Artists from our inaugural series in 2021
During the height of the global pandemic we presented 21 artists in 11 streaming concerts from four wonderful theatres across Canada. They are listed here in alphabetical order. We encourage you to search them out, like, follow and connect on their site, socials or your preferred streaming service.
Andrea Bettger
Andrea Bettger has experience playing classical, jazz and bluegrass styles, and experiments in the electric world of sounds on her instrument. She has become heavily involved in the Northern-fiddling scene. The fusion of these approaches results in an exciting blend of toe-tapping material, complemented with meditative and heart-warming melodies.
Blue Moon Marquee
Blue Moon Marquee is a Swing Blues band born of the wild rose foothills of Alberta, Canada. They currently make their home in an island shack on the coast of the Salish Sea in British Columbia. A.W. Cardinal (vocals/guitar) and Jasmine Colette (vocals/bass/drums) write and perform original compositions influenced by anything that swings, jumps or grooves.
In 2021 the Western Canadian Music Awards nominated them for Blues Artist of the Year and The Canadian Folk Music Awards nominated them for Indigenous Songwriter of the Year, the Western Canadian Music Awards nominated them for Blues Artist of the Year
Carmen Braden
Carmen Braden is a newly established force in the world of creative music, hailing proudly from Yellowknife NWT. Her songwriting: is “quirky and clever...à la Joni Mitchell” and her compositions have been called “captured psychogeography.” Her latest album and performances return to her songwriting journey but take it on an evolution of exploration.
David Gogo
David Gogo has six JUNO Award nominations, has been named Guitarist Of The Year three times at the Maple Blues Awards, was named Musician Of The Year at the West Coast Music Awards, won Blues Recording Of The Year at the Western Canadian Music Awards, and received the Great Canadian Blues Award for his lifetime contribution to the blues in Canada as voted by the listeners of CBC's Saturday Night Blues.
When not touring, David Gogo lives on a Christmas Tree farm on Gogo Mountain, just outside of Nanaimo BC, Canada.
Digawolf
Diga is an award winning Tlicho musician who resides in Yellowknife, NWT. He has been producing music for over a decade, and has 8 studio albums of Tlicho and English language music spanning several genres. Diga performs as Digawolf, and has done national and international touring. He has been called “Yellowknife's answer to Cohen's Montreal hymns, Young's Prairie parables, Lang's Albertan anthems, and Doiron's Maritime deep cuts.” - Kyle Mullin, Exclaim!, February 2019.
Diyet
Diyet is an alternative country, folk, roots, and traditional with catchy melodies and stories deeply rooted in Diyet’s Indigenous worldview and northern life. Backed by Love Soldiers, Robert van Lieshout (acoustic guitar, drums & percussion), and Bob Hamilton (electric guitar, pedal steel & mandolin), this multi-instrumental trio from the Yukon has a sound that can fill a big stage or capture an intimate room.
Irish Mythen
Irish Mythen was born in Ireland and now resides in Charlottetown Prince Edward Island Canada. "This Island creates music and musicians, art and artists. I found a shift to take things more seriously when I moved here." And she did just that. Her latest release, Little Bones, garnered a 2020 JUNO nomination for Contemporary Roots Album of the Year, seven Music PEI 2020 nominations, and two wins — Touring Artist of the Year and Roots Contemporary Recording of the Year, and a Canadian Folk Music Nomination for Solo Artist of the Year. Irish's live performances are a thing of raw power, emotion, and a connection with her audience that just has to be seen to be believed.
Jah'Mila
Wrapped in the roots of the reggae family tree, Jah'Mila is a sure musical prodigy-in-the-making with music that is lyrically creative, tastefully arranged, masterfully delivered, and positively inspiring.
She has toured as a supporting vocalist with bands like The Wailers, Groundation, multi-Grammy award-winning band Black Uhuru, Marcia Griffiths, Cedric Myton, and more. She has wowed audiences in Switzerland, Italy, Canada, and Jamaica. Determined to be an instrument of positivity, her ‘message music’ is aimed at raising the collective consciousness of all who hear it. Keep Listening!
Janet Cull
Janet Cull had an immediate impact on the Newfoundland and Labrador music scene with her first album earning MusicNL awards for “Album of the Year” and “Group of the Year”. Since then she’s earned an East Coast Music Awards nomination and three more MusicNL awards plus a handpicked appearance opening for the legendary k.d. lang.
In August 2021 Janet released the much anticipated Hear It; an album that is a reflection of her (and our) often complicated relationships, expressed through a voice unlike any other in Canada. 12 songs that one could be forgiven for thinking were recorded in Memphis or Muscle Shoals in the early ‘70s.
Jim Byrnes
Jim Byrnes lives and breathes music. For nearly fifty years he’s crooned, drawled, belted, hollered and sweet talked more songs into a microphone than most people ever get to hear in a single lifetime. His evocative, smoky vocals are found in a truth that doesn’t come overnight. The sheer joy you can hear in the music he creates is a reason to celebrate Jim Byrnes as a living musical treasure.
