Artists
Thanks for an incredible #FOTR2024. Folk On The Rocks 2024 was bigger and better than ever, featuring lots of incredible talent.
FOTR 2024 artists:
Aladean Kheroufi - Equal parts balladeer, crooner and pop star, Aladean Kheroufi is a multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, arranger, producer, recordist and DJ. Canadian by way of Algeria. He writes songs that are idiosyncratic, soulful and devastating, with a glass half-full optimism that turns heartbreak into melancholy party anthems. His last single “LOVE! … (is the answer) b/w Every Girl” was released February 2022 to critical acclaim with his much anticipated debut LP ‘Studies In A Dying Love’ arriving spring 2024 via Toronto label We Are Busy Bodies.
Ammoye - Singing songs of love, life and justice, six-time Juno nominee, Ammoye delivers a wholly unique future-forward reggae sound that incorporates old-school rocksteady, dancehall and dubstep with gospel, soul and R&B. With her unique, soothing and multidimensional voice and messages of empowerment, Jamaican-born Ammoye is a lightworker and self-declared soul rebel.
Amy and The Easy Hundo – Amy and The Easy Hundo are a rock group based out of Fort Smith. They recorded their debut album Coyote in 2022, and it was nominated for Album of the Year at the NWTMusic Awards the same year. They have also collaborated with DEWGOSS FILMS in 2022 to receive second place in the Western Arctic Moving Pictures 48 Hour music video contest, with their song Dirty Dischord. They offer alternative rock with a hint of nostalgia and weirdness.
Andrina Turenne – Through soulful melodies and woodsy motifs, Andrina Turenne tells stories through song, delivered in the spirit of road trips, kitchen parties, and bonfire gatherings. Born and raised in Winnipeg, Canada, the Franco-Manitoban and Red River Métis singer-songwriter performed in the Juno-award-winning band Chic Gamine, toured five continents and has been featured on over 50 albums. In April 2023, Turenne released her first solo project, Bold as Logs. The bilingual, spirited debut has charted on independent radio in Canada and the U.S.A, and explores the wonders of nature, the histories of her homeland and the complexity of human relationships.
Aurora Fiddle Society – The Aurora Fiddle Society promotes fiddling in Yellowknife and throughout the North Slave region.
Babe Corner – Babe Corner is kicking off a new era of Vancouver rock with a message of love, panic, longing, and satisfaction. Their debut LP Crybaby released in 2023 is a fully realized synthesis of the diverse poles of their sound. With a melange of sensuous guitars, pulsing synths, poised rhythms, and soaring harmonies the album is a brooding pleasure, just as powerful played softly or loud. This is a project not afraid to confront enormity and find a rhythm to dance through it. Babe Corner embarked on their first tour in Summer 2023, spilling one of the Canadian indie music scene’s most exciting secrets across North America.
Beatrice Deer – Acclaimed “Inuindie” pop star Beatrice Deer is a singer-songwriter based in Montreal. Half Inuk and half Mohawk, Beatrice was born and raised in Nunavik, Quebec, in the small village of Quaqtaq. Her award-winning songs are crafted upon deeply personal lyrics and blend indie rock and modern folk with traditional Inuit stories and throat singing. She has released seven studio albums, including her newest, titled Little Songs, a revitalization of traditional Inuit songs for children. Beatrice Deer sings in three languages: Inuktitut, English, and French. A beloved figure in Arctic Canada, she has performed worldwide, from the Venice Biennale to Norway’s Førde Traditional and World Music Festival to the Heard Museum in Phoenix, Arizona.
Bedouin Soundclash: Formed nearly two decades ago, Bedouin Soundclash debuted in 2001 with the album Root Fire. In 2019, after a nine-year hiatus, the band re-emerged to release their fifth studio album MASS, a powerful experience that spanned two communities, recorded in New Orleans with the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, and in Vancouver at the St. James Church with the children of the St. James Music Academy. Bedouin Soundclash have been celebrated at home and abroad with JUNO awards, Top 10 radio hits, and international tours with No Doubt, Ben Harper, The Interrupters, and Thievery Corporation. Their album, We Will Meet in a Hurricane, is an incredible listening experience and we cannot wait to hear them live this summer!
