Folk

Tim Baker has come a long way to be with you. He’s come from the far, rocky, northeastern shores of Newfoundland. He’s come from the deep songwriting tradition of that island. He’s come from over 12 years of touring, writing and recording, with his former band Hey Rosetta! And he’s come through 5 years on his own now, releasing 2 full-lengths & 3 EPs, over a dozen music videos, and playing countless festivals and shows across North America & Europe. He’s come through it all collecting critical praise, devoted followers, and awards along the way: 2 Juno nominations (SOCAN Songwriter of the Year, New Group of the Year), 2 shortlist/3 longlist Polaris Prize nominations, 14 East Coast Music Awards, many Music Newfoundland & Labrador Awards and other prizes. Through it all he brings his powerful and personal voice, his electric and open-hearted energy, his dynamic and sophisticated arrangements, his wild and sweeping body of work. Other than the occasional solo performance (or the odd show with orchestra and/or choir) Tim has spent the vast majority of his touring life expressing his music through the power of a 5-7 piece band - his former, Hey Rosetta!, and his current, Tim Baker & All Hands. Always one to keep reimagining and reconnecting in different ways, this fall the Canadian troubadour is reducing the arrangements, focusing the light, and watching the songs expand to fill the space; laying bare his extraordinary songwriting, his extraordinary spirit, his extraordinary journey here.

Mia Kelly is a singer-songwriter from Gatineau, Quebec who writes and performs in both French and English. Mia enthralls listeners with a distinctive blend of Folk, Rock, and Blues and is making her mark in the Canadian folk music scene. Backed by her performance on guitar or piano and accompanied by foot percussion, Kelly’s foot-stomping sing-a-longs are anchored by her powerful voice that emanates raw emotion.  Her infectious energy captivates you as she shares her heartfelt stories & banter.

Swiftly gaining recognition as a poetic lyricist with a powerful and versatile voice, Mia is a born performer who radiates confidence on stage. With her knack for adapting the stories of the people she has connected with in her life, Mia is an imaginative storyteller who channels her raw and vulnerable emotions through her expertly crafted songs.

In August of 2022, Kelly released her first album “Garden Through the War”.  Produced and mixed at Fixed Hinge Studio by Ottawa’s Jim Bryson (Kathleen Edwards, The Tragically Hip) and mastered by Grammy-nominated Phillip Shaw Bova, the record demonstrates maturity in Kelly’s songwriting. Exploring themes of resilience and growth that follow hardship, the album has already received recognition from the SOCAN foundation. This year, Kelly was awarded Emerging Artist of the year by Culture Outaouais was nominated for Artist of the Year (Capital Music Awards), nominated for Album of the Year (Folk Music Ontario Awards), and represented Canada at the Jeux de la Francophonie in the Democratic Republic of Congo 2023. 

You may already know the wildly exploratory Andrew Collins through his work with The Foggy Hogtown Boys, the equally mind-bending Creaking Tree String Quartet or the Trio, itself – but you’ll never put a label on him for his approach to folk, newgrass, jazz and even some chamber-oriented roots music. Showcasing a dizzying number of styles and instruments on stage, Collins and Co. appear to live by the old adage, “idle hands are the devil’s workshop”, likely keeping them just ahead of his grasp. Bending and blending genres, these musical shape shifters land somewhere between the re-imagined worlds of Béla Fleck and Newgrass invader, David Grisman.

Andrew’s skills on mandolin, fiddle, guitar, mandola, mandocello and smooth vocals merge with the rich talents of his trio mates Adam Shier (guitar, mandolin, vocals) and James McEleney (bass, mandocello and vocals) and represent a back-to-basics visitation on what the band does best -- spontaneity of the stage and rapid-fire, improvisational exchanges.

