Rae Spoon, a Calgary-born singer who has touched on a number of musical styles including country and indie rock, will be returning to his hometown for an October 10th performance courtesy of the Calgary Folk Fest.  Spoon has released 10 albums to date, and having lived for a decade as a trans-man, has advocated preference for the gender-neutral "they" pronoun.

GayCalgary Magazine caught up with Spoon in anticipation of their(?) upcoming performance for the Calgary Folk Fest.  Although this year’s festival has already passed, the organization continues putting on concerts for folk artists throughout the year.

GC: You have a busy schedule of touring this fall! Are you excited to return to your hometown of Calgary?

RS: Luckily I tour so much that I get to come back to Calgary quite a bit. It’s always nice to see old friends, and Calgary has very supportive queer and arts communities.

GC: What was it like growing up in Calgary?

RS: Well, it definitely had its challenges. The homophobia I experienced as a queer teenager was often pretty difficult, and combined with the religiosity of my family it wasn’t the easiest situation. I find Calgary a much more supportive city these days, but 15 years ago it was definitely harder.

GC: Was it always a dream to become a musician?

RS: Yes, I decided at twelve that I wanted to be a musician. I started playing guitar at eleven and then began writing my own songs shortly after.

GC: What artists have inspired you most?

RS: Freddie Mercury, Dolly Parton, Kate Bush, Kurt Cobain and Beyoncé.

GC: Last year you released a book of short stories, what sparked the idea to write a book?

RS: When Chelsea McMullan and I began working on the documentary My Prairie Home, she and I thought that the filming might progress more smoothly if I provided some overall structure. I wrote ten stories about my childhood for her, but I found that I really did enjoy writing so I continued on from there.

GC: Are there plans for more books in the future?

RS: Right now I’m collaborating on a book with Ivan E. Coyote based on our show Gender Failure. The book, also titled Gender Failure, is set to be published by Arsenal Pulp Press in the spring of 2014.

GC: Can you tell us about your latest album, My Prairie Home.  The lyrics are powerful, raw and devastatingly beautiful. Was it hard to share such emotions?

RS: It was a difficult process at times, but I do feel that the overall experience was positive. Re-visiting the past can be hard, but having the opportunity to create something meaningful out of it has been really good.

GC: You have toured internationally; no doubt you have had many terrific experiences. Can you share with us a few of your fondest memories?

RS: The best international experience I’ve had was actually filming a music video in Venice. Chelsea McMullan, the director of the documentary My Prairie Home, made a music video for my song Ocean Blue. We had a great time filming and the location was fantastic.

GC: You last performed in the Calgary Folk Fest in 2004. Are you looking forward to your appearance on October 10th?

RS: Absolutely! I’m really excited for the show, and I’m looking forward to playing in the Folk Festival Music Hall.