Did Don Ross invent math rock? The similarities between Don’s early work and a popular new(ish) genre Don Ross is a veteran guitarist and musician with a career spanning more than 35 years. And his earlier work reveals an interesting approach to fingerstyle guitar playing that new listeners may…

Album Review: Donovan Woods – Squander Your Gifts Donovan Woods' newest EP, Squander Your Gifts, invites listeners into moments of grief and reflection. The five-song collection, released on Feb. 27, spans 16 minutes but carries an emotional weight that lasts beyond its runtime. The EP is about…

5 take-aways from Folk+ for artists navigating today’s music industry For emerging artists, the job no longer ends with writing songs, but extends to marketing, touring and building a local audience.  At this year’s Folk+ plus conference, hosted by Folk Alliance International, industry…

Trailblazing Indigenous cellist Cris Derksen has died Like many of you, we here at Roots Music Canada are devastated by the news that trailblazing Indigenous cellist and composer Cris Derksen has died at the age of 45 after a motor vehicle collision Saturday in northern Alberta, reportedly after…

Remembering pioneering Canadian reggae artist Ernie Smith Music lovers everywhere lost a good friend with the departure last month of Glenroy Anthony Michael Archangelo Smith. He was an internationally famous and widely beloved Jamaican Canadian artist who excelled as both a singer and a…

Hello, Summer Sundays: the Ottawa Tennis Club’s 2026 music series launches this weekend Last Monday marked the launch celebration for a new summer tradition for the Ottawa Tennis Club. Starting May 17, the club will host Summer Sundays, a weekly concert initiative led by Paul Sutcliffe.  Paul said…

Roots Round Up: this week’s news from the Canadian roots scene (and beyond) THE TRAGICALLY HIP MARK FINAL TOUR ANNIVERSARY WITH LIVE ALBUM It's hard to believe that it's been a decade since The Tragically Hip embarked on their final cross-country tour, a truly landmark event in Canadian cultural…

Lily Frost expresses hope for humanity on latest single ‘More Love’ On her new single "More Love," Toronto's Lily Frost continues to display her musical versatility with a song that gets to the core of how many of us are feeling about the current state of the world. Over a hypnotic sonic backdrop,…

BistroFest brings free local music to Ottawa this summer and encourages people to discover new acts A new summer concert series is set to bring local music to one of Ottawa’s busiest outdoor spaces. BistroFest, a free outdoor concert series running on select Saturdays from May 16 to Sept. 5, will…

CBMA winner Ollee Owens announces new album with producer Colin Linden, plus tour dates Ollee Owens is having a year. The Calgary-based blues and Americana artist has taken home the inaugural Canadian Blues Music Award for Emerging Blues Artist or Group of the Year – recognizing her album Nowhere…

Collingwood’s Shjaane Glover Earns Honourable Mention At International Songwriters Day Song Contest With “Effervescence” Southern Ontario singer-songwriter Shjaane Glover has earned an Honourable Mention at the 2026 International Songwriters Day Song Contest for his song “Effervescence.” The…

From artist to MP: David Myles marks one year advocating for Canadian artists on Parliament Hill One year after trading the artist's life for the life of a Parliamentarian, multi-Juno Award-winning musician and MP David Myles is advocating for Canadian artists to be treated less like hobbyists and…

Ottawa Bluesfest emerging showcase act Carson Cameron is recording a live album tonight at Night Oat From performing outside an ice cream store in Carp to opening for a member of the Backstreet Boys, 18-year-old singer-songwriter Carson Cameron is making a name for himself in small Ottawa venues.…

Women in folk shine bright at the first ever Wilding Festival The hills were alive with the sound of music on May 1 in Chelsea, QC. The music came from the first annual The Wilding, an all-woman music festival spearheaded by Ontario folk singer Jessica Pearson. Set at Le Vignoble de Chelsea, The…

Inside Abigail Lapell’s personal journey through motherhood on Shadow Child With Mother’s Day right around the corner, singer-songwriter Abigail Lapell is reflecting on the transformative experience that inspired her newest album, Shadow Child.  The nine-track record traces the emotional and…

Roots Round Up: this week’s news from the Canadian roots scene (and beyond) ASHLEY MACISAAC SUES GOOGLE OVER AI DISINFORMATION Ashley MacIsaac has never denied having a chequered past, but when Google's AI Overview feature falsely described him as a registered sex offender, the Juno Award-winning…

The Pintos are back in the saddle with new cosmic country single “Studio Rain” The Pintos—formerly Matt Paxton & The Pintos—are a Hamilton, Ontario alt-country band that has been gaining international recognition over the past several years for heart-wrenching songwriting, augmented by a…