“This is some mighty mandolinin', from Canada's eight-string king.” Bob Mersereau’s Top 100 Canadian Blogspot

“The level of musicianship is outstanding, as you’d expect from a serial award winner such as Andrew Collins. He must be one of the best mandolin players in the business” Americana – UK

THE EAST POINTERS
Fans of The East Pointers have Koady Chaisson to thank for being the kinetic force behind the JUNO-Award winning indie-folk trio since the group formed in 2014. The dancefloor-shaking, electro-trad glorious combination of folk/pop has brought so much joy to audiences around the world. And now, even posthumously, Koady’s energetic fire continues to blaze the musical trail onward.

It was on January 6, 2022 that Koady Chaisson of The East Pointers passed away from an unexpected heart aneurysm at 37. Those who were lucky to have been influenced by his creative and generous soul felt like a black hole had suddenly formed where the supernova of Koady’s light had been.

But before his passing, Koady, Tim Chaisson, and Jake Charron, had recorded most of the tracks for two new EPs. Unlike any of the The East Pointers’ material to date, these precious songs are shiny and melodic, nostalgia-flared, folk experimental pop but with the same driving trad hooks for which the band has become known and revered.

The first EP, House of Dreams, was released in September 2022 and was nominated for a JUNO Award in 2023. The second EP, Safe In Sound, will be released in Fall 2023 in time for The East Pointers to return to the road bringing their music – shiny and melodic, nostalgia-flared, folk experimental pop – to fans around the world.

FORTUNATE ONES
Fortunate Ones is a contemporary folk duo from Newfoundland. Celebrated for their harmony-entwined songs of hope, resilience, and the human condition and their joyfully disarming live shows, they have toured relentlessly, bringing their open-hearted performances to thousands of people across North America and beyond.

Catherine and Andrew have been busy since the release of their debut album The Bliss in 2015 - thousands of miles, hundreds of shows, award winning albums and scores of fans have all been hallmarks of the success the duo has experienced since their humble beginnings in St. John’s. The Bliss was nominated for a JUNO Award and landed two #1 singles on CBC Radio 2’s Top 20.

On their sophomore album Hold Fast, the title track hit #1 on the CBC Music Top 20 Chart. The album also took home three Music NL Awards in 2018, was nominated for four East Coast Music Awards, and the 2019 Canadian Folk Music Award for Vocal Group of the Year. To date, songs from Hold Fast have over 16 million streams on Spotify.

Fortunate Ones released That Was You and Me in 2022 and embarked on the Anchor’s Up Tour with The Once and Old Man Luedecke across Canada.

Folk-rock firebrand Grace Petrie has long been celebrated for her polemic anthems, acerbic lyricism and engaging stagecraft. Exploding onto the folk scene in 2010 with an acoustic guitar, a fistful of razor-sharp protest songs and an irresistible stage presence, she quickly racked up support slots for the likes of Billy Bragg, Robin Ince and Josie Long. She spent the next decade relentlessly honing her stagecraft across the folk, punk and comedy scenes, gaining a reputation as an electrifying live performer, and in 2019 opened a UK arena tour for Frank Turner.

She is a regular guest on the hit podcast and tours by The Guilty Feminist, and has played live BBC sessions for Jo Whiley and The Radio 2 Folk Show. Her latest album Connectivity (2021) debuted at number 2 in both the Independent Albums Chart and the Official Folk Albums Chart, topped the UK download chart and made the UK Official Albums Chart top 40.

‘An effervescent charm-bomb of a performer’ - The New Yorker

‘It's Petrie baring her soul.…outstanding’ **** - MOJO

gracepetrie.com | @gracepetrie | facebook.com/gracepetriemusic

2021 JUNO Award Nominees, Rum Ragged, take a bold approach to the distinct folk music of their home, the Eastern Canadian island of Newfoundland. With a reverence for their roots and a creative, contemporary edge, this young band has quickly become known as the finest performers of their great, living, musical tradition. Boasting bouzouki, fiddle, bodhran, banjo, guitar, and button accordion, these new champions of East Coast music enliven and enlighten audiences with their signature brand of Newfoundland folk. Always honest, thought-provoking, and often humorous, it’s Rum Ragged’s live show that makes them a fast favourite with any audience. Their combination of striking vocal harmonies, staggering musicianship, and captivating storytelling gives concert-goers an experience they won't soon forget. Since their inception in 2016, Rum Ragged has maintained a rigorous tour schedule, performing at some of the world's premier folk, celtic and roots venues all while managing to record four acclaimed, award-winning studio albums. Rum Ragged is not your run-of-the-mill folk band, they are the genuine article.

