Artist:HORSEBATH Hometown: Montréal, Québec and Halifax, Nova Scotia Latest Album:Another Farewell (released February 7)
What’s your favorite memory from being on stage?
One of our biggest highlights was definitely opening for Sierra Ferrell at Toronto’s legendary Massey Hall. A few of us are from rural Ontario and grew up going to show’s there, and so to have the opportunity to step on that stage in front of our family and friends was quite special. We are extremely grateful that Sierra trusted us and our music, and it’s a memory we will cherish forever. – Etienne Beausoleil
What other art forms – literature, film, dance, painting, etc. – inform your music?
We love to dance – especially swing and two-step. When we’re jamming and that heartbeat kicks in – the pulse, the groove that drives us – we know we’ve got a tune that’ll pull people onto the dance floor and keep them moving all night. – Daniel Connolly
How often do you hide behind a character in a song or use “you” when it’s actually “me”?
I think it’s easier to use a kind of veil, in a way, when it comes to writing a certain type of song. We often write about our own experiences and it’s always an exposing thing to share. A lot of our songs are quite personal. Maybe we focus on the sadder ones, but I’ve always felt they make for a more relatable story. The “character” can be the way you play or sing it. You can easily picture yourself living through all the same experiences but in another time, era or place. When it’s coming from personal experience, playing with those different imaginary versions we all have inside of us can create an entire mood that becomes the song. – Dagen Mutter
If you didn’t work in music, what would you do instead?
Make films. – DC
We’re all artistic people. It’s hard to say what we would be doing if it weren’t music and this band, but it’s safe to say that we would all be interested in the arts. Some of us have backgrounds in filmmaking and acting, so perhaps we would be involved somehow in the filmmaking industry. – EB
What’s one question you wish interviewers would stop asking you?
What colour we would be. – DM
The meaning of our name. – DC
It’s our best kept secret and only very few people in the world know the true meaning of the name. – EB
Last night, Folk Alliance International presented the International Folk Music Awards on the first evening of their 37th annual conference, held this year in Montréal, Quebec, Canada. The awards show included a variety of recognitions, inductions, and trophies handed out: the Spirit of Folk Awards, Lifetime Achievement Awards, People’s Voice Award, and the Clearwater Award as well as Folk Radio Hall of Fame inductions, The Rising Tide Awards, and the nail-biting and exciting Best of 2024 categories. (Find a full list of winners and recipients below.)
Two-time JUNO Award-winner Rose Cousins and the The Brother Brothers opened the IFMAs with a rendition of Robert Earl Keen’s “Feeling Good Again.” The night’s house band included Cousins, The Brother Brothers (Adam and David Moss), and Dean Drouillard. Cousins returned to the stage with Mary Bragg, together performing the Indigo Girls’ “Galileo,” paying tribute to the iconic lesbian folk duo to mark their Lifetime Achievement Award honor. Black-indigenous-Canadian country singer-songwriter Julian Taylor paid tribute to another Lifetime Achievement recipient, the seminal guitar picker and singer Lesley Riddle, with “Red River Blues.” Le Vent Du Nord closed the show with a live performance nodding to Songlines, an important music magazine that was also recognized with a Lifetime Achievement Award. (Stream the full awards show via FAI’s YouTube channel below.)
In the Best of 2024 categories, Susan Werner walked away with the award for Album of the Year for Halfway to Houston. Song of the Year was awarded to “$20 Bill (for George Floyd),” written by Tom Prasada-Rao and performed by Dan Navarro. Crys Matthews won the Artist of the Year Award, racking up her second IFMA.
Tom Power, host of CBC’s Q and a contributor to the BGS Podcast Network, was awarded a Spirit of Folk Award alongside fellow recipients Quebec’s Innu Nikamu festival, longtime Folk Alliance Region Midwest community builder Annie Capps, and singer, songwriter, and My Black Country author Alice Randall.
Randall shared during her acceptance speech, “In My Black Country, I tell the story of climbing out of the hell of being raped by holding on to the sound of John Prine singing ‘Angel from Montgomery.’ I write about discovering the Joan Baez Ballad Book, a double-album set of English, Irish and Scottish folk songs that became my stepping stones to joy after trauma. I owe my sanity to folk music. … On the new album, country-charting songs were stripped of pop productions that erased Black characters and muted political intent. My songs were restored to their folk roots. My book My Black Country is about the Black folk, including Black folk musicians, who made country, country…”
Tom Power poses with his Spirit of Folk Award backstage at the IFMAs. Photo by Indie Montreal.
