her young career.
"I don't feel like the right person to judge "success" — as an artist, I think you're always in this internal negotiation between paying attention to numbers/metrics/growth, and to just letting the process become the purpose," she said.
"I'd say the time is right for the tour because I've invested so much heart and energy into this new record over the last two years, and I feel like I have a solid foundation of local support that will allow me to enter into new cities with some confidence."
Slinger also hinted an extension of the tour down the west coast in June with details expected to be announced "soon."
The Heritage Woods Secondary grad is currently in Calgary this weekend as part of the popular Stampede City Sessions.
The "This Can't Last Forever" Tour (Part One) will end in Vancouver on May 31 at The Fox Cabaret (2321 Main St.). Tickets are available on Slinger's website.
The album of the same name set to be released May 25 at 9 p.m. Pacific time on Spotify and Apple Music.