Valdy, born Valdemar Horsdal in Ottawa, Canada has been part of the fabric of Canadian pop and folk music for almost 40 years. A man with a thousand friends, from Newfoundland to Vancouver Island to Texas to New Zealand, he’s a singer, guitarist and songwriter who catches the small but telling moments that make up life.

Remembered for Play Me a Rock and Roll Song, his bitter-sweet memory of finding himself, a relaxed and amiable story-teller, facing a rambunctious audience at the Aldergrove Rock Festival circa 1968, Valdy has sold almost half a million copies of his 13 albums, has two Juno Awards (Folk Singer of the Year and Folk Entertainer of the Year), a total of seven Juno nominations and four Gold albums to his credit.

Valdy’s recent CDs include “Contenders”, a collaboration with friend and fellow singer/songwriter, Gary Fjellgaard, with whom he has an absolute blast touring, and a solo release, “Viva Valdy: Live at Last”, a two-CD package, one live, one studio, with a total of 25 tunes, and a lyric booklet.

One of Canada’s most influential songwriters, Valdy’s composition A Good Song was recorded under the title Just a Man by the venerable Quincy Jones ( he sang lead on the recording!). Play Me a Rock and Roll Song has been recorded by a few artists, including John Kay of Steppenwolf.

Along the way, Valdy has taken his music to a dozen different countries, from Denmark to Australia and been an often-invited performer at the prestigious Kerrville Festival in Texas. His past television appearances include Canada AM and Open Mike with Mike Bullard. Valdy has also been a panelist on Front Page Challenge, and played a lead role in an episode of The Beachcombers original series.

SHOW REVIEWS…

“…judging by last night’s performance, Valdy’s musical magic is alive and well.”

Beacon Herald

“One of the best evenings of entertainment Confederation Centre has ever seen….a man of formidable talents.”

Charlottetown Evening Patriot

“Valdy remains one of the country’s purest and most credible storytellers.”

Toronto Star

“He’s a master of country, folk, rock and blues, and the catch is that whatever the sound, people know that Valdy is sincere.”

Saskatoon Star Phoenix

“Valdy’s show is a disarming and practical blend of respect for the audience and show business expertise.”

Edmonton Journal

When Matt Andersen steps on stage, he brings a lifetime of music to every note he plays. His latest album, The Big Bottle of Joy, is all about hard-won celebration; a dozen songs infused with raw blues-rock, rollicking Americana, thoughtful folk, and ecstatic gospel. Andersen’s stage presence, buoyed by his spectacular live band (also called The Big Bottle of Joy), is informed by decades of cutting his teeth in dusty clubs, dim-lit bars, and grand theatres all over the world, delivering soulful performances that run the gamut from intimate to wall-shaking. In the studio, he’s always brought the same attention to detail and commitment to craft as he has to his live show, and the result—a multi-faceted and poignant body of work—has led him to amass over 22 million streams on Spotify and 26 million views on YouTube. In addition to headlining major festivals, clubs and theatres throughout North America, Europe and Australia, he has shared the stage and toured with Marcus King, Beth Hart, Marty Stuart, Greg Allman, Tedeschi Trucks Band, Randy Bachman, Jonny Lang, Serena Ryder, and more. Andersen nabbed the 2013 and 2016 European Blues Awards for Best Solo/Acoustic Act, was the first ever Canadian to take home top honours in the solo category at the 2010 International Blues Challenge in Memphis, won the CIMA Road Gold award in 2015, and has won multiple Maple Blues Awards.