'Put my money where my mouth is': Musician embarking on cross-Canada tour by bike

An Irish-Canadian musician is touring the country, showcasing her music, and demonstrating what it means to live sustainably.

0Stella is taking her music to all the major cities in the country, all while travelling by bike with a guitar, tent and solar panel.

The alt-rock musician is using the tour as an opportunity to stay true to her name, as the zero in 0Stella stands for zero waste.

“Two years without any gigs got me thinking about how I was going about my career,” she said in an interview with CTV Morning Live on Friday.

“I just thought maybe I could put my money where my mouth is and do a bit better, and really demonstrate what I stand for.”

0Stella noted that she comes from a family of cyclists, so a coast-to-coast cycling album tour seemed like a natural fit.

“It’s been a phenomenal way to experience the country and just work out all of the latent energy from the last couple of years. It’s been great,” she said.

The musician began her tour in Victoria in the spring. She said it will take about 4.5 to five months to complete, adding she hopes to be in Halifax by the end of September.

“I pretty much just cycle through to every major city and pop myself there and set up shop really,” 0Stella said.

She noted a lot of planning went into this tour, especially considering she’s going at it alone.

“There’s a lot of things technically to learn about – the bike, how to service it myself. A lot of it I’ve learned on the road as I go,” she said.

“Also just living. I’ve never really camped a whole lot before and figuring out how you fit all that onto your bike, and nutrition as well, and routing.”

0Stella is expected to perform in Winnipeg on July 26 and 28. She said the best way to keep up with her shows is to follow her on social media.

- With files from CTV’s Nicole Dubé