Untitled - Regina Folk Festival

 2015 Regina Folk Festival
Press Kit From August 7 to 9, Victoria Park will come alive with the magic of the 46th Regina
Folk Festival. As always, there will be amazing music on the Mainstage and the free
daytime Sunlit Stages. The 2015 artistic lineup features an incredible blend of musical
styles, cultural influences and, above all, some of the world’s best talent, including:
Vance Joy// // Blue Rodeo // The Sheepdogs
Jenny Lewis // The Blind Boys of Alabama // Bahamas // Basia Bulat
Vox Sambou // Geomungo Factory // Lisa Leblanc // Cécile Doo Kingué
Andy Shauf // Alysha Brilla // Birds of Chicago // The Dead South
Malika Tirolien // Jeffrey Straker // Vaero // Mike Edel
George Leach // Kim Harris // Karpinka Brothers // Charly Hustle
Little Criminals // Steph Cameron // FadaDance // Pile of Bones Brass Band
Colter Wall // Danny Olliver // The Mariachi Ghost // Kirby Wirchenko
Zarqa Narwaz // DJ Baby Daddy // Brothers
The 2015 RFF will also offer free daytime concerts and workshops on 4 stages, a
CHILDREN’S AREA with music, dance & crafts, an ARTS’ MARKET with all sorts of
one-of-a-kind stuff, a DAYTIME BEER GARDEN, the festival ROCK GARDEN, a
FESTIVAL RECORD STORE, and an INTERNATIONAL FOOD COURT.
Info: 757-0308 or www.reginafolkfestival.com
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_________ TICKETS ARE ON SALE NOW! Advance Weekend Passes and Individual Night Tickets are available until sellout!
Advance Weekend Passes are $114 for adults and $103 for students and seniors.
Individual Night Tickets are $60 for Friday and $65 for Saturday and Sunday.
All prices are subject to GST and service fees.
Tickets can be purchased online at REGINAFOLKFESTIVAL.COM
or by phone at 1-866-943-8849
After August 7th, the Regina Folk Festival Box Office will take over ticket sales on the festival
site. The RFF Box Office will be located just south of the cenotaph in Victoria Park.
2015 Regina Folk Festival Artists Vance Joy
vancejoy.com
Vance Joy has an original voice which at first he
kept to himself. Feeding on a diet of The
Pogues, Paul Kelly, and whatever else was playing,
he cut his teeth performing at open mike nights in
Melbourne. Vance Joy proved himself a breakout
artist of 2014 with the song “Riptide” from his
debut full-length album Dream Your Life Away. A
5x-platinum certified, top 10 smash in his native
Australia, the track is certified 2x platinum in
Sweden and Canada 1x Platinum in the USA,
Ireland & Norway; gold in Austria, Germany, New
Zealand and in the United Kingdom. In September
2014 his debut album ‘dream your life away’
debuted at #2 locally, #1 in Australia, #20 in the UK #17 in the USA. The second single from
the album, “Mess Is Mine,” is already gold in Australia and currently ascending the Alternative
radio charts in the USA & Canada.
Blue Rodeo
bluerodeo.com
The definition of a rebel is someone who goes
against the grain. For close to thirty years now,
Blue Rodeo has taken the road less travelled and succeeded far beyond anyone’s
expectations. The band emerged in the early
80’s as a countrified rock band in the era of hair
metal and glossy pop. Despite sticking out like a
sore thumb (or maybe because of it), their single
“Try” became omni-present on radio across
Canada and set in motion a three decade long
career of headlining every club, theatre and
arena in Canada. In 1993, when grunge rock
was squeezing commercial rock off the radio, they recorded their most acoustic album, Five
Days In July, and scored their biggest hit selling over a half million copies of that one record
alone. Ever-evolving, it is a testament to Blue Rodeo’s creativity that the band can endure a
lifetime of challenges and continue to make music that all Canadians can call their own.