Elsewhere in the evening’s stacked run of show, Gina Chavez was awarded the People’s Voice Award and DJs and radio personalities Archie Fisher, MarySue Twohy, Taylor Caffery, Matthew Finch, and Chuck Wentworth were inducted into the Folk Radio Hall of Fame.
The IFMAs once again spotlit the important community-building, tradition-preserving, and progress-advancing creativity of the folk music scene the world over, from artists, songwriters, and storytellers to the industry insiders and professionals who make all of this possible. See the full list of winners (in bold), nominees, and recipients below.
Artist of the Year
Flamy Grant Sarah Jarosz Kaïa Kater Nick Lowe Crys Matthews Allison Russell
Album of the Year
Trail Of Flowers by Sierra Ferrell The Space Between by The Heart Collectors Strange Medicine by Kaïa Kater All My Friends by Aoife O’Donovan Ordinary Elephant by Ordinary Elephant Halfway to Houston by Susan Werner
Song of the Year
“Tenzin Sings with Nightingales,” written by Tenzin Choegyal, performed by Tenzin Choegyal and Michael Askill “Woman Who Pays,” written and performed by Connie Kaldor “How I Long for Peace,” written by Abena Koomson-Davis, Peggy Seeger, and Rhiannon Giddens, performed by Rhiannon Giddens “Ukrainian Now,” written and performed by Tom Paxton “$20 Bill (for George Floyd),” written by Tom Prasada-Rao, performed by Dan Navarro
Lifetime Achievement Awards
Indigo Girls Lesley Riddle Songlines magazine
Julian Taylor performs a tribute to Lesley Riddle at the 2025 IFMAs. Photo by Indie Montreal.
The Clearwater Award
River Roads Festival, presented by Dar Williams, Laudable Productions, the Connecticut River Conservancy
The Spirit of Folk Awards
Tom Power Alice Randall Annie Capps Innu Nikamu festival
The People’s Voice Award
Gina Chavez
The Rising Tide Award
OKAN
Folk Radio Hall of Fame Inductees
Archie Fisher MarySue Twohy Taylor Caffery Matthew Finch (posthumous) Chuck Wentworth (posthumous)
All photos courtesy of Folk Alliance International, shot by Indie Montreal. Lead image: Crys Matthews, L; Alice Randall, R.
This week, our premiere round-up is chock-full of amazing new music. From a Chris Stapleton co-write from bluegrass-meets-country supergroup Wood Box Heroes to a Terry Baucom tribute from bluegrasser Ashby Frank, plus songs from Americana singer-songwriter Jack McKeon, guitarist Yann Falquet, and Asheville’s Holler Choir.
Plus, don’t miss exclusive premieres from banjo magnates Alison Brown and Steve Martin, and a posthumous release from Chick Corea with his friend and collaborator Béla Fleck.
It’s all right here on BGS – and really, You Gotta Hear This!
In Their Words: “‘Cannonball’ is a song I wrote a while back with Chris Stapleton. I was trying to figure out a new way to talk about the ‘love and war/love as war/love is war’ theme and of course, Chris helped to bring that to life so well. I never made a demo, just the voice memo. Hearing Chris’s amazing singing on it could be a daunting thing for lots of artists to get past, but I knew Josh Martin could handle it, so I pitched it to the Heroes for this project. It took a while to sink in with them, but I’m beyond thrilled with the treatment they gave it!” – Barry Bales
Track Credits:
Barry Bales – upright bass, vocals Jenee Fleenor – fiddle, vocals Josh Martin – guitar, vocals Matt Menefee – banjo Seth Taylor – mandolin, vocals
Produced by Wood Box Heroes. Recorded by Brandon Bell at Sound Emporium; Nashville, Tennessee. Mixed by Brandon Bell. Mastered by Eric Conn at Independent Mastering; Nashville, Tennessee.
