For more than a decade, Mama’s Broke, the Canadian duo of Amy Lou Keeler and Lisa Maria, have forged a style carried across landscapes rather than tied to one. Their forthcoming 12-song LP Reunion, out August 28 via Free Dirt Records and Forward Music Group, follows years in near-constant motion, bringing their folk-without-borders approach to small clubs, DIY spaces, and everywhere in between. Winners of the Canadian Folk Music Award for Ensemble of the Year for their 2017 debut Count the Wicked, their music is rooted in long days playing for passing crowds and traveling by foot, as well as in the deep wells of folk lineage they’ve tapped into across Eastern Canada, Appalachia, Ireland, and beyond. Their sound doesn’t belong to any one place so much as it passes through them, grounded in the traditions that shaped it.



That foundation was built long before stages and studio sessions, in traveling communities where music functioned as both currency and connection. The two met within a global network of musicians funding their way through shared songs, carrying only what they could as they traded melodies and stories across the miles. Playing for hours at a time on the street demanded a repertoire that could hold attention and sustain emotion, drawing them deep into traditional material and the discipline of close harmony. Over time, the songs became a common language, connecting what came before with the music they were making together.

Building on their JUNO-nominated album Narrow Line (2022), Reunion reflects a world coming apart in plain sight, tracing fractured communities, the erosion of shared ground, and the growing awareness that the systems we were taught to trust no longer hold or deliver the promises they were meant to keep. The songs don’t preach or prescribe; they reflect, holding up a mirror and leaving space for something else to take shape. 

Recorded just outside Nashville in Goodlettsville, Tennessee, Reunion features subtle contributions from bassist Paul Kowert (Gillian Welch & David Rawlings) and others, adding depth without pulling focus from the record’s acoustic core. At its heart, Mama’s Broke remains what it has always been: two voices, intertwined, both fragile and enduring. Reunion asks what it means to make something that lasts: not a place you’re from, or even a place you return to, but what you make together, and how long it lasts, if you tend to it.

Mama’s Broke are touring their new album in North America and Europe throughout 2026 and 2027.

Photo Credit: Emma Ledgerwood

The ability to write songs that are both modern and ancient is a rare thing. The product of an arcane art of weaving in traditional influences so thoroughly that they become the warp and weft of fresh creations.

The Black Feathers, made up of Ray Hughes and Sian Chandler, are two such talents. They first became aware of the magic between them while collaborating on several musical projects, becoming The Black Feathers and life partners in 2012.

“Once in a blue moon, the whole soars far above the sum of its parts. That’s what happens when The Black Feathers perform live”

- Black Mountain News, North Carolina

Americana, Folk, and Acoustic Indie Rock sensibilities coexist comfortably in their musical world, with Hughes’ guitar work buoying the kind of harmonies often only heard in family bands. Their music quickly draw the interest of listeners, but it is the stage chemistry that will keep them riveted.

Having already built up a loyal following in the UK, The Black Feathers have been spreading their wings across the US. They have performed at Philadelphia Folk Festival, Kate Wolf Music Festival, and AmericanaFest, and have also been awarded official showcases at the International, North East Regional and Far-West Folk Alliance conferences.

 From New Orleans Jazz Fest to Carnegie Hall World Music Series; from Panama Jazz Festival to Tijuana Jazz & Blues Festival, South Africa’s Sharon Katz & The Peace Train thrill presenters and audiences alike with their Afro-Jazz-Rock-Folk fusion of global music and dance. 

After making history in South Africa with their tour aboard The Peace Train, CNN filmed Sharon jumping out of a helicopter to promote Nelson Mandela’s vision of a better life for all. This sparked the band’s international career which has featured performances and workshops on three continents; 10 albums including 5 on the Grammy ballot; starring in the award-winning film, When Voices Meet; and being recorded along with Rubén Blades, Elton John, Tina Turner and Madonna for Sting’s Carnival! album. 