Album Review: Aysanabee – Timeline EP Aysanabee released his six-track EP, Timelines, on April 10. The four-time Juno Award winner, with only two studio albums, Watin (2023) and Edge of the Earth (2025) is taking a moment to revisit some of his favourite songs, offering a quieter, more intimate…

Toronto Multi-Hyphenate John Lewitt Releases Vibrant New Pop-Rock Anthem “Six Ways to Sunday” Songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist John Lewitt is captures the spirit of optimism with his latest single, “Six Ways to Sunday." The track serves as the cornerstone of his upcoming 11th solo…

These roots were made for walking: checking out Ottawa’s folk walk as part of Jane’s Walk 2026 The Ottawa Folk Walk picked up its feet this weekend after a 12-year standstill. Folk tunes flooded up and down Bank Street on Saturday and Sunday as music lovers sprang from plaque to plaque along the…

Gil’s Hootenanny in Ottawa takes its last bow Gil’s Hootenanny said a bittersweet goodbye Friday night after 17 years spreading songs of hope and protest. The event took place every May Day in memory of Gil Levine, the founding director of research at the Canadian Union of Public Employees. “He…

Why Tanglefoot decided to make a comeback These are turbulent times for Canadians. We are faced with economic threats from our neighbours to the south in the form of tariffs on our products. There are threats to our sovereignty with talk of turning us into a “51st state.” Then there are almost…

Roots Round Up: this week’s news from the Canadian roots scene (and beyond) THE TRAGICALLY HIP, FEIST AMONG 2026 CSHF INDUCTEES The Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame has announced its 2026 inductees, with this year's class headed by The Tragically Hip and Feist. Also being inducted are Loverboy's…

The first ever Wilding Festival will take place this weekend in Chelsea, QC An all-woman music festival is coming to Chelsea, QC, this Saturday, and it's expected to be wild. The Wilding is a music festival that was dreamt up and organized by Jessica Pearson of Jessica Pearson and the East Wind,…

The first ever Wilding Festival will take place this weekend in Chelsea, QC. An all-woman music festival is coming to Chelsea, QC, this Saturday, and it's expected to be wild. The Wilding is a music festival that was dreamt up and organized by Jessica Pearson of Jessica Pearson and the East Wind,…

Jon Mullane releases new EP The Road cowritten with Nashville hitmakers Jon Mullane, a compelling voice in modern rock, pop, and country – has released The Road, a five-song EP in the latter genre produced by Toronto's Creighton Doane. The road that led to The Road ran through Nashville. Jon spent…

Album Review: Mia Kelly – Stand-up woman Mia Kelly, the award-winning singer-songwriter from Gatineau, QC who combines folk and blues styles, recently released two new singles and an EP that featured two new songs. The EP is a small collection of songs from Mia's upcoming album, Big Bime…

Edmonton’s Blue Chair closes its doors The Blue Chair, a venue that has cultivated local and international arts in Edmonton, closed ,its doors on April 26. Sylvia Shank has owned the venue since 2020, when she bought it from Harold Wollin. However, her journey at the Café began when it first…

Check out our video from this weekend’s Ottawa Grassroots Festival Elina Ellis and Simon McKague checked out the festival this past weekend and talked to Irish Millie. They produced this video:

7 shows to check out this month for the Rogue Folk Club’s 39th birthday May is a huge month for the Rogue Folk Club. To begin with, Happy Birthday, guys! The club is 39 years old this year, and yes, we're pretty sure this is, in fact, it's FIRST 39th birthday. Also, the Rogue is holding a…

Recap: Community spirit shines at Ottawa Grassroots Fest open mic The festivities of the Ottawa Grassroots Festival continued into Sunday with its first-ever open mic at the First Unitarian Congregation of Ottawa. Featuring more than 20 performers, the event showcased a mix of long-timers and…

Meredith Moon and Irish Millie wow the crowd at the Ottawa Grassroots Festival A rabbit’s foot hung from her banjo, tied with a baby-pink string. Many believe the amulet brings luck. But Meredith Moon’s talent sang louder than luck ever could.  The Ottawa Grassroots Festival closed its third night…

Alysha Brilla and OK Naledi headline night 2 of the Ottawa Grassroots Festival. Friday Night brought a wave of folk, friends and fun to the First Unitarian Congregation of Ottawa. With Ok Naledi and Alysha Brilla kicking off a jam-packed weekend of performances and workshops for all members of the…

La nuit franco-ontarienne: Opening night at the Ottawa Grassroots Festival Music united folk lovers last night at the 14th annual Ottawa Grassroots Festival.  Eventgoers gathered at the First Unitarian Congregation of Ottawa, a church in Carlingwood, for some Franco-Ontarian folk tunes.  Before…