Begonia – Pegged as Canada’s breakout alt-diva, Begonia has built a legion of fans online and at her legendary live shows. Her critically acclaimed discography includes Lady In Mind EP (2017), Fear (2019) and Powder Blue (2023). Among her accolades, she has a JUNO nomination (2021, Adult Alternative Album of the Year), two Polaris Prize nominations, multiple #1 songs on CBC Radio, and was named one of NPR’s Artists You Need to Know. Her sophomore album, Powder Blue emerged in early 2023 and confronts themes of sexuality, self-discovery, acceptance and empowerment. The album was named one of CBC Music’s Best Canadian Albums of 2023 (#7) and was shortlisted for the 2023 Polaris Music Prize.
Bella Beats – Bella Beats is a high performance dance troupe, with a focus on building connection in the community. While Bella Beats are honored to have worked with many great Northern artists and choreographers, they are also very proud of their work in other provinces and in the United States. They've been Arctic Winter Games Cultural Delegates in Alaska, they have performed on a Broadway stage at the Minskoff Theatre in Times Square, and have danced multiple times down Main Street USA in Disneyland.
Big Blue – Big Blue is smooth-flowing music written under blue skies and big water. Ben Cornel mixes together fingerstyle folk playing with soulful songwriting in this singer-songwriter solo project. Born and raised in Montreal, Ben Cornel has been an active musician for over a decade. After moving to Somba K’e (Yellowknife, Northwest Territories) in 2020 he began to compose guitar-focused instrumental pieces, which later blossomed into heart-felt singer-songwriter pieces.
Boogey The Beat – For years Anishinaabe DJ and producer Les Boulanger — known by audiences as Boogey the Beat — has toiled behind the scenes, laying the sonic foundations for other musicians’ anthems. As a long-time lover of hip-hop and rap, collaboration is his comfort zone. He’s worked with the likes of The Halluci Nation (formerly a Tribe Called Red) and Snotty Nose Rez Kids, playing stages across Turtle Island. In homage to the sounds of a sundance, Boogey builds each song around a percussive heartbeat, then adds vocals and other instruments, letting the drum lead the way. He remembers walking up to one of his first childhood pow wows and hearing the big drum, a guiding force that stays with him today.
BrandonSonnet – BrandonSonnet is an award nominated Inuvialuk Musician from Inuvik, Northwest Territories. His musical journey started off just making noise with his friends but over time evolved into producing and writing for several independently released projects. Completely self-sufficient in his craft, BrandonSonnet curates his sound from start to finish by producing, writing, recording, mixing and mastering all of his own music.
Bruno Capinan – Bruno Capinan is a singer-songwriter reframing Brazilian rhythms with an unapologetic stage presence. A rising star in the global music scene, often described as Queer Bossa-Nova, Capinan received the Stingray Prize at Mundial Montreal 2023. Recognized as "acrobatic, sensual, both angelic and profane" by British paper The Guardian, Capinan's voice not only carries a legacy, it also amplifies the vibrancy of brazilian music on the global stage, by weaving together Bossa Nova with Funk de Favela.
Clerel – Clerel Djamen made his stage debut in Montreal, equipped with his voice and acoustic guitar. Word about his captivating voice soon spread around town and beyond, inspiring Djamen to channel his musical influences into his own original compositions. These efforts led to an EP, co-produced with Japanese-Canadian engineer, producer and guitarist Kento Kataoka and released in 2019. More recently, Djamen has released a digital 45, as well as a first Francophone project. Clerel has also appeared as a contestant on nationally broadcast reality talent show La Voix (The Voice Canada) and participated in The Late Show’s #PlayAtHome series, with a performance of his single.
Cows Go Moo – Cows Go Moo is a six-piece band that revels in the hard rock genre. Three members are in Grade 8 while the remaining musicians are still in elementary school. The band evolved from a group music lesson taught by Speed Control front man Graeme Peters, who remains the band's instructor, conductor and occasional third guitarist. The band's repertoire includes covers of AC/DC, Metallica, Ozzy Osbourne and Nirvana, as well as several original tunes.
DEBBY FRIDAY – DEBBY FRIDAY has won Canada's Polaris Prize for her debut long-player, GOOD LUCK which arrived on Sub Pop in March of 2023. The LP was accompanied by a short film of the same name, co-directed by DEBBY and Nathan De Paz Habib. GOOD LUCK's lead single, “SO HARD TO TELL,” saw FRIDAY shed all of her signature industrial tropes to deliver a completely out of pocket, and totally assured, falsetto pop song. This sun-bright track is a crucial signifier in FRIDAY’S expansion. One week after taking home the Polaris, DEBBY dropped a new single, co-produced by Darcy Baylis, called "let u in".