Joëlle Rabu & Nico Rhodes
Joëlle is two-time Jessie Award winner and Juno nominee; has recorded 6 albums; toured throughout 5 continents and won numerous accolades for her torch singing style and International charm. She sings in several languages; has starred in numerous theatre productions; performed for royalty; and has made several guest appearances with major symphony orchestras across Canada and the USA.
Nico is an accomplished choral arranger-director with a dream to create several community choirs, each celebrating life’s many diverse ages, genders and abilities while promoting inclusivity for all. He is also a devotee of the Elders’ community; fundraising, knitting, playing for them in support of Mental Health Awareness.
Kim Harris
Kim Harris' lush, emotionally driven alternative pop is rich, deep and moving. Her sophomore album, Heirloom, was released in 2020 on LHM Records. The album was named by CBC Music as one of the top 25 Canadian albums to look for, and received an 8/10 review from Exclaim Magazine.
Krystle Dos Santos
2x Western Canadian award-winning R&B singer/songwriter Krystle Dos Santos, brings her eclectic style, powerful vocal prowess, and magnetic charm to every performance she delivers.
Les Hôtesses d'Hilaire
Les Hôtesses d'Hilaire, a multi-awards winning Acadian band hails from New Brunswick. With their groovy psychedelic-influenced rock, the band is known for giving a great show with a bigger-than-nature frontman.
Locarno
Locarno is the Latin project of JUNO Award-winning musician, Tom Landa. Like him, the music is equal parts Mexican and Canadian. Tom was born and raised in Mexico City and moved to Canada in his teens. In the mid-nineties, he formed the Folk Roots band, The Paperboys, who have been touring worldwide for over 20 years. Tom has always dabbled in Latin music, and in 2005 decided to immerse himself more into the genre. In 2006 he was awarded a Canada Council Grant to study traditional Mexican Music in Veracruz, Mexico. Tom spent his days learning the jarana (an 8 string guitar) and learning songs from the Son Jarocho repertoire.
Roots & Grooves
Rick Scott & Nico Rhodes
Incredible musicians, wonderful entertainers! Infamous folk artist RICK SCOTT and young keyboard wizard NICO RHODES combine forces in an inter-generational smorgasbord of roots, blues, jazz, and humour. Forty years apart in age, Rick and Nico blur all boundaries: in a word, they cook! ROOTS & GROOVES is a musical conversation spiced with mastery, mischief, and improvisation. Since launching this duo in 2017, Rick and Nico have amazed audiences with their musical alchemy in theatres, festivals, and folk clubs around BC.
Ryan McNally
Whether he's playing with his own solo band or other various outfits, he can't be kept off Canadian stages. Ryan puts most of his energy into his passion for studying acoustic traditional blues, jazz, and old-time music. This led him to spend a winter in New Orleans where he wrote the majority of the material featured on Steppin’ Down South. This album is saturated with the sounds and rhythm of New Orleans streets.
Soda Pony
Formed in 2013, Whitehorse rock duo Soda Pony is a much beloved Yukon treasure. Exploring small-town coming-of-age tales to science fiction scenarios, members Patrick Hamilton and Aiden Tentrees deliver a powerful combo of unique instrumentation, clever songs, and raw, cutting performance.
Sarah Smith
For Sarah Smith, the time has come to say more, show more, and share an even deeper truth with her fans, courtesy of her brand new album, Unveiling.
Sarah has always been vulnerable in her songwriting – she doesn’t know how to do it any other way. Unveiling takes that openness to a deeply personal new level as Sarah sings about love, loss, and having the courage to trust in her own voice.
Speed Control
Hailing from Canada’s North in the Yukon, Speed Control is the rock band that can make you move even at minus 40! Described as “Super tight, riff-heavy, harmony rock” (The Province, Vancouver Sun), Speed Control has a captivating sound with an energy that will leave you smiling, singing, dancing, and wanting more.
Tiller's Folly
West Coast Celtic Roots band Tiller’s Folly has been telling tales as old as time with a modern lyrical twist, and a penchant for stirring tales of intrigue and adventure, inspired by true-life heroes and villains - backed by their potent mix of acoustic Celtic-influenced roots sound.
Wesley Hardisty
Wesley Hardisty is a vibrant emerging fiddler, composer, and collaborator from the Northwest Territories. From Fort Simpson, Wesley is a member of the Dene First Nation. He has performed nationally and internationally from Seattle to Iqaluit. He has played on folk festivals, fiddle festivals, Indigenous-focused performances, including multiple tours of the NWT as a featured performer and supporting artist, Canada Scene and Northern Scene in Ottawa, 2010 Vancouver Olympics. He has two original albums and multiple commissions.
Wolf Castle
Hailing from Pabineau First Nation in Mi’kma’ki, Wolf Castle, is a true renaissance artist. His live delivery system—a stage presence filled with mesmerizing energy and refreshing realness. Wolf Castle continues to defy the odds, creating his own singular—and catchy as hell—sound in the hip-hop world.