Saskatchewan artists Dump Babes and Ellen Froese will be attending to perform official showcases at the FOCUS Wales International Showcase Festival, happening from May 8-10, 2025, in the city of Wrexham, North Wales.
FOCUS Wales is taking place in multiple venues across Wrexham. They are described as a festival which “…places the music industry spotlight firmly on the emerging talent that Wales has to offer the world, alongside a selection of the best new acts from across the globe.”
In its fifteenth year, the festival will welcome over 22,000 people, will showcase 250+ artists
using 20 stages, and feature various industry panels, networking events, and film screenings.
Congratulations from SaskMusic to Dump Babes and Ellen Froese!
The Artists' U.K. Shows (local times)
Dump Babes:
May 8 - Wynnstay Hotel, 8 p.m. (FOCUS Wales), Wrexham UK
May 9 – GlyndwrTV at BBC Wales, 1 p.m.: filmed session (FOCUS Wales), Wrexham UK
May 10 – The Parish, 9:35 p.m. (FOCUS Wales), Wrexham UK
Ellen Froese:
May 5 - Bridge Hotel, Arklow, Ireland
May 8 - GlyndwrTV at BBC Wales, 1 p.m.: filmed session (FOCUS Wales), Wrexham UK
May 8 - The Parish, 8:20 p.m. (FOCUS Wales), Wrexham UK
May 9 - Breakout West Showcase at Ty Pawb, 7:15 p.m. (FOCUS Wales), Wrexham UK
May 10 - The Royal Oak, 7:40 p.m. (FOCUS Wales), Wrexham UK
May 13 - The Social, London UK
May 14 - The Star Inn, Guildford UK
May 15 - Strings Bar & Venue, Newport UK
May 16 - Album Club with DevilDuck Records, Hamburg Germany
Artist Biographies:
Dump Babes: What do garbage-eating seagulls and your local bar-star have in common? They
both listen to Dump Babes. Formed in 2019 on the foundations of garbage, glitter, and
friendship, this group delivers irresistibly danceable and surprisingly heavy psych-pop tunes.
Hailing from Treaty 6 Territory (Saskatoon, SK), Aurora Wolfe and her well-rehearsed dirtbag
pals serve sex appeal for the entire family.
Ellen Froese: is what you'd call a “prolific artist”; committed, too. She's amassed a resolutely
solid body of work and, with a variety of projects, achieved more than some many years her
senior. For Each Flower Growing, Froese's fourth full-length, produced in collaboration with the
Sheepdogs' Sam Corbett, is her most accomplished statement to date, drawing on her
established sound as a folk & country-based singer/songwriter while incorporating a wider
frame of reference in the rich production, supple instrumentation, and overall sonic
soundworld.
In 2023 she toured with fellow Saskatchewan legends The Deep Dark Woods, followed by a
prestigious writing retreat at The Banff Centre in January 2024. Shortly thereafter she toured
cross country with The Sheepdogs and has recently showcased internationally at Viva Sounds
(Sweden) Focus Wales (Wales), The Great Escape (UK). Notable recent notable domestic
performances at Pop Montreal, M for Montreal, Mariposa Festival, and Yellowknife’s Snowking’s
Winter Festival.
How were the artists selected?
All artists programmed for FOCUS Wales were selected by the organizers through their own
selection process.
