Pop music star, actress and dancer Victoria Duffield will ignite the stage at Athabascaís river-front at 9:15 p.m. on June 30.
ìIím really looking forward to it. Iíve never been to Athabasca, so Iím definitely excited to meet a bunch of people out there and meet some of my fans there and be part of such a great festival,î said Duffield.
Her debut single, ìShut Up and Dance,î released last year, is described on her website as ìa brazen dance-floor anthem introducing an exciting new artist.î
The singer is used to playing for some relatively small crowds thanks to living in Abbotsford, B.C., so a small town like Athabasca will surely make her feel right at home.
ìItís a small city, so seems kind of crazy how everything kind of happened coming from a small city,î said Duffield of her hometown.
Duffield, 18, said it has been a good challenge balancing her high school life and musical career. From an early age she was singing for family, and by seven she had taken on Broadway pieces at local competitions.
ìI work really hard at everything I do, so everything I give is 110 per cent,î said the young artist, acknowledging the lack of time off time and sleep is well worth the rewards.
Duffield said she has a specific workout schedule for every day, has vocal lessons twice a week and a practice to prepare for her upcoming set. While juggling her high school responsibilities, she occasionally has to ìdive into Vancouver for an auditionî depending on the week. When she is home, she tries to fit in at least one solid songwriting session each week.
She completed two cross-Canada tours in 2012 and has since been hard at work writing and recording in Vancouver, Toronto, Los Angeles and London, working on her second album.
The 2013 Junos drew her to the red carpet in Regina, Sask., in April, where she was nominated for Pop Album of the Year for Shut Up and Dance.
One of her early influences was the rhythm of Bob Marley, as well as Britney Spears and her ìamazing performance qualitiesî and upbeat merging of song and dance.
Duffield said she was always very focused. She learned to dance at the age of two and played the piano for years, which gave her a good foundation.
Her voice, however, was what she wanted to continue to develop as her mother instrument.
She said on-stage entertainment ìwas always something I enjoyed as a hobby, but it was always something that I took seriously and knew I wanted as my job.î
She added, ìI just always constantly wanted to learn more, and it was never that, ëAlright, Iím going to go to dance and just sort of have some fun.í It was like, ëAlright, what can I learn today?íî
Duffield signed with Warner Music Canada in 2011. She is working on a new album she expects will be released by the end of the year.
ìIíll be putting full force into that,î said Duffield. She is graduating from high school with the prerequisites for university entry, but with her busy lifestyle, post-secondary is a maybe.
Duffield said she is ìsuper excitedî to be coming to Athabasca, and with the inclusion of her dancers, she promises ìa full-out showî that will wow River Rats attendees.
