Back in July 2012, Peterborough Musicfest struck gold when it welcomed rising Canadian pop music sensation Carly Rae Jepsen to its Del Crary Park stage.
While the BC native had been at it for five years prior, she arrived in Peterborough as her new single “Call Me Maybe” was starting to gain some serious traction and went to become the best-selling single of the year worldwide.
Whatever Musicfest paid for her appearance was peanuts compared to what it would have paid later that year when Jepsen was commanding an estimated concert fee of at least $300,000.
Can lightning strike twice?
Well, fast forward to Saturday night (July 5) when Musicfest welcomes not one but two performers whose respective trajectories are pointing decidedly upwards. All indications are that whatever Musicfest agreed to pay headliner Preston Pablo and special guest noelle, it will in short time prove to be quite the bargain.
Just 24 years old, Timmins-born Pablo is gaining worldwide attention, not only for his faultless blending of R&B, pop, dance hall and Afrobeat genres, but also for his lyrics.
With more than 3.6 million monthly Spotify check-ins and 172 millions streams and counting of his 2022 hit single “Flowers Need Rain,” his teen years-nurtured songwriting ability is now striking a resounding chord with a growing audience, both here in Canada and abroad.
VIDEO: “Flowers Need Rain” – Preston Pablo
While Pablo has yet to record a full album, he has released three EPs, with two of those — Dance Alone and Anywhere But Here — debuting in 2024.
But it was 2022’s “Flowers Need Rain” that put Pablo on the radar of music fans and music industry pundits, the latter’s attention bringing him three 2023 Juno Award nominations and the Breakthrough Artist award, the same year, two awards from SOCAN (Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada).
In 2023, Pablo also collaborated on Karan Aujla’s Punjabi pop song “Admirin’ You,” which attained gold-certified sales. His 2024 single “Dance Alone” achieved like status, and earned Pablo two 2025 Juno Award nominations.
By any standard, Pablo has crafted a remarkable music career to date, but all the more impressive considering Pablo has been at it for just five short years. Not unlike the aftermath of Jepsen’s appearance all those years ago, it’s a safe bet that many will reflect on this Saturday’s concert at Del Crary Park, and consider themselves fortunate to have caught his act while they could.
In a November 2024 interview with Abeiku Arthur of House of Solo, Pablo said his travels, and his experiencing of different cultures, influenced the feel and sound of Anywhere But Here.
“There was a period when I wasn’t fully satisfied with the music I was creating, so I knew I needed to take a step back and refocus … that’s when I started falling in love with my own music again,” he said.
VIDEO: “Dance Alone” – Preston Pablo with Juliana
“I’ve been fortunate to travel to some incredible places and meet fascinating people, which has definitely had a huge impact on my music,” Pablo said. “It’s fascinating to collaborate with different artists, writers and producers. I treat my travels and interactions as learning opportunities.”
“My biggest goal was to just have fun and enjoy creating music again. I definitely had a lot to say and things to get off my chest, but most importantly, I wanted to make songs I genuinely enjoyed. That’s why it’s not all super intense. You have tracks like ‘Red Eyes’ and ‘Move Like That’ which are just good songs, without some deep, hidden meaning.”
Pablo, who will be headlining Musicfest fresh off a Canada Day performance in Vaughan, said as much as his studio work has paid dividends, performing before an audience is “incredibly valuable, both as an artist and as a person.”
“It’s taught me the importance of connecting with fans and building genuine relationships,” Pablo explained. “A loyal fan base is crucial for a successful artist career. I think more about my fans now when crafting a show. I want to deliver the best experience possible for those who invest their time and money in me. Meeting fans is truly special. It’s a blessing.”
As for the industry honours he has received in a relatively short time, Pablo said he works at staying grounded.
“These honours definitely inspire me to strive for more,” he said.
“They’re like little boosts of confidence, but that feeling fades quickly. I’m deeply honored to be recognized but it hasn’t changed how I view myself. There’s always more to achieve, and I rarely feel fully satisfied. Plus, because music is so subjective, it feels strange to have a select group of people decide whether your work is worthy or not. I try not to take it too seriously and just focus on making great music.”
VIDEO: “For Keeps” – Preston Pablo
Meanwhile, at just 21 years old, noelle (the stylized stage name for Noelle Maracle) has been widely hailed as Canada’s ‘next big thing.’
Raised on the Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory in Ontario, noelle signed a record deal with Wax Records after graduating from high school in 2017. She has spent the time since developing her sound, a refreshingly modern blend of R&B, pop, urban, and jazz influencing the result.
What began as casually posting covers of pop songs evolved to her amassing close to 100,000 YouTube subscribers and, now, more than 4.1 million global streams of her music. There’s plenty of that in the form of numerous singles such as “Cold Killer,” “Daydreaming,” and “Jealous,” and her EP Chaos. On Spotify, she has gained 27,000 monthly listeners.
noelle’s steady rise has had its share of milestones, such as her winning of YTV’s Virtual Next Star singing contest and her competing as a contestant on CTV’s The Launch.
All good, but one can’t help feel there remains bigger benchmarks in the offing. The Musicfest audience should take note.
As a musical bonus, this Saturday’s concert will be preceded at 6:30 p.m. by an acoustic rock performance given by Peterborough’s Caitlin O’Connor under the Cogeco tent near the George Street entrance to Del Crary Park. She’s appearing as part of Musicfest’s new Future Sound Series featuring the music talents of nine local performers this summer.
VIDEO: “Therapy” – noelle
Peterborough Musicfest is presenting 16 free-admission concerts during its 37th season, each staged on Wednesday and Saturday nights until Saturday, August 16th.
Overseen by executive director Tracey Randall and staff, a board of directors, and numerous volunteers, Peterborough Musicfest’s stated mission remains “to provide diverse, affordable live music to enrich cultural and economic prosperity in our community.”
For more information on this concert or the 2025 season, visit www.ptbomusicfest.ca or phone the Peterborough Musicfest office at 705-755-1111.
kawarthaNOW is proud to be a headline sponsor of Peterborough Musicfest’s 2025 season.