The Sheepdogs
thesheepdogs.com
Hailing from Saskatoon, three-time JUNO awarding
winning artists THE SHEEPDOGS’ burst onto the
international scene after beating out thousands of
artists in 2011 to appear on the cover of Rolling
Stone Magazine. Since then, The Sheepdogs have
amassed six JUNO nominations, toured worldwide
and earned Platinum certification for their 2010 LP
Learn and Burn. The Sheepdogs’ latest self-titled LP
produced by Patrick Carney (The Black Keys)
debuted at #1 on the Top 200 SoundScan Chart,
garnering another GOLD record for the band.
Jenny Lewis
jennylewis.com
JThe Los Angeles artist’s first solo LP since 2008’s Acid
Tongue, The Voyager is Lewis’s most deeply personal,
and her most musically robust. Featuring production
work from Ryan Adams, Beck, as well as Lewis and
her longtime collaborator Johnathan Rice, The
Voyager finds Lewis at her sharp-witted best, singing
about her recent life with honesty and incisiveness.
And then there’s her voice, which was already a force
to be reckoned with, but sounds even richer, more
nuanced, more powerful. Lewis says The Voyager was
the hardest album she has ever made, documenting
her struggle to cope following the death of her estranged father in 2010 and the subsequent
break-up of her band, Rilo Kiley.
The Blind Boys of Alabama
www.blindboys.com
Described as ‘James Brown does gospel,’ The Blind
Boys of Alabama are recognized worldwide as true
living legends of Gospel music. Celebrated by both
The Grammy Foundation and the National
Endowment for the Arts with Lifetime Achievement
Awards, inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of
Fame, and winners of five Grammy Awards, they
have attained the highest levels of recognition for a
career that spans over 60 years. The Blind Boys
have made appearances on The Tonight Show, The
Grammy Awards, 60 Minutes, The Colbert Report,
their own PBS special and are the subject of the
2015 documentary film “How Sweet the Sound” –
an intimate portrait of the band shot over the course of 10 years. Recent collaborations have
included Bon Iver, Taj Mahal, and Jamey Johnson and they have worked with artists like Ben
Harper, Tom Waits, John Legend, Marvin Gaye and many others.
Bahamas
bahamasmusic.net
Afie Jurvanen isn’t from the Bahamas. He’s a
Finnish-Canadian from Barrie–a working class
town in rural Ontario. But his chosen epithet is
fitting. Since 2009 he’s been making music under
the name Bahamas–writing songs about sunsets,
love affairs, and making out with crooked smiles.
Through simple arrangements, he charts an
escape route from the snow belt to the coral
reefs. His new album, Bahamas Is Afie, was
released inAugust of 2014 on Brushfire
Records/Universal.
Basia Bulat
basiabulat.com
Basia Bulat is a singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist from
Toronto who has found acclaim for her exuberant live show, soulful
voice and well-crafted songs. Of her 2013 album, Tall Tall Shadow
New Yorker magazine said, "Bulat has a singular voice, with a
confident yet vulnerable tone, and she sings with an impassioned
yearning that suggests the vast wilderness of her homeland." New
York Times said, "… a sound that nods to Fleetwood Mac and the
early Joni Mitchell." Having been twice nominated for a Juno award
and short-listed as many times for the prestigious Polaris Prize, Bulat has shared the stage with
such notable bands as Nick Cave, The Head and the Heart, The National, St Vincent, Beirut,
Tuneyards, Arcade Fire, Andrew Bird, Daniel Lanois and Emmy Lou Harris. She is hard at work
on her 4th album with Jim James (My Morning Jacket) in the producer's chair.
Vox Sambou
voxsambou.bandcamp.com
Vox Sambou comes from Limbé, Haiti. He is a founding
member of Montreal-based hip-hop collective,
Nomadic Massive, with whom he has performed across
Canada as well as in the USA, France, and across the
Caribbean and South America. In 2008, Vox Sambou
authored Lakay, and has released his latest,
Dyasporafriken, in April 2013. His 5-piece band is
comprised of musicians diverse in background and
training. His music focuses on the traditional rhythms of
Haiti mixed with elements of afrobeat, jazz, reggae,
and hip-hop.