Roots Round Up: this week’s news from the Canadian roots scene (and beyond) MAMA'S BROKE SHARE NEW SINGLE "HEAVEN" AND CANADIAN TOUR DATES Mama’s Broke — the Nova Scotian duo of Amy Lou Keeler and Lisa Maria — are preparing to follow up their 2022 Juno-nominated sophomore album Narrow Line, and…

Daniel Isaiah’s Western Medicine is the singer-songwriter remedy we all need After previewing his new album Western Medicine with the brilliant singles "Too Far To Run" and "How The Tiger Got Her Stripes," Montreal-based singer-songwriter Daniel Isaiah has released the full 10-song collection -- a…

Don Denaburg releases ‘Beyond Blue’ with Dala’s Sheila Carabine on vocals Toronto singer-songwriter Don Denaburg and his celebrated collective of collaborators release "Beyond Blue”— out now—a quietly powerful new single that speaks directly to anyone who has ever felt alone in their struggle.…

Here’s what to look forward to at the Ottawa Grassroots Festival starting Thursday For fans of local and provincial talent, the Ottawa Grassroots festival kicks off on Thursday and runs through Sunday afternoon at The First Unitarian Convention of Ottawa, 30 Cleary Avenue. The event will be hosted…

Album review: Kyp Harness – Lovely When Kyp Harness sings “You'll never get rid of me,” it might be addressed to the music industry, his listeners, his beloved, or all three. “Rid of Me,” the swaggering rocker that opens his new (and 20th !) album, Lovely, declares from the git-go that he’ll keep…

Untitled Accomplished singer-songwriter Caroline Wiles is releasing her sixth studio album, Just Be You, on April 24 with a release concert on April 28 at Shawn and Ed Brewing Co. in Dundas, ON. Ancaster-based Caroline recorded the album at the famed Grant Street Studio in Hamilton, showcasing her…

How Don Ross used an AI tool to revisit a timeless collaboration, ‘Did I Fool You,’ on his new album Acclaimed Canadian guitarist, composer, and songwriter Don Ross has released his new single, “Did I Fool You,” offering a rare glimpse into a creative partnership that stretches back to his teenage…

Cabin Fever laments the decline of small towns on latest single, video ‘No Back Page’ Following their first single of 2026, "Good Old Days," Canadian bluegrass / alt-country group Cabin Fever has shared "No Back Page," an emotional counterpoint in its depiction of fading small town life. The song…

Roots Round Up: this week’s news from the Canadian roots scene (and beyond) THE ROLLING STONES RETURN WITH BLUESY SINGLE "ROUGH AND TWISTED" When mysterious posters began popping up around London a few weeks ago announcing the return of a band called The Cockroaches, hard core Rolling Stones fans…

JR and the Bad Ox Band has released its new Steve Dawson-produced single ‘Highway Life’ JR and the Bad OX Band, the heartfelt country project of Canadian singer-songwriter John Rewers, has released “Highway Life,” a sun-drenched, rolling ode to the open road and the love that pulls a man home.…

3 more amazing shows to catch before the end of the month at the Rogue Folk Club This is the month to be in Vancouver if you're a fan of Celtic-influenced folk music. The Rogue Folk Club is presenting shows by acts with roots in Scottish, Irish and Newfoundland traditional music. And not just any…

Here’s a look at ACTRA RACS’ campaign for better streaming pay The recording artists’ collecting society, ACTRA RACS, is pushing for changes to Canada’s Copyright Act through a new campaign aimed at forcing streaming services to pay performers fairly. Their campaign Burst Their Bubble calls for…

Tom Coxworth picks his 5 favourite moments from the Canadian Folk Music Awards The host of Folk Routes on Alberta’s CKUA radio has been positively buzzing about this weekend’s Canadian Folk Music Awards events in Calgary. The four-day event featured showcases by an array of big names in Canadian…

Here are your 2026 Canadian Folk Music Award winners The Canadian Folk Music Awards have just wrapped up in Calgary after four days of showcases and concerts, during which a total of 21 awards were handed out. The weekend featured some terrific concerts that included performances by Aysanabee, Ahi…

How 2 Canadian artists have brought more meaning to their music careers through working in prisons Linda McRae set up her equipment in a bare cement room, the kind built for containment, not concerts. Once she was ready, she was escorted to the guard station. Here, she watched as eight men were…

James Hill & Anne Janelle (Champagne Weather) perform tomorrow at the Aurora Cultural Centre James Hill and Anne Janelle, who perform together as Champagne Weather create a world in which music, storytelling, and visual art collide. And their show, Life in Every Sound, is a genre-defying,…