Fernie's own Shelley Lynch is returning to town in December for a catchy country-rockin' holiday concert.
She'll take the stage on Dec. 4 and 5 in Fernie and Jaffray, performing a mix of Christmas originals and covers to get the community in a festive spirit.
Lynch has made a name for herself in the country music industry, having performed live on CFCN Television and Shaw Cable TV, and at the Calgary Stampede. Her latest album Dreams and Gasoline landed in the top 100 in the Music Row Country Breakout Chart.
She'll be joined by singer-songwriter Kenny Hess, another Fernie talent, who will finish off the show with a few tracks of his own.
Lynch currently lives in the South Country, but she has fond memories of growing up in Fernie and she's looking forward to coming back to town and seeing some familiar faces.
"I'm a country girl and I write what I live," she said. "I have lived in cities. I lived in Calgary, Vancouver for a short period of time. I lasted maybe two weeks. I love the small town."
Lynch's favourite Christmas songs are Rock It Out This Christmas, a feel-good rock-infused tune that captures the excitement of seeing friends and family and the anticipation leading up to Christmas morning, and Merry Christmas to You, a heartfelt tribute to her father and a nephew who passed away.
Lynch said family and friends are one of her greatest musical inspirations.
"People know that if they hang around me, they usually end up in a song," she said.
Lynch comes from a multi-generational Fernie family. Her grandparents owned The White Spot in Fernie, once located on 2 Ave. across from The Northern Bar & Stage. It had an ice cream parlour upstairs and a "twilight zone" on the lower floor with entertainment. Her parents owned the old drive-in theatre in Hosmer.
Her family was very musical and they would gather in the living room to play drums, guitar and the organ. Her three older sisters were in a band and Lynch said she learned to play music by sitting and listening to them.
She began playing guitar at age 10 and started writing music not long after.
Lynch has particularly fond memories of spending time with family at Christmas. They had a constant stream of friends and family visiting the house, and her father liked to give generously during the festive season to make everyone felt welcomed and included.
"If there was a friend or family member that didn't know where to go, they just ended up at our house," she recalled.
Lynch said she hung up her guitar for a while after her father passed away, but she rekindled her desire to play during the pandemic after some moments of spiritual reflection.
Her most recent album Dreams and Gasoline, released in 2021, delves into some deep topics. Her song Living My Best Life was inspired by emotional hardship relating to a lack of human connection during the pandemic and being unable to see the face behind the mask. Different Kind of Lonely was written about people experiencing feelings of isolation at different stages of life.
Lynch will perform at Knox United Church in Fernie on Dec. 4 and at Jaffray Community Hall on Dec. 5. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are available online at Eventbrite or by e-mailing office@lynchrecords.com