Ashby Frank, “Knee Deep in Bluegrass”
Artist:Ashby Frank Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee Song: “Knee Deep In Bluegrass” Release Date: March 15, 2024 Label: Mountain Home Music Company
In Their Words: “‘Knee Deep in Bluegrass’ is a tune written and originally recorded by my friend and former Mashville Brigade bandmate, banjo legend Terry Baucom. Sadly, Terry passed away in December. When we recently gathered to start recording my next album, it happened to be the day after his funeral. All of us had Bauc and his wife, Cindy, on our minds. Remembering this song, I messaged Cindy, asking if it would be ok to record a slightly modified version of ‘Knee Deep’ as a tribute to him and she graciously approved. Bauc was performing at the first festival I ever attended in Denton, NC. His style and persona has been an inspiration to me ever since that first meeting. I think Matt Menefee, Travis Anderson, Jim Van Cleve, Seth Taylor, and Tony Creasman really nailed their parts on the tune. I hope our recording brings back fond memories for anyone who knew Terry and will honor him as he so richly deserves.” – Ashby Frank
Jack McKeon, “Last Slice of Heaven”
Artist:Jack McKeon Hometown: Chatham, New York; currently residing in Nashville, Tennessee Song: “Last Slice of Heaven” Album: Talking to Strangers Release Date: June 21, 2024
In Their Words: “I was working at a house in Williamson County, on a stretch of road that is flanked by two separate but equally cookie-cutter developments. Across from this house and squarely in the middle of all this new, was a vacant field, a decrepit barn festering in the corner. At some point that field must have meant food, crops, and a living. Now it seems to only conjure the image of an older person sitting on a potential windfall when they sell out to a developer. But with all that money comes the death of the beautiful things that made that life worth living. My boss noticed me looking at this field and facetiously said, ‘Oh, didn’t you know? These developments all come with their own complimentary field to look at.’ I wrote this song to give a voice to the person I imagined holding on to this ‘Last Slice of Heaven,’ a character at odds with the transformation around him who’s fighting to hold on to his own identity in spite of ‘a world that’s always changing what it means to be the same.'” – Jack McKeon
Track Credits:
Jack McKeon – Guitar/vocal Ashby Frank – Mandolin/harmony vocal Vickie Vaughn – Upright bass/harmony vocal Christian Sedelmyer – Fiddle Justin Moses – Banjo Engineered by Sean Sullivan at the Tractor Shed Goodlettsville, Tennessee. Mastered by Justin Perkins at Mystery Room Mastering.
Video Credit: Brooke Stevens
Yann Falquet, “Courage”
Artist:Yann Falquet Hometown: Brattleboro, Vermont Song: “Courage” Album:Les secrets du ciel Release Date: March 15, 2024 (single); May 3, 2024 (album)
In Their Words: “I moved from Québec to New England a couple of years ago. My instrumental background was compatible with the fiddle styles I encountered here (Appalachian, Irish, Scottish, etc.), but I quickly realized that I had to rethink the way I approached songs. Back in French Canada, traditional singers often perform unaccompanied, and rely heavily on others in the room to participate in the ‘response’ part of call-and-response songs. For this project, I began reframing these songs into a more English or American ‘folk singer’ format, and had a lot of fun coming up with interesting guitar parts in DADGAD tuning. I then collaborated with producer Quinn Bachand and a bunch of fantastic musicians to add extra musical layers to the song.
“‘Courage’ comes from the repertoire of the Voyageur folks who paddled across North America, using songs to keep paddling in rhythm. It tells the story of a young soldier who abandons war for the pursuit of love, knowing well the consequences if he gets caught.” – Yann Falquet
Track Credits:
Yann Falquet – Guitar, voice Julia Friend – Voice Keith Murphy – Pump organ Trent Freeman – Violin Quinn Bachand – Violin, bass pedal
Quinn Bachand – Producer, engineer Charles-Émile Beaudin – Mixing engineer Philip Shaw Bova – Masterin engineer
Holler Choir, “Hamlet Blues”
Artist:Holler Choir Hometown: Asheville, North Carolina Song: “Hamlet Blues” Album:Songs Before They Write Themselves Release Date: January 12, 2024
In Their Words: “I can’t speak to everyone else’s tastes, but for the purpose of songs that I perform and have written, ‘Hamlet Blues’ is my most timeless song. I know this because 10 years after having written it, it’s just now seeing a definitive release, and it feels no less personally relevant than the day I wrote it.
