Monica Walsh is an actor, writer, producer and singer. She has appeared in over 20 films, 15 theatre productions, and teaches theatre regularly. Monica is artistic director of Kanutu Theatre, which she founded in 2011 to produce an annual festival of Anton Chekhov’s comedies (2011-2014) She holds a BA in English Drama/ Russian Literature from Memorial University, as well as a diploma in Performance and Communications Media. In 2015, Monica founded “Scene, and Blurred” an open mic performance series for writers, actors and performance artists. These open mics have taken her on the road to Ontario, Alberta and Quebec. Monica has been published in the Newfoundland Quarterly and The Newfoundland Herald, and in 2017 she wrote and starred in the film Lamenting Pluto, soon to be screened at select film festivals.
Mick Davis is a Canadian singer-songwriter & founder of The Novaks. A twenty-five year veteran of performing, record-making, & touring, Mick’s music trek boasts of alliances with Steve Van Zandt & opening dates with KISS. Mick is the recipient of numerous MusicNL & ECMA awards. He lives in St. John’s, NL.
Mick’s solo outfit, Thin Love, features singer-songwriter Jill Porter, bassist Craig Follett (The Once), and percussionist Allan Brake (Ennis Sisters). They are the recipients of MusicNL’s Rock Artist of the Year Award, 2018.
The band’s latest album, Garbage Street, arrives May 2024.
Since releasing his debut album Ballads in 2010, Matthew Byrne has established himself as one of Canada’s foremost traditional singers. His rich and powerful vocals, refined guitar style, and compelling interpretations of unique traditional songs have made him a favourite of folk audiences at home in Newfoundland and abroad. After a long hiatus from the studio and the road, Byrne releases his 4th studio album, Stealing Time. This project brought Byrne to Yellow Arch Studios in Sheffield, UK, where he teamed up with folk legend Martin Simpson as producer. The album features instrumentation from some of the finest musicians on the English folk scene, including Nancy Kerr, Andy Cutting, and Liz Hanks.
Native de Terre-Neuve, Mary Barry est une auteure-compositrice-interprète bilingue qui a remporté plusieurs prix. Avec plus de trente ans d’expérience de scène, elle a chanté dans plusieurs salles de spectacles et festivals à travers le Canada et à l’étranger.De Victoria à Paris en passant par Magnolia Springs en Alabama et l’Allemagne, elle a emballé les auditoires avec son mélange unique de jazz, folk et « chanson ».Son esprit vif, son humour et son cœur grand ouvert savent toujours tourner les petits moments imprévus en moments mémorables.Mary Barry sera en spectacle le 12, 13 juillet avec Andrew Dale à la basse et Charlie Barfoot à la guitare.
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A native of St. John’s, Mary Barry is a multiple award-winning singer, composer and teacher. She is a multilingual artist with a diverse educational and work history that comprises more than three decades of performing and teaching workshops in music, theatre and storytelling festivals, conferences, international symposia and as a visiting artist in the schools. From Victoria to Paris via Magnolia Springs, Alabama, she has been thrilling audiences with her unique blend of jazz, folk, and ‘chanson’, along with endearing stories, personal anecdotes and spontaneous moments that lift audiences with humour and a genuine sense of open heartedness.In September, 2017 Mary Barry was inducted into the Wreckhouse Jazz & Blues Hall of Fame. In addition to being a multiple Music Music NL and NL Arts & Letters award winner, she took first prize in the CBC Atlantic Song Contest and is a three-time ECMA Nominee.
Mary Barry will be performing on July 12 & 13 with Andrew Dale on bass and Charlie Barfoot on guitar.
Maryna Krut is the world’s first soul bandurist artist, which combines incredible vocals with the traditional Ukrainian folk instrument, the bandura.
Maryna was a finalist in the national selection for Eurovision in 2020 and 2023, and also a finalist in TV shows such as The Voice and X-Factor. She has performed at a variety of events, from official receptions such as the Edinburgh International Culture Summit, to bomb shelters to uplift Ukrainian citizens, hospitals, and frontline cities to support Ukrainian soldiers by playing traditional Ukrainian folk songs.
When Matt Andersen steps on stage, he brings a lifetime of music to every note he plays. His latest album, The Hammer & The Rose, is a veritable garden of heart; a (mostly) delicate collection of tender folk and stirring soul numbers that find the New Brunswick-born songwriter thoughtfully tending to the most important things in life. Andersen’s stage presence is informed by decades of cutting his teeth in dusty clubs, dim-lit bars, and grand theatres all over the world, delivering moving performances that run the gamut from intimate to wall-shaking. In the studio, he’s always brought the same attention to detail and commitment to craft as he has to his live show, and the result – a multi-faceted and poignant body of work – has led him to amass over 33 million streams on Spotify and 30 million views on YouTube.
In addition to headlining major festivals, clubs and theatres throughout North America, Europe, and Australia, he has shared the stage and toured with Marcus King, Beth Hart, Marty Stuart, Greg Allman, Tedeschi Trucks Band, Randy Bachman, Serena Ryder, Tab Benoit, and more.
Andersen nabbed the 2013 and 2016 European Blues Awards for Best Solo/Acoustic Act, was the first ever Canadian to take home top honours in the solo category at the 2010 International Blues Challenge in Memphis, won the CIMA Road Gold award in 2015, and has won multiple Maple Blues Awards. Matt Andersen & The Big Bottle of Joy was nominated for a Juno Award in 2024.
Mark Bragg doesn’t need much of an introduction in his home town of St. John’s, Newfoundland, where he’s as much a music establishment himself as say, Fred’s Records or The Ship Pub. His Newfoundland fanbase has been long drawn to the tragic-hero protagonists he sings about, and the wild-eyed persona that takes the stage to sing them.
But after seeing Bragg play live for the first time, we might wonder which kind of oddball inhabits the character on stage in front of us: is it the harmless socks-with sandals sort of madcap, or the locked in the trunk of a car variety?
Violinist and fiddler Maria Cherwick enjoys a diverse career, from symphony orchestras, to touring internationally with her Ukrainian speed-folk band, The Kubasonics. Twice named MusicNL “Side Musician of the Year” as well as “Celtic/Traditional Artist of the Year”, Maria maintains a busy performing schedule, dividing her time between several country, folk and bluegrass bands, and is highly sought after as a session musician.
In the winter of 2023, Maria assembled her band Jockey Special, a “supergroup” of some of Newfoundland’s finest musicians, including Duane Andrews (Swinging Belles), Aaron Collis (Rum Ragged/Dardanelles), Josh Ward (Hey Rosetta!), Andrew Dale (The Once) and Darren Browne (The Burning Hell/Kubasonics). Combining elements of Newfoundland, Ukrainian, and classical music with Maria’s original tunes, Jockey Special gathered to record their self-titled album live off the floor. The unparalleled level of musicianship in this group brings a fresh and unique sound to traditional music!