South African musician, music therapist and activist Sharon Katz began her anti-Apartheid work as a teenager. Soon after Nelson Mandela was released from prison, Sharon formed the country’s first, 500 member multicultural choir and band known as The Peace Train. With Mandela’s presidential victory, Sharon Katz & The Peace Train became the country’s first musical ambassadors of the new democracy with tours across Africa, USA, Canada, Middle East, Mexico, and Cuba. 

In the years since, Sharon has continued to perform with The Peace Train band and uses her music to promote humanitarian causes worldwide. She has performed with philharmonic orchestras, community choirs and disenfranchised youth around the world. The award-winning film, When Voices Meet, documents her work and proceeds from her performances have gone toward building a school, supporting an orphanage, and providing meals and after-school mentorship in South Africa. In recent years, Sharon has been working in the border region between Mexico and California with migrant youth, girls rescued from trafficking, and survivors of torture. She has just returned from South Africa where she recorded a new album "Desert Air" released July 14th, featuring the group Afrika Mamas along with her fellow musicians in South Africa and the USA.  

When you think of Canadian music, who are the first contemporary artists that come to

mind?

Is it a globe-touring sextet that, in a single set, can be counted on to stomp through Celtic

reels, traditional Mexican folk, fiddle tunes, New Orleans brass band music, classic pop songcraft, bluegrass, and even a philosophical waltz or two, before bringing it all home with

a Latino/West African singalong?

I didn’t think so.

Is it a fearless, freewheeling band sometimes referred to as the “Los Lobos of Canada,” veterans of an estimated 4,300 shows since the band’s 1992 formation?

What if I told you that this band doesn’t just exist—they flourish, and have been converting full concert halls of indifferent strangers into devoted fans for the last 30 years?

The name of this musical collective is The Paperboys. They are a Canadian treasure.

The heart of The Paperboys is a trio of gifted songwriters and musicians: Founder Tom Landa, a fedora-hatted vocalist/guitarist/bandleader who immigrated from Mexico to Canada in his teens; Kalissa Landa, a lifelong fiddler/vocalist with a preternatural command of melody; and Spirit of the West’s flautist/guitarist/vocalist Geoffrey Kelly, already a

Canadian musical icon when he hopped on the P’boys bus in 1997.

Though by no means a jam band, The Paperboys reinvent their show every time they step onstage. Once the band agrees on the opening song, there is no set list. The song finishes, the crowd reacts, Landa reads the room, and the journey begins. Every night. The world has changed seismically since 1992, but The Paperboys fan base has stuck with the band, and

grown. “It goes beyond perseverance,” Landa says about the band’s legacy, “and into some kind of connectivity and resonance we have with people. We’ve created a community.”

Though best known for their live show, The Paperboys also have another ace up their sleeve:

A deep and impressive discography. The band has released 10 recordings—including the

Juno Award-winning Molinos—receiving accolades from MOJO Magazine and fRoots

Magazine along the way. They’ve been two-time recipients of the West Coast Music Award, composed scores for two films, and been nominated for a Leo Award for best original song in the Hong Kong/Canada film release, Lunch With Charles.

Although perennially adored and praised by alternative media and national radio networks

NPR and CBC, commercial success has eluded the band. Undaunted, The Paperboys have kept in perpetual motion, building a cult following through the impact of its incendiary live show and proud DIY spirit.

Even the pandemic couldn’t silence The Paperboys. Tom and Kalissa maintained a warm connection with their homebound fans by posting their now-legendary Slipper Sessions online, playing gorgeous, stripped-down versions of their repertoire, with their kids and cats sometimes wandering through the margins of the videos.

"There are many ways to define success,” Landa says. “ I get to make music with people I

love, tour and see the world, and connect with people through song. I can hang my hat on that."

When you think of Canadian music, who are the first contemporary artists that come to

mind?

Is it a globe-touring sextet that, in a single set, can be counted on to stomp through Celtic

reels, traditional Mexican folk, fiddle tunes, New Orleans brass band music, classic pop songcraft, bluegrass, and even a philosophical waltz or two, before bringing it all home with

a Latino/West African singalong?

I didn’t think so.