Geomungo Factory
facebook.com/geomungofactory
Ready for some Seoul music? Korean tradition defines
Geomungo Factory’s music – but their sonic adventures
create bridges between the 4th and 21st centuries.
The geomungo zither (geomungo is pronounced Komungo) is over a thousand years old, and unlike any other
instrument in the world. It has 16 frets, three moveable
bridges and six silk strings, and to play it you use a bow,
hit them with a short bamboo stick or pluck them. This
instrument is rarely seen or heard, even in the country
where it originates. The sound it makes has been described
as both “deep, muscular, rhythmic and melodic”, as well as “something from another world,
like plucking a big elastic band”. The music and the sounds they evoke are as unique as they
are mesmerizing – a meld of ancient and contemporary, a coming together of the structured
traditional and the near futuristic and experimental.
Lisa Leblanc
lisaleblanc.ca
Lisa LeBlanc (born August 13, 1990 in Rosaireville, New
Brunswick), is an Acadian-Canadian singer-songwriter, known
for her enthusiastic "Trash rock" performances. In March 2012,
she released her eponymous first album most of which was
written from the heart of Rosaireville, in Granby during her
studies at l'École nationale de la chanson. The Acadian, who
composed her first pieces around the age of fourteen, comes
from a family of music lovers. LeBlanc was recognized as an
outstanding guitarist and a promising singer-songwriter when
she won the Festival international de la chanson de Granby in September 2010. This juried
award gave her high visibility within the country's francophone media. She has also played at
the 2011 Coup de cœur francophone, at the FrancoFolies of Montreal and at the Festival d'Été
de Québec.
Cécile Doo Kingué
cdkmusik.com
An exceptional stage presence, guitarist / singer-songwriter,
Cécile Doo-Kingué blends blues, afro-roots and soul to create
a unique sound. Born and raised in New York City, first
generation from Cameroon, she has lived in the USA,
France, and is now an adopted Montrealer. Considered one
of Canada’s most electrifying and versatile guitarists, she has
shared a stage and/or recorded with Montreal Jubilation
Choir, Bernard Purdie, Michael Jerome Brown, Tricia Foster,
Scarlett Jane, United Steel Workers of Montreal, and has
opened for many icons including Manu Dibango, Youssou
N’Dour, Angélique Kidjo and Eric Andersen. Powerful, sexy and raw, Cécile Doo-Kingué’s
lyrics and sound, live or recorded, make for an enthralling and intimate communion.
Andy Shauf
andyshauf.com
Known for honest, self-reflective songs as well as
captivating lyrical works of fiction and an intimate
live show, Andy Shauf is quickly becoming one of the
most intriguing emerging songwriters.
The Bearer of Bad News explores themes of
uncertainty, curiosity and spirituality. The unsettling
stories told on The Bearer of Bad News came as
Shauf wrote both at home and on the road.
Musically, the record took shape in his modest home
studio in Regina, where Shauf spent 4 years
recording each song himself. Bearer is 11 songs built
from the sounds of a weathered piano, the warm
tone of his guitar’s aged strings, and a clarinet. At the heart is Andy’s one-of-a-kind voice and
dark, literate storytelling.
Alysha Brilla
alyshabrilla.com
2015 Juno Nominee and U.K Songwriting Contest
winner Alysha Brilla is a critically acclaimed singer,
songwriter, producer and yoga instructor. She is
Tanzanian-Canadian of the Indian diaspora. Her
second full length album "Womyn" was released Sept
2014 and the title track was CBC Radio Song Of The
Week. She plays guitar, piano and djembe, creating
a unique original soul-folk sound which has been featured on stages internationally. Her band,
The Brilltones, are an eclectic and upbeat ensemble known to have audiences dancing.
WOMYN is the follow up to her Juno Nominated debut album, "In My Head". The music video
for her Swahili-infused song, "Nobody", won the 2013 Ibiza Music Video Festival Fan Choice
Award. Brilla's soulful sound is making waves in Canada, the U.K. and internationally.
