By Ryan Dahlman
Swift Current
Be very jealous of the community of Nokomis, population 435 — especially of its hotel and restaurant. No, really.

With it’s old 7-up sign it’s also a place where people get together in the lounge and get a chance to listen to local talent on occasion.

Here, the locals know what the rest of the country needs to find out about a certain petite dynamo who performs there on occasion.

As just one of the group, they will call out “Hey Higgy” to her when they see her.

Nokomis, Sask. is the home of Jolene Higgins, a talented musician who could only be described as a throwback to the days where music was simple and a lack of talent wasn’t hidden behind back-up singers and flaws were corrected by masterful studio engineers.

Jolene, and her partner Foy Taylor make up what is also known as Little Miss Higgins. Taylor is a masterful musician in his own right and provides expert guitar support for Jolene.

Her music is definitely rooted in the blues with a song like In the Middle of Nowhere, but often it can almost sound like something from the 1940s with the big band swing-music sound on such songs as Velvet Barley Bed.

With a deep and rich singing voice, Higgins is extremely personable and up front.

She has released three CDs so far including Little Miss Higgins Live (2009), Junction City (2007) and Cobbler Shop Sessions (2005). She is currently on tour in support of her just newly-released effort Across the Plains.

On Apr 29, she will be at The Slice in Lethbridge starting at 10 p.m. On May 1, she’s at The Lyric Theatre, Swift Current, starting at 8 p.m. and on May 2 she’s at The Auditorium Hotel in Nanton. Shows start at 9 p.m.

Her songs are about real life and don’t have ultra-deep philosophical or political undertones. She sings about feelings, relationships and comments about everyday situations.

You probably wouldn’t hear Celine Dion with song titles such as Glad Your Whisky Fits Inside My Purse, The Tornado Song or Wash Those Blues Away. All of these songs are part of the Across the Plains effort which was recorded at the Bedside Studio in Winnipeg in December 2009. Jaxon Haldane as co-producer with Taylor and many other talented Western Canadian musicians joined Higgins in the studio.

Lil Miss Higgins has one song called Bargain Shop! Panties which is about as real life as you can get.

“I live in Nokomis where there’s a hardware store and a hotel. If I need clothes I’ve got to go to Watrous to buy other things,” she says with a chuckle. “So when I wrote that (song)–it’s the truth.”

Higgins was born in Brooks, but moved to Kansas when she was a young child in 1980.

Her family moved back to Brooks and she graduated high school there in 1996. She said being in the midwest influenced her musical tastes. While her friends mostly listened to hard rock bands, Higgins preferred listening to country music such as Emmy Lou Harris, Dolly Parton and general “old-school” country music.

Oddly enough, she was trained in playing the classics in symphony. Her father gave her a piano when she was four.

“I grew up playing classical music. It gave me an appreciation in music in general,” explained Higgins who took a particular shine to the older bluesy, pre-1950’s style. “I started playing that as a teenager. You can still play it make it good while bringing a modern sensibility to it.”

She decided to start recording and found she had a lot of support from musicians who don’t often get the chance to play instruments or have horn arrangements to modern, popular music.

In a release, she was described by Calgary blues master and Junction City (Higgins second album) producer, Tim Williams as “Mae West meets Memphis Mini”. Higgins has been honoured in the industry by winning Favourite Blues Artist/ Group or Duo of the Year at the 8th Annual Indies Awards and the 2008 WCMA’s Outstanding Blues Recording for Junction City as well as a host of nominations for other awards including Blues Album of the Year for Junction City at the 2008 Junos.

On her website, she lists her influences as being Memphis Minnie, Big Bill Broonzy, Lil Green, Jessie Mae Hemphill, Muddy Waters, Django Reinhardt, Joni Mitchell, and Billie Holiday.

Besides her singing talent, Higgins also has an effective stage presence. She just looks like she’s a lot of fun. Wearing a lot of old-fashioned summer dresses and high-buttoned boots, she struts singing her bluesy songs and seemingly has no trouble bantering with the crowd.

Enjoying herself in almost a refreshingly sassy, yet still completely unpretentious way, she’s a singer who loves performing.

“I got into theatre and acting when I was younger so I feel comfortable up there,” explained Higgins.

When you talk to her, she’s describes herself as just one of the group. She talks about giving music lessons, volunteering or just recently, helping to make pizza for the students at the local school and ensuring her garden is in great shape.

“We love living out here,” she says of her and Taylor who do the environmental things such as composting and being more self sufficient. “We have a huge garden, a funky house, it’s great — I wouldn’t be swayed to move from here.”

Make no mistake, she wants to succeed, but not at all costs. It’s just that she doesn’t lose sight of herself or what’s important to her. She’s as grounded as her garden plants.

“I hope the CDs will sell themselves. Being independent I can still get my name out there (the way she wants to),” Higgins explains saying she has still met a lot of musicians while on tour. She doesn’t need to be down the street from a Toronto recording studio to stay connected to the music scene. “Being on the web helps a lot. I think of myself as an artist first (not a marketer). I’m not a cookie cutter type of performer. I want to write stuff that people will enjoy.

“It isn’t for everyone but we make it work.”

Check her out on YouTube just so you know what she can do. Watching video to video, her talent is unmistakable, it never wavers in her live performances from her studio-produced videos including her signature The Middle of Nowhere which was shot where else —the Nokomis Hotel and Restaurant.  Be prepared to become jealous of Nokomis.