Is it a fearless, freewheeling band sometimes referred to as the “Los Lobos of Canada,” veterans of an estimated 4,300 shows since the band’s 1992 formation?

What if I told you that this band doesn’t just exist—they flourish, and have been converting full concert halls of indifferent strangers into devoted fans for the last 30 years?

The name of this musical collective is The Paperboys. They are a Canadian treasure.

The heart of The Paperboys is a trio of gifted songwriters and musicians: Founder Tom Landa, a fedora-hatted vocalist/guitarist/bandleader who immigrated from Mexico to Canada in his teens; Kalissa Landa, a lifelong fiddler/vocalist with a preternatural command of melody; and Spirit of the West’s flautist/guitarist/vocalist Geoffrey Kelly, already a

Canadian musical icon when he hopped on the P’boys bus in 1997.

Though by no means a jam band, The Paperboys reinvent their show every time they step onstage. Once the band agrees on the opening song, there is no set list. The song finishes, the crowd reacts, Landa reads the room, and the journey begins. Every night. The world has changed seismically since 1992, but The Paperboys fan base has stuck with the band, and

grown. “It goes beyond perseverance,” Landa says about the band’s legacy, “and into some kind of connectivity and resonance we have with people. We’ve created a community.”

Though best known for their live show, The Paperboys also have another ace up their sleeve:

A deep and impressive discography. The band has released 10 recordings—including the

Juno Award-winning Molinos—receiving accolades from MOJO Magazine and fRoots

Magazine along the way. They’ve been two-time recipients of the West Coast Music Award, composed scores for two films, and been nominated for a Leo Award for best original song in the Hong Kong/Canada film release, Lunch With Charles.

Although perennially adored and praised by alternative media and national radio networks

NPR and CBC, commercial success has eluded the band. Undaunted, The Paperboys have kept in perpetual motion, building a cult following through the impact of its incendiary live show and proud DIY spirit.

Even the pandemic couldn’t silence The Paperboys. Tom and Kalissa maintained a warm connection with their homebound fans by posting their now-legendary Slipper Sessions online, playing gorgeous, stripped-down versions of their repertoire, with their kids and cats sometimes wandering through the margins of the videos.

"There are many ways to define success,” Landa says. “ I get to make music with people I

love, tour and see the world, and connect with people through song. I can hang my hat on that."

Jeffrey Martin has been reaching for quiet and stories since he was a kid hiding under the

covers with a Discman. He wrote his way through a writing degree, a teaching degree, and

years of high school English classes filled with unruly brilliance, all while making records and

playing shows whenever he could.

Eventually, he left teaching to follow the same dream he

encouraged his students to chase.

After releasing Thank God We Left the Garden, he recorded

Alive July 25, 2025, a no-edits live album captured in Portland with Sam Weber.

Jeffrey tours

full time now, still missing teaching like an old friend he’ll meet again.

Sam Weber is a Canadian singer-songwriter, guitarist, music producer and recording engineer. His own recorded works and collaborations with Bahamas, Madison Cunningham, and producers Robbie Lackritz and Tyler Chester have yielded millions of streams.

Finding ourselves in music isn’t a new idea, but to her surprise, the ‘Steph’ in Steph & Co, found a whole new corner of the live music world she didn’t know existed, and quickly became eager to find her place in it. Brought in to sing on a song by fellow musicians Jenner Fox and Jeremy Elliot, on their debut duo album ‘The Moon That Moves the Sea’, Steph was inspired by the melodies, lyrics, intentional writing style that they brought as well as the community it brings together. This fascination and inspiration was furthered in getting to tour a bit with the duo, and the, now sometimes trio, definitely felt something spark.

Having always been a songwriter, but mostly performing in cover and tribute acts, Steph knew it was time to take the leap. The idea of Steph & Co was born. Together with Jenner Fox and Jeremy Elliott, songs have been crafted to showcase stories and self reflective lyrics, expressed through powerful vocals, harmonies, and incredible instrumentation. 