Birds of Chicago
birdsofchicago.com
Birds of Chicago is a musical
collective built around husband and
wife duo JT Nero (Chicago, IL) and
Allison Russell (Montreal, QC),
constant vagabonds who tour
internationally 10 months of the year.
Their brand of rock and roll poetry
can be a little hard to categorize, for
people that insist on categorizing.
Their voices are undoubtedly the centrepiece - Nero's fractured country soul croon is wrapped
in Russell's silver and gold tones for a harmony blend that is like nothing else in music today.
Fired by the band it’s a full tilt revival - streamlined poems, deep grooves, sharp hooks and
joyful singing straight from the gut.
The Dead South
thedeadsouth.com
The Dead South is a four-piece acoustic
ensemble based in Regina,
Saskatchewan. With Nate Hilts' 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 Dead South blends elements of folk, bluegrass, classical, and rock which results
in a unique, modern, and authentic blend of boot-stompin' acoustic music.
Malika Tirolien
malikatirolien.com
The talented singer from Guadeloupe, writes,
composes and performs her urban music infused
in afro-Caribbean jazz since 2007. This member
of Montreal’s own Kalmunity Vibe Collective, has
been shinning bright since her explosive
collaboration with Grammy winning band Snarky
Puppy on the album/DVD Family Dinner Vol. 1 in
2013. But she is far from new on the musical
scene. She was the lead singer of Cirque du
soleil LA NOUBA and also collaborated with
international artists such as Lara Fabian or Alain
Jean-Marie. Her voice, described as a “real
revelation” by Montreal’s journal Le Devoir. But
what’s really impressive is the experience you get when you see her live because everywhere
she goes, everyone agrees on one thing: Malika tirolien is indeed walking on a really sunny
road!
Jeffrey Straker
jeffreystraker.com
Singer-songwriter-pianist Jeffery Straker performs over
100 shows per year across Canada. He has recorded
for CBC radio’s ‘Canada Live’, had a music video chart
in the top 10 on Much More Music TV and has toured
internationally as far as Ghana and Peru. His tour stops
range from intimate house concerts to club & theatre
shows and include recent sold-out concerts (capacity
2000) with the Regina Symphony and Saskatoon
Symphony Orchestras. Canadian Musician Magazine
has said, “Very much an artist to watch” while the
Chicago Free Press has written, “Rufus Wainwright, as
well as k.d. lang are among the Canadians making essential and beautiful music. Add the
name Jeffery Straker to that list”.
Vaero
vaero.ca
Fransaskois artist, Veronique Poulin also
known as Vaero, knows of few things she has
not played on stage. The classically trained
violinist/fiddler is accompanied by her
various instruments where she blends the
sounds of atmospheric alt-pop along with
downtempo roots and folk. Having been
pinned as a younger, folkier and Frenchier
Portishead, this singer, songwriter and looper
is also member of the indie rock group,
Young Benjamins.
Mike Edel
mikeedel.com
There’s something about the way Edel
presents personal experiences in a way
that projects universal understandings.
Love and beauty, pain and confusion, the
knowledge that all precious things are
only precious because they can be lost. It
feels a little bit like growing up - like the
moment when everything that felt so
close as a young person is all of a
sudden so far away. It’s the comfort in
finding that you aren’t alone.
George Leach
georgeleach.com
George Leach is an artist in relentless pursuit
of truth. His dedication to songcraft is evident
throughout his career, nowhere more so than
on his latest album, the JUNO award winning
Surrender, out now. The energy level of a
George Leach show can be described as
‘high’, to put it mildly. In concert George
disappears into the moment, chasing the
promise of fleeting transcendence that music
offers and taking us all with him. Don’t miss it
Kim Harris
kimharrismusic.com
Kim Harris’ oceanic voice is vast, and
ever changing. She emits rich colours and
textures with her debut full-length album,
Only The Mighty, released February
2014. Originally from Newfoundland,
this Halifax-based songstress takes
listeners on a symphonic journey inspired
by love, darkness, and particles of light,
that soars through constellations, tumbles
through storm clouds, and plunges into
the underbelly of the sea.
