Band Details

From the Promoter

Featuring the following: Windigo, Deicha & The VuDudes, Delhi 2 Dublin, Heavy Bell, Ndidi Onukwulu, Justin Townes Earle, Mister & Mystic, Raleigh, Lab Coast, Kris Demeanor, nêhiyawak, Leeroy Stagger, Ryland Moranz, Kalle Mattson.

JUSTIN TOWNES EARLE

American singer and songwriter, born January 4, 1982 in Nashville, Tennessee, USA.

MISTER & MYSTIC

Whilst touring and performing with their psychedelic rock band - The Heirlooms, Matthew Spreen and Kat Westerman needed an outlet for their delicate, helpless-love songs. Combining their obsession for lush harmonies and groovy ‘70s inspired rhythms, they penned the heart-struck songs that appear on their first self-titled offering.

KRIS DEMEANOR

Calgary’s first poet laureate, Kris Demeanor, emerged as a striking talent with his solo album in the late ‘90s. From the start, his gift for nailing down truths was obvious. So, too, was his penchant for singing the unspeakable: Gary Glitter’s girl, Saskatoon police “starlight tours” and the horror of designated bike lanes. Demeanor fearlessly experiments with sounds, genres, people and mediums. He’s co-written with Ian Tyson, played Cal Cavendish on stage, and was recently nominated for a Canadian Screen Award as Best Supporting Actor for The Valley Below. So you can understand why there is not enough barbed wire, concrete, and irony to fence this astounding songwriter in.

NêHIYAWAK

Sweeping, like the wind blowing across the northern prairies; grand, like a solemn ceremony — the emotional indie-rock of nêhiyawak is perfectly situated in the place of its origin. It’s modern while retaining roots in music far older than rock ‘n’ roll, and it’s 100 percent home-grown.
Drummer Marek Tyler and guitarist-songwriter Kris Harper are cousins from the Onion Lake Cree Nation on the Alberta-Saskatchewan border north of Lloydminster. Along with bassist Matthew Cardinal, they are veterans of the Edmonton and national indie rock scene; the three have played in Diamond Mind, Meatdraw, Pale Moon Lights, and Kathryn Calder’s band, among others. Now, with nêhiyawak, these young indigenous musicians have created a special alchemy.
nêhiyawak , pronounced neh-HEE-o-wuk, is the Crees’ eponym. Naming your band after your nation is a big, bold move, but nêhiyawak is up to the challenge. By taking a traditional approach to their process — requesting permission to play in other cities or going to a sweat lodge to inform their creative decisions — they’re infusing their modern, urban aesthetic with the deep cultural memories and traditions of their forebearers. As a result, resonating synth tones and edgy guitar riffs sound completely at home with the pulsing, organic sounds of cedar wood noisemakers and hand drums. Tyler sums up their bridgemaking perfectly when he says “This is nêhiyawak — where culture meets chord, melody and rhythm.”
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RALEIGH

Percolate vocal harmonies, deft instrumentals, and subtle time signature changes are what filter into the superb arrangements of the hallmark Calgary trio Raleigh. With intricate refrains woven by cello, piano, and guitar, Raleigh are as much ear candy as head candy - thoughtful and emotive, restrained, but utterly engaging. Unafraid of both straight-up pop hooks, folk traditions and complex song structure, this is a band uniquely shaping their own space in new music. Raleigh's lush composition draws on the finer elements of earthy folk, chamber pop and art-damaged indie rock, with delicate melodies that hold the whole thing together, resulting in a sound that has been described as "a more thoughtful, elegant indie", and "dynamic, quirky folk." Having cut their teeth in diverse acts including Woodpigeon and the Dudes, this trio stems from a lofty lineage. Both boisterous and rock solid, Raleigh will relentlessly capture your affections with their boundless grace.

Since the conception of theband in 2010, Raleigh has toured Canada a handful of times with highlight performances including the Calgary Folk Fest, Salmon Arm Roots& Blues Festival, NXNE, Sled Island, and Breakout West, as well as opening slots for Dan Mangan, the Books, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Cold Specks, Snowblink, and AroarA.

LAB COAST

Calgary’s Lab Coast has 4 full-length albums and 1 goal: write effervescent, lo-fi pop nuggets. Formed in 2008 by drummer Chris Dadge and songwriter Chris Laing, Lab Coast also includes Samantha Savage Smith and Darrell Hartsook. Great melodies, catchy hooks and layered jangly guitar parts define Lab Coast’s intensely likeable sound. The songs are deliberately short, catching listeners in mid-headbop until the next song starts up. As brief as they are, their songs still contain semi-orchestral surprises: breathing room, unexpected bridges and winsome harmonies. Laing’s deadpan delivery is surprisingly adorable. This is well-crafted stuff and it’s no wonder that Lab Coast have gained a following that reaches far beyond the comfort of their beloved basement.

LEEROY STAGGER

Canadian singer and songwriter, born 28 October 1982 in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.

KALLE MATTSON

3 albums in at the ripe age of 22, Mattson’s lyrics - inspired by a collection of tough experiences - are dense and thoughtful, creating staggering and emotional music.