As a precursor to our unofficial NXNE showcase next week at Camp 4, we asked a few questions of each of the performers. Today, we have Q & A’s with Craig Stickland & Martha Meredith! Read below to find out more about why these musicians love NXNE!

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Martha before her show at the Opera House last weekend

Why is this your favourite venue?
After just playing The Opera House last Sunday I’m a pretty big fan of it. It’s so beautiful! I hope to play there again. I also love the Dakota Tavern, among many others!

Why is NXNE important to you? To the community of musicians Toronto?
Toronto is such a great music city, it needs NXNE! I’m continually impressed and inspired by all the amazing music that is homegrown here! I’m glad NXNE gives us an opportunity to celebrate that.

What’s the best live performance you’ve ever seen?
The best live show I’ve seen ever is probably Arcade Fire at Bonnaroo last year. It was just magical beyond explanation.

If you were taking a visitor and music enthusiast around Toronto for a weekend, where would you take them?
My social life revolves around concerts and art openings, so I love introducing new people to the amazing creative projects my pals are involved in. On a casual night I would hope to be able to take a visitor to see anything put together by the Distant Cousins music collective (like Viva Mars or Fitness Club Fiasco, I’m lucky to be a part of a collective that has so much talent!) or to dance & sing our hearts out to my favorite covers performed by The Weber Brothers at the Dakota, or my pals Take With Audio! There are so many shows to choose from every day and every week that it’s usually harder to pick what not to go to than to find something to do! I wish I could just attend shows full time!

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Craig performing at the Underground in the Drake Hotel

Why is this your favourite venue?
My favorite venue in Toronto is The Drake Hotel. I love playing there because of the ambiance, the stage, the staff, the lights, the sound, the food and on top of all that, they treat their artists better than most other venues in the city.

Why is NXNE important to you? To the community of musicians Toronto?
I think NXNE is important to artists, but as well to this city. We have an amazing indie community and this festival allows the spotlight to be on just that for a whole week of amazing music.

What’s the best live performance you’ve ever seen?
The best show I’ve ever seen was The Strokes in Vegas. I was in L.A recording when I met a complete stranger who offered me a free ticket. I was on the next plane, what a night that was!

Favourite food to eat before/after you play a set?
My favorite thing to eat after a show is The Drake Burger. It is unbelievable! I try not to eat too heavily before playing, otherwise I burp my way through my set. I apologize if that is too much information.

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RSVP to our showcase by clicking HERE!