Karpinka Brothers
k-bros.ca
The Karpinka Brothers played their hero Gordon
Lightfoot's Saskatoon show, where Gord asked
their parents, "Are these guys any good at all?" His
fans' hearts were won by their songs that Exclaim
once said "hearken back to the roots of rocknroll,"
along with harmonies and charming banter that
only comes from brothers who are obviously the
best of friends. Often called the K-Bros, they're
known as much for their warm personalities as they
are their music, for playing care home shows as
much as rocking bars.
Charly Hustle
soundcloud.com/charly-hustle
Charly Hustle is an award-winning DJ from Saskatoon, SK. His
style consists of using dexterous skill and creativity to make a
dance party in ANY situation. He's got a penchant for taking
taking left turns and any genre is fair game so long as it makes
people smile and dance. That's the essence of experiencing a
Charly Hustle set...smiling while you're dancing.
Little Criminals
littlecriminals.bandcamp.com
A classically-trained violinist and self-taught
guitar player fell under the summer time
spell of the boreal forest and little criminals
was born. These folk pixies weave together
haunting melodies, dissonance, and
psychedelic accents into tunes that go
down like a dark and stormy. The heartwrenching harmonies and vulnerable
confessions of this duo will make your soul
feel at once rejuvenated and heavy-laden.
FadaDance
fadadance.ca
FadaDance works with great rigor to unleash spunky
and inventive contemporary movement. Together, its
three members: Heather Cameron, Fran Gilboy, and
Misty Wensel, manifest an entirely unique dance that
seeks to rouse its audience and trouble conventional
notions about the spaces, places, and ways that
dance and audience meet. Appealing to a wide
array of individuals, Fada has gathered an evergrowing public within Saskatchewan. This is a company whose work is truly kindled by
community.
Pile of Bones Brass Band
facebook.com/the.pobbb
The Pile of Bones Brass Band plays music in the
spirit of traditional New Orleans jazz and blends
it with a variety of musical styles ranging from
jazz, blues, and world music, to soul, funk, and
R&B. The "Pile" has performed at many local
clubs, pubs, festivals, and events and they have
had the pleasure of sharing the stage with local,
national, and international artists since 2010. In
short, the frontline brass will peel paint off the wall, while the rhythm section is the funkiest of
them all. The groove is created by rocksteady sousaphone bass lines, street-beat drumming,
greasy guitar tones, and raw brass harmonies. Get ready to party like it's Mardi Gras!
Colter Wall
facebook.com/colterwallmusic
Colter Wall is a young Saskatchewan born
songwriter and performing musician.
Steeped in Old Timey material and
traditional Americana, Wall's sound is
comprised of resonate and raw baritone
vocals, Folk and Bluegrass style guitar and
banjo picking, steady kick-drum stomping,
and visually provoking, story telling lyrics.
Wall Draws influence from legends of the past such as Hank Williams, Robert Johnson, Bob
Dylan, Johnny Cash, Townes Van Zandt, and The Band, as well as more modern Americana
pioneers including Shovels and Rope, Jack White, Ray Lamontagne, and Shakey Graves. From
dive bars to fundraiser galas, Colter Wall has a history of leaving audiences in shock at the
maturity of his voice as well as his songwriting.
Danny Olliver
dannyolliver.com
Regina singer/songwriter Danny Olliver got
his start on a three string Yamaha he
discovered in the back alley near his home.
A fast learner, he quickly added three more
strings, and transitioned into writing his own
music. His music tells a story, both in
instrumental melody and in the lyrics.
Complex acoustic guitar accompanies a
smooth, pure voice that seems to effortlessly
reach falsetto or soar into crescendo at all the right times.
The Mariachi Ghost
themariachighost.com
From driving rhythms and soaring
melodies, to brooding synths and dreamy
vocal breaks, The Mariachi Ghost fuses
traditional Mexican song, progressive
rock, and a flair for the dramatic, to
ignite the world of their namesake's
tenuous existence.