Frog Poison – Frog Poison is your not so-average, average high school band performing their own renditions of familiar, and not so familiar sounds of punk, grunge and alternative metal. Frog Poison pumps each note in the honor and memory of their former drummer Milo Thomas Martin who has given them the love and appreciation for the punk rock and musical scene.
Gianna – Gianna is an alumni of the Northern Mosaic Network Performing Arts and Queer Justice Camp (PAQJ) and a fixture on Yellowknife’s Open Mic Scene. She was raised in Yellowknife, and has been around music her whole life. She will be bringing her unique take on cover songs to FOTR’s stages.
Ginalina – Four-time JUNOS and 5-time Canadian Folk Awards nominee Ginalina pioneers unique family folk music, fusion folk music, and beautiful children's books that celebrate family, nature, community, culture, and the connections we share between them. Her songs and stories are respectful and real, warm and winsome, emotive and energizing. Together, and in English, Mandarin, and French, with loved ones, strangers, and friends, we can sing, dance, and experience a creative sort of kindness that this world needs more than ever.
Glam on The Rocks – Glam on the Rocks formed in 2021, debuting at Warm the Rocks during the “Isolation” edition of the Folk on the Rocks festival. The core lineup comprises some of Yellowknife’s best known burlesque performers, showcasing a mix of brand-new acts and fan-favourites that are guaranteed to warm up even the coolest crowd.
Gnarwhal – Gnarwhal, from Yellowknife, Canada, formed in 2021. They combines heavy alternative fuzz rock with grunge
and progressive metal elements. Their 2023 self-titled debut album earned a Western Canadian Music
Award nomination. They’re Altered States EP dropped in May 2024. They've made their mark on stages
and festivals, solidifying their position in contemporary stoner rock.
Grace Clark – Growing up in Yellowknife, on the edge of the arctic circle, Métis artist Grace Clark draws inspiration from nature in the north, creating a dynamic Indie Pop sound. Grace’s sweet melodies and passionate lyrics build a delicate, enticing world reflecting on love, loss, and the world around her. Grace released her first single ‘Untouchable’ in June of 2020, with Yellowknife producer David Dowe, followed by a live EP recorded in British Columbia and released in June of 2021. Grace’s voice is what drives her the most, and you will surely see this growing artist paving her own path in the music industry.
Haley Blais – Haley's defiant scream-into-your-pillow pop anthems have amassed 20 million streams worldwide and sold out headline shows across the US and UK, and it all began in 2014 when she started recording and releasing songs from her bedroom. With her 2018 EP Let Yourself Go providing a breakout success with songs like "Small Foreign Faction" and "Seventeen," Haley has been shaping her songwriting craft ever since with more infectious melodies and turns-of-phrase that are as humorous as they are poignant. In 2020, Haley released her debut full-length album Below the Salt, and her forthcoming sophomore effort Wisecrack is concerned with conscience, morality, and the superego. It’s “bleak but true,” as Haley puts it.
Jade Turner – With a natural talent for telling stories through music, rising Canadian country artist Jade Turner continues to share and support the Indigenous culture that inspires her. Recognized for her original songwriting and stunning music videos, the member of Misipawistik Cree Nation has already established a diverse audience attracted to her powerful stage presence and singles like "Worth", “Stay Wild Child,” and “Hangover Blues.” One of Turner’s most powerful original releases is “Worth.” It’s an emotional centerpiece of her 2017 debut album, North Country, which was named Best Country Album at the Indigenous Music Awards in 2017.
James Alynes – Originally from Montreal and now living in the Northwest Territories, James composes in French. Now James Alynes shares a sound engineer with French singer Aya Nakamura and produces other emerging musicians in France, as well as being the founder of music label ADA Records. He started out with an ambitious project : producing one track a day for a year! The project thus became his first album, titled "Que Ma Joie Demeure!"
lilamancy – lilamancy is a hyperpop virtual band comprising alex summers, ana lovelace, lottie moontulip, and ahab sangfroid. Each member is an avatar of the four seasons of the soul. Wielding the magic of divine play, these spirit guides invite you on a transformative journey from life to death and back again.
Mattie Leon – Mattie Leon is a singer/songwriter hailing from Hamilton, Ontario. A craftsman on guitar and piano, he refuses to leave the past behind. Mattie’s sensibilities are informed by the songwriting of the sixties and seventies. His voice, whether soaring or soulful, is his own. The result is a fresh take on a classic form; familiar but unmistakably new.
