SASKATCHEWAN ARTISTS TO PERFORM AT
NORTH AMERICA’S LARGEST FOLK GATHERING
SaskMusic is pleased to present seven Saskatchewan artists in Kansas City, Missouri, February 16-21, 2016 for the annual Folk Alliance International Conference, Camp, Show & Awards. Joining together in a partnership under the banner of BreakOut West, Manitoba Music, Music Alberta, Music BC and SaskMusic artists will perform in private showcases for the thousands of international music industry professionals in attendance. Folk Alliance International provides the opportunity to share ideas, network, and celebrate traditional music and dance.
Saskatchewan artists participating this year are Rosie & The Riveters, Gunner & Smith, Megan Nash, Kacy & Clayton, Zachary Lucky, Andino Suns and The Dead South. All showcases take place at the Westin Hotel in downtown Kansas City. Andino Suns, The Dead South, and Kacy & Clayton also received official Folk Alliance showcase spots. In addition to performing, the artists will attend the Folk Alliance conference and keynote sessions, participate in the industry tradeshow, and be able to take advantage of networking opportunities throughout the weekend with talent buyers, festival bookers, radio programmers, record labels and many others from around the world, all oriented on the folk, roots and world music industries.
With SaskMusic fresh off of export opportunities in Montreal (M for Montreal, November 2015), Germany (Reeperbahn Festival, September 2015), the Americana Music Conference (Nashville, September 2015) and numerous others, we are excited to present this excellent business opportunity for our artists. We will be in Kansas City to assist our artists with promotion of their showcases and network with delegates from around the world, following up on connections we have cultivated at previous events. In addition to assisting our artists while in Kansas City, SaskMusic is working with the artists in advance of the event to ensure they are well prepared for the opportunities it will present.
About the Saskatchewan Artists
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Andino Suns have been captivating audiences since 2009 with firey instrumentation, inspirational live performances and a resounding message of freedom, hope and love. Their music fuses the vibrant traditional sounds of the Andes Mountains with modern Latin grooves and rhythms. Nominated for World Recording of the Year at the 2015 Western Canadian Music Awards for It’s Time To Rise, they’ve performed across Canada including JUNOfest, Ness Creek Music Festival, SaskTel Saskatchewan Jazz Festival, Regina Folk Festival, Festival du Bout du Monde, and Mundial Montreal, among others. Exuberant, rousing, political, and spiritual, Andino Suns ignite audiences wherever they play. Showcases:
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The Dead South is an acoustic quartet that blends elements of folk, bluegrass, classical, and rock which results in a unique, modern, and authentic blend of boot-stompin’ acoustic music. With Nate Hilt’s gritty vocals and aggressive guitar strumming, Scott Pringle’s soaring harmonies and mandolin chops, Colton Crawford’s blazing banjo licks and steady kick drum, and Danny Kenyon’s prominent cello melodies, the unique abilities and viewpoints of each band member make The Dead South an impossible band to duplicate. Their full-length album, Good Company (released on Curve/eOne), is full of rousing bluegrass kickers that challenge you not to smile or do a little jig, heck, even head-bang. They’ve played them all over Europe and the U.K. multiple times, as well as Canada and into the U.S., enthralling fans who just can’t get enough. Showcases:
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Gunner & Smith (performing here as a solo artist) traverses the rocky line between post-prairies balladeering and grit-covered rockers for those given to heavy highway drives and long, expansive thoughts. After releasing their first album He Once Was Good Man and touring extensively across Canada including numerous festival dates, Gunner & Smith are gearing up to record their next full length album in spring 2016. Songwriter Geoff Smith is a master at producing dark and haunting songs that are informed by powerfully bleak lyrics - even his sunniest moments are still shadowed with drama and the lingering baritone of his vocals. Showcases:
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Kacy & Clayton, a duo comprised of Kacy Anderson and Clayton Linthicum, interprets and composes music inspired by forms of traditional music from Southern Appalachia and the British Isles; much of their repertoire could easily be mistaken for hidden gems of decades past. Kacy’s completely unforced, refreshing vocals are always in her own distinct and natural timbre. Clayton’s instrumental talents serve every song with modesty; he reserves his virtuosity for only those few transitions that require elaborate expression. Their return to form is no mere retro affectation; it is a respectful bearing of the torch passed on from their deep and studied musical heritage. Although young in age, they’ve been playing music together for over a decade and have created a distinctive and cohesive sound. (Photo: Dane Roy) Showcases:
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Megan Nash is a singer/songwriter combining an honest portrayal of her human experience with a powerful voice to create a moving performance. Nash has opened for the likes of Serena Ryder, Amelia Curran, The Heartbroken, and Del Barber. She has toured the majority of Canada including the Northwest Territories. Nash's country background is evident in her current style, but her songs are heavily influenced by artists such as Neko Case and Stevie Nicks. “Showing off a voice that ranges from a soothing coo to a thunderous growl (all in the same song), Song Harvest Volume One tackles themes of love and loss without sounding cliché.” (Exclaim!) (Photo: Ali Lauren Creative Services) Showcases:
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Rosie & the Riveters are four fiercely talented and sassy dames who perform uplifting folk music with a vintage 1940s flare! Their original songs feature sophisticated harmonies, body percussion, scintillating dance moves, humour and just enough ohh-la-la to charm your socks off! Along with whoops, hollers, and mile-wide smiles, they create a sound and sight that is lighthearted and captivating for all music lovers. Their new album, Good Clean Fun!, is a high-energy and versatile album that combines The Andrews Sister’s vintage vocal treatment with Mahalia Jackson’ soul and the sweetness of the Good Lovelies. (Photo: Lisa Landrie) Showcases:
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Zachary Lucky is the bread and butter of the massive Canadian folk scene, touring relentlessly across his home country, and abroad. With an emphasis on songwriting and an ear for delicate arrangements, Lucky’s songs will haunt you and remind you of what country and western music was originally conceived as. It would seem impossible to separate the singer-songwriter from his prairie origins. On his sixth and latest release, The Ballad Of Losing You, Lucky has constructed an earnest and personal narrative about the uncertainty of loss and of transformation. Showcases:
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About Folk Alliance International
Since 1989, Folk Alliance® has served as the headquarters for Folk Music and Dance. With over 2800 members worldwide and an annual conference that is one of the five largest music conferences in North America, Folk Alliance continues to grow and mature while providing a unique range of member services to their community. Over the years, their community has grown to include record companies, publishers, presenters, agents, managers, music support services, manufacturers and artists that work in the folk world. Folk Alliance has five regional affiliates that provide the grass roots efforts in their respective markets. Folk Alliance International exists to foster and promote traditional, contemporary, and multicultural folk music and dance and related performing arts.
About SaskMusic
SaskMusic is a non-profit association that stimulates growth and development in the commercial music industry of the province of Saskatchewan, Canada through leadership, promotion, training, advocacy and partnership. We offer programming including career consultations, workshops, marketing, artist listings, export assistance, networking opportunities and much more. We represent the four components of our industry: creative, interpretive, technical and administrative. Our artists and music professionals hail from across Saskatchewan, and produce music in every genre you can imagine. We are a source of information and resources for both the public, and the music industry.
Contact SaskMusic at 1-800-347-0676 or 306-347-0676, or info@saskmusic.org.
Participation in this export initiative is made possible through Creative Saskatchewan's Market & Export Development Grant Program.