Seven musicians interweave diverse
genres and rhythms to create a soundscape that is dramatic, haunting, and explosive. They're
joined on stage by dancer and band-mate Alexandra Garrido, who acts as a conduit of the
music, expertly assuming its auras of sorrow, reflection, and rage. The result is a rich mixture
somewhere between Pink Floyd and a traditional serenata, infused with contemporary dance;
a ballet for the dead.
Kirby Wirchenko
Kirby is in his 8th year as Executive & Artistic Director at
the Broadway Theatre in Saskatoon. His 25 years of
local and national management experience in the private
sector helped navigate the Broadway’s transition from an
art-house theatre on the verge of closure to a thriving arts
and culture centre with a national presence. He and the
Broadway have won numerous awards civically and
provincially in recognition of these changes.
Zarqa Nawaz
zarqanawaz.com
Zarqa Nawaz created the world’s first
sitcom about a Muslim community living in
the west. Little Mosque on the Prairie
premiered to record ratings on the CBC in
2007. It finished airing it’s 91st episode in
2012 after completing 6 seasons and is
now being broadcast to over 60 countries.
The show demystified Islam for millions of
people around the world by explaining
how practicing Muslim live their lives from dating to marriage to burying their dead. And now
Zarqa Nawaz has written her best selling comedic memoir Laughing All the Way to the
Mosque, about growing up as a Canadian of Muslim faith. In 2005, Zarqa Nawaz made the
ground-breaking documentary Me and the Mosque, for the National Film Board of Canada
about Muslim women’s battle with patriarchy in the mosque which ultimately inspired the
television series.
Steph Cameron
stephcameron.com
Steph Cameron’s music and lifestyle seem
to echo another time and place. Think of
the beatniks in the ’50s, hitchhiking and
hopping freight trains. Think Greenwich
Village circa 1963, and the beginning of
the Dylan-fueled folk explosion, or a late
’60s commune in northern California
perhaps.
In fact, Steph Cameron and her community
of like-minded friends have made their
own time and place, right here, right now.
They have chosen to share music and
ideas around the campfire, or by candlelight within the rural cabins they have built
themselves.
DJ Baby Daddy
facebook.com/retrodjbabydaddy
Who's the DJ that makes them
crazy? That's a sex machine to all
the ladies? Shut your mouth, it's
DJ Baby Daddy!
Brothers
Since 2011, Regina's DJ trio,
Brothers, have been a source of
fresh mixes focusing on
electronic, hip hop and funk;
giving a nod to both new and old
sounds. Known for their fun
energy, they deliver a welcoming
party atmosphere.
RFF 2015 Media Accreditation Form ACCREDITATION: Please complete and submit to Stephanie Boyle (fax: 757-7688, email:
info@reginafolkfestival.com) no later than July 31, 2015. The RFF will review all requests and register
approved media for accreditation. Accredited Media will then be emailed and faxed a sheet detailing the
Festival’s Media Processes.
INTERVIEWS: Media are encouraged to pre-arrange interviews. Please pre-arrange interviews with
Media Liaison Deb Young (email: debrayo@sasktel.net).
RFF MEDIA LIAISON: Media scramble parking is available. Media can check in at the Media Tent at
the Festival site where you will receive your wristband and Media Pass. The Media Liaison is on-site to
ensure that media concerns are addressed and will also assist media in setting up last minute and on-site
interviews with staff and artists. The Media Liaison phone number will be printed on your Media Pass.
Media are not allowed backstage unless accompanied by a RFF Media Liaison. If you plan to speak with
artists or shoot footage backstage, you will need to make arrangements with the Media Liaison.
FOLLOW UP: Please submit copies of coverage produced to info@reginafolkfestival.com
Media Outlet Name
Contact Person
Address
Phone Number
Email
Production Name
Radio
Type
Print
TV
Other: Specify _________
Proposed Publication Date
On site Reporter
Reporter Cell phone:
Camera Person (if applicable)
Coverage Dates
Interview Requests - Regina
Folk Festival Representative
Interview Requests - Artists
(in order of preference)
1.
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2.
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3.
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CONTACT:
Stephanie Boyle, Sponsorship & Communications Coordinator
(306) 757-0308 or info@reginafolkfestival.com