Miesha and the Spanks – This Calgary-based duo has the guitar hero-worshiping, face melting, whisky belting sound that you’ve been seeking. A modern singer/guitarist and beloved fixture on the local scene, frontwoman Miesha Louie is the integral driving force behind Miesha & The Spanks. A mixed-Secwépemc artist living in Treaty 7 Territory, she’s devoted her entire career to inventing and playing instrumentally brilliant melodies that unleash her passions and her full-throated vocal tones. Percussionist Sean Hamilton (an accomplished singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist in his own right) is her psychic counterpart, intuitively punctuating her soulful choruses with a pounding intensity simultaneously that elevates heart rates and ceiling rafters.
Miranda Currie – Miranda Currie is a northern Indigenous artist living and working in Somba K’e, more widely known, as Yellowknife, Northwest Territories. She walks in two worlds, with one foot in her Swampy Cree heritage and the other foot in her Euro-Canadian ancestry. Her mission is to create authentic northern indigenous music, film and books that are accessible to all children and families. She will be joining Mo Kenney for a performance at the Snow King’s Winter Festival on March 27 as part of our Artist-in-Residence Program.
Mo Kenney – Kenney’s willingness to unflinchingly pursue their artistic impulses on their own terms has resulted in numerous accolades over the past decade, including a SOCAN Songwriting Prize, a nomination for Juno Adult Alternative Album of the Year, and too many East Coast Music Awards and Nova Scotia Awards to count. They performed at Folk On The Rocks in 2022, and we’re so excited to have them back!! They will also be joining Miranda Currie for a performance at the Snow King’s Winter Festival on March 27 as part of our Artist-in-Residence Program.
Nix & Menno – Best friends Nixon Boyd and Menno Versteeg were neighbours in a small town just outside of Ottawa. It was 1997 and 11 year old Nixon was learning guitar and had just met his new neighbour three doors down, 17-year-old Menno. Obsessed with Green Day, John Prine and certain that he knew all of the five chords that exist on guitar, Menno determined he was qualified to be just that teacher. On guitar lesson number two, Nixon showed Menno the actual chords to "Basket Case", blowing Menno's mind, and starting off a musical love affair that has so far spanned almost three decades, thousands of shows in 20+ countries, 10 Top Ten singles and enough ridiculous stories to fill Webster's Encyclopedia of WTF. For now though, they are starting with a 30-40 minute midday set, perfect for people sitting down.
Northern Mosaic Network – Running since 2017, the Performing Arts & Queer Justice Camp is a week-long joint project between Northern Mosaic Network and Folk on the Rocks. The camp hosts an NWT-based artist and an artist from elsewhere in Canada to mentor young artists and share their skills. Youth spend the week talking about social justice issues that impact the 2SLGBTQIPA+ community and write songs, spoken word poetry and performance art, all to perform it at Folk on the Rocks!
Northwords Storytime – NorthWords NWT, is dedicated to supporting and promoting the literary culture of the Northwest Territories. Our mission is to shine a spotlight on the stories and voices from our region, providing a platform for local writers and storytellers to connect with a broader audience. Through our support, we aim to weave the rich narratives of the North into the wider fabric of Canadian literature.
Peekaboo Kazoo – A female-fronted children’s performer from Yellowknife.
Ragged Ass Swing Band – The Ragged Ass Swing Band is a Yellowknife based 18-piece band with a full horn section, dynamic rhythm section & soulful vocalists.
Refrijerater - Refrijerater is a trio formed from the remaining members of legendary band Quantum Haze and is made up of guitarist/lead lyric yeller Duncan Stewart, bassist/keyboardist/backup lyric yeller Joe Curran, and drum whacker Nikhilesh Gohil. The disintegration of Quantum Haze left the three remaingin members without a vocalist. Joe volunteered for the job, but was quickly ejected from the position due to his lack of lyric writing ability. So Duncan assumed the role of lead lyric yeller and writer, Joe meanwhile was relegated to back up lyric yeller, and is not allowed to write lyrics. While taking inspiration from bands like Primus, Tool, King Crimson, and System of a Down, Refrijerater's Music is very jam based, and practices often end in 20+ minute jams.
Ryan McCord – Where the romance of train hopping, the coziness of a Yellowknife shack and the crackle of an old country record on the stereo meet, you have the makings of a Ryan McCord show. Ryan previously played at Folk On The Rocks as part of family-friendly Peekaboo Kazoo. We’re super excited to see his solo performance this year!