“There’s a very intentional juxtaposition between the carefree energy of the music and the existential crisis portrayed in the lyrics. It’s a cognitive dissonance that I’ve experienced in different settings many times in life, and I chose to channel that energy into this song. There’s a smiling nihilism that can be found at any college bar. Kids drinking to excess, with little regard for what’s happening tomorrow. Seemingly happy people, sitting on a fault line that is long overdue. I wanted to capture the dread that was the humming drone in my head beneath whatever pop song was blaring over the bar speakers at the time. I don’t find this sentiment any less relevant for bars I go into as an adult.” – Clint Roberts
Alison Brown & Steve Martin, “Bluegrass Radio”
Artist:Alison Brown & Steve Martin Hometown: La Jolla, California (Alison); Waco, Texas (Steve) Song: “Bluegrass Radio” Release Date: March 15, 2024 Label: Compass Records
In Their Words: “This little tune brings a ton of joy to me. Alison’s playing is flawless, and my singing is flaw-full.” – Steve Martin
Artist:Chick Corea & Béla Fleck Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee Song: “Remembrance” Album:Remembrance Release Date: May 10, 2024 Label: Béla Fleck Productions (Thirty Tigers)
In Their Words: “’Remembrance’ is one of the last pieces of music Chick ever recorded. It’s just one of those perfect Chick Corea tunes. It sounds to me like a New Orleans funeral march, even though it has a Latin component, like everything he did tended to.” – Béla Fleck
Artist:Malena Cadiz Hometown: Los Angeles, California Song: “Motel Evangeline” Album:Chasing Smoke Release Date: July 16, 2021
In Their Words: “‘Motel Evangeline’ was inspired by a motel on the coast of Quebec, all about loss and memory, about returning alone to a place that was once meaningful to a relationship. The verses touch on that beautiful, arrogant feeling of youth, that maybe these moments can last forever. ‘Wandering stars in the parking lot / All you lose is all you got / Oh we got lots of time.’ The chorus reminisces about swimming way out past the breakers, wishing the other person was still there. For the video the director Audrey McGee and I were inspired by plant masks and the work of Phyllis Galembo. We used dried flowers to create the ‘creature’ and the tulle as an ephemeral character, like memory difficult to grasp and always transforming.” — Malena Cadiz
Artist:Allison Russell Hometown: Montréal, Québec, Canada Song: “By Your Side” (Sade cover) Release Date: January 29, 2021 Label: Fantasy Records
In Their Words: “An endlessly expansive and inclusive song of love — it could be the love between lovers, the love of a parent for a child, the love for an elder who is not long for this world. … It feels like it has always existed and always will — it feels like an expression of our collective unconscious. It comforts me and invokes a melancholy yearning all at once. I was singing this one to my seven-year-old daughter, Ida, like a lullaby. I couldn’t get through it without crying. This pandemic has been devastating for our little ones. I’ve returned to this song almost daily during these hard months. ‘By Your Side’ may have lost the Grammy back in 2001 but it has won the test of time. Sade lights the way for so many of us. I remember how electrified I felt the first time I heard her and saw her on television — a mixed heritage black woman like me — not fitting easily or neatly into any box, transcending them all. A living, breathing Goddess. I sing this in homage and gratitude. I hope to have the privilege of meeting her one day. Sade’s voice gives me strength and hope.” — Allison Russell
Allison Russell is one half of acclaimed roots music duo Birds of Chicago, with her husband JT Nero, and a member of Americana supergroup Our Native Daughters.
Editor’s Note: This episode contains intense and honest descriptions of trauma that may be triggering to some listeners. While there is nothing directly explicit in the content, listener discretion is advised.
Born and raised in Quebec, Allison Russell survived a traumatic childhood, teaching herself various instruments as a way to cope before eventually finding her voice within the Vancouver music scene. On this episode of Harmonics, Russell talks with host Beth Behrs about those traumas, the healing power of music and artistic community, the history of the banjo, the intersectionality of the honest conversations currently being had in our culture, and much, much more.
In addition to her career with Birds of Chicago, Russell is one quarter of Americana supergroup, the Grammy-nominated Our Native Daughters, with Rhiannon Giddens, Amythyst Kiah, and Leyla McCalla, and is preparing to release her first solo album. She and JT Nero live in Nashville with their daughter.
In Their Words: “‘Yodel Bleu’ is a song about using yodeling to cure the blues! It tells the story of this girl who’s so down that the only thing that brings her joy is yodeling when she’s all by herself. And who could blame her? Because let’s face it, it’s hard to be blue when you’re yodeling. Maybe what we all need right now is a good dose of yodel therapy. Isn’t there an old saying that says ‘You can’t yodel in a minor key’? The song is also a tribute to the great Jimmie Rodgers and his classic ‘Blue Yodel’ song series.” — Catherine-Audrey Lachapelle and Léandre Joly-Pelletier, Veranda
Photo credit: Kevin Beaulieu
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