Showman and Coole

Super-Deluxe Fiddle, Banjo, and Song

Through twenty years and a couple of thousand shows together in bands such as The Foggy Hogtown Boys and The Lonesome Ace Stringband, John Showman and Chris Coole have developed a deep and instinctual musical bond. Their music lurks in a truly unique space, somewhere on the outskirts of old-time, bluegrass, and folk. The songs of John Hartford, Hank Williams, Dock Boggs, and The Band share space with the fiddle tunes of Eck Robertson and Ed Haley. The duo’s original songs and tunes take in all these vistas and paint something both personal and timely.

They have performed across North America and Europe at festivals such as Merlefest, Rockygrass, Greyfox, Winnipeg Folk Festival, Mariposa, Wintergrass, The Delaware Valley Bluegrass Festival, and The Bluegrass Hall of Fame and Museum. In addition to the five Lonesome Ace albums, John and Chris have released two duo albums - “ Afield” a collection of old-time fiddle tunes, and   “Much Further Out than Inevitable – A Tribute to Some Music of John Hartford.”

“Powerful musicians, playing and singing some powerful music" - Bluegrass Unlimited

"Danceable, poppy, and soulful, it’s old-time that’s modern and timeless, both" - Bluegrass Situation

A John Prine Christmas

Ever wonder what John Prine has to do with Christmas? Ever wished the beloved songwriter had more to do with sleigh bells, eggnog, and Old Saint Nick. Well, in 1994 Prine released his 11th LP titled, “A John Prine Christmas.” The critics didn’t acclaim it much, but with titles such as “Silent Night All Day Long '' and “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus,” it’s still Prine at his lovely wry best, bringing Christmas home. 

We are proud to present “A John Prine Christmas” – a night of your favorite songs featuring folk troubadour and Prine scholar, Jenner Fox, with his all-star band. The evening will weave together Prine’s classic hits, his holiday themed songs, stories, and lots of singing along. Come prepared to laugh and cry and ho ho ho your way through celebrating a true American original. 

The Bellingham, WA based band features piano, electric guitar, bass, acoustic guitar, and rich vocal harmonies. 

Jenner Fox Band

The evening will weave in Jenner Fox’s critically acclaimed originals. Known for his poignant and humorous storytelling, “Jenner combines the lyricism of Joni Mitchell and the commentary of Neil Young to represent the next generation of singer-songwriters” (Grammy-nominated producer Cookie Marenco). The band’s debut LP, Anything, earned high praise: “There’s a quiet magic in the way they play together — in how each instrument listens, breathes, and responds — the soul-stirring, spirit-settling debut is worth savoring from start to finish” (Atwood Magazine). Since 2015, Fox has released ten albums of original music and toured extensively across the country.

A John Prine Christmas

Ever wonder what John Prine has to do with Christmas? Ever wished the beloved songwriter had more to do with sleigh bells, eggnog, and Old Saint Nick. Well, in 1994 Prine released his 11th LP titled, “A John Prine Christmas.” The critics didn’t acclaim it much, but with titles such as “Silent Night All Day Long '' and “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus,” it’s still Prine at his lovely wry best, bringing Christmas home. 

We are proud to present “A John Prine Christmas” – a night of your favorite songs featuring folk troubadour and Prine scholar, Jenner Fox, with his all-star band. The evening will weave together Prine’s classic hits, his holiday themed songs, stories, and lots of singing along. Come prepared to laugh and cry and ho ho ho your way through celebrating a true American original. 

The Bellingham, WA based band features piano, electric guitar, bass, acoustic guitar, and rich vocal harmonies. 

Jenner Fox Band

The evening will weave in Jenner Fox’s critically acclaimed originals. Known for his poignant and humorous storytelling, “Jenner combines the lyricism of Joni Mitchell and the commentary of Neil Young to represent the next generation of singer-songwriters” (Grammy-nominated producer Cookie Marenco). The band’s debut LP, Anything, earned high praise: “There’s a quiet magic in the way they play together — in how each instrument listens, breathes, and responds — the soul-stirring, spirit-settling debut is worth savoring from start to finish” (Atwood Magazine). Since 2015, Fox has released ten albums of original music and toured extensively across the country.