Sargeant X Comrade – Yolanda Sargeant is the Queen of Lo-Fi Soul. A genre that she and her producer Comrade (Evgeniy) pioneered after not being able to find an appropriate label that fits their eclectic style. The duo infuses jazz, soul, funk, dancehall, hip-hop, as well as other genres into a unique sound that combines the old with the new. Sargeant’s rich vocals take centre stage while Comrade’s production takes you on a multi-layered, genre-bending journey from beginning to end. Add some high-profile musicians and features in the mix and you have the Sargeant X Comrade rich formula for their own unique brand of music which has earned them multiple awards in 2021 and 2022.
sean beaver – Sean is an independent Indigenous techno/electronic solo artist based in Calgary, Alberta. Originally hailing from the Driftpile Cree Nation in Treaty 8 Territory, he is a multi-award-winning performer whose music features select Pow Wow elements, percussion, and vocal chants throughout a high-energy performance. His sound is a cross between The Chemical Brothers and Richie Hawtin.
Sean Hamilton and the Amber Hour – A songwriter pens his latest in a battered notebook. It’s a love song for his siren; he’s found his muse. Sean Hamilton and the Amber Hour feel like George and Tammy, or maybe Mick and Marianne, an incandescent love that lights dive bars everywhere. Two rhinestone punks on parade, flashing their perfect aesthetics and dazzling earworms. They can perform as a duo with a beat up acoustic guitar, or they go into full flight with their backing band of buds. She’s his muse, he’s her three chords and earnest truths.
Skye Wallace – With a skill in carving melodies and shreddable moments from rock foundations, Skye Wallace is also an expert at proving herself in every room, at every turn. New album Terribly Good, Wallace’s Six Shooter Records debut, is a candid self-own - tender in purpose, yet tough in process. Throughout the collection, listeners are there in the room with a view of the mirror while Skye stares down the harder takes and owns her mistakes.
Taiga Yoga – Taiga Yoga Yellowknife yoga studio will be teaching yoga classes during their sets.
Tanya Snow – Tanya Snow is a writer and singer living in Yellowknife. She is originally from Rankin Inlet. She began throat singing in her late teens and has continued into adulthood. Her day job is marketing for a local organization that supports Indigenous entrepreneurs. Throat singing is typically done between two women. Tanya will perform with musicians, Al Be and Andrea Bettger, improvising instruments and voice to create new sounds.
The Dandy Lions – Based in Yellowknife NWT, The Dandy Lions are a northern Canadian folk music group.
The David Gon Band – David Gon is a singer-songwriter from Behchoko, Northwest Territories whose Tłı̨chǫ identity resonates through his music. Raised on the land as a Tłı̨chǫ Dene in the 1950’s, David was influenced by traditional drumming and dancing from a very young age. Feeling the drum beat, hearing the voices and watching the dancers perform had a great effect on David. His songs explore themes of land, language and David’s experience navigating the white and Dene worlds. David has recorded two full-length albums, Island Miles Away and Look Ahead. Now an elder within the community of Behchoko, David remains a voice of the Tłı̨chǫ.
Thomas Thomas – Calgary indie ensemble Thomas Thomas is the result of the creative collision of singer-songwriter Shannon Thomas and indie-rocker Thomas Englund (Bell Tower, Beta Boys). Combining their names and adding a sparkly rock ensemble, the band makes swooning and nostalgic songs worthy of the swankiest high school prom.
Troublesome 96 – Troublesome 96 is a multifaceted individual with a passion for music and an unyielding drive to make a difference. Born and raised in Zimbabwe, and now living in Yellowknife, Troublesome 96 has spent a lifetime exploring and embracing the diverse facets of the human experience. With a heart full of ambition and a mind filled with dreams, Troublesome 96 looks ahead to the future with boundless optimism. He is driven by a vision to empower, and his journey is a testament to the belief that with determination, compassion, and a thirst for learning, anything is possible
Wyatt C Louis – Walking the line between genres like an easy path rather than a tightrope, carried by textural and ethereal songs lifted up by stunning vocals, Wyatt C. Louis’ debut album Chandler refers to simply their middle name. Louis (they/he), a Plains Cree singer-songwriter born and raised in parts of Treaty Six, lets that amalgamation of place shine through on these tracks, some of which came to life in the quiet and contemplative days of deep pandemic lockdown.
Yellowknives Dene Drummers – The Yellowknives Dene Drummers are from the communities of Ndilo and Dettah, and include all ages. The drummers can be booked for Northern style celebrations, event opening prayer songs and celebration songs, drum dances and hand games demonstrations.