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!

Maria Cherwick’s career spans from symphony orchestras, to touring internationally with her Ukrainian speed-folk band, The Kubasonics. Originally from the Canadian Prairies, Maria’s studies and career eventually brought her to St. John’s Newfoundland, where she is currently based. She holds a Bachelor of Music from Brandon University and a Masters of Music from Memorial University of Newfoundland, and has performed, toured and held leadership positions with the Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra, National Youth Orchestra of Canada, and National Academy Orchestra.  

Twice named MusicNL “Side Musician of the Year” as well as “Celtic/Traditional Artist of the Year” and “Instrumental 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 2020, Maria published Home From Away, an illustrated book of original fiddle tunes as well as an accompanying CD, and was thrilled to release her first full album in 2024 with her band Jockey Special. With Jockey Special, Maria blends original compositions, traditional fiddle tunes, classical repertoire, and more, creating a unique and modern voice in traditional music.

Madison Mouland is a folk musician from Musgrave Harbour, Notre Dame Bay. In 2022 she graduated from Memorial University School of Music. Although trained in classical music, Madison is a folk musician at heart and typically performs traditional music from the ages. Madison has been singing and playing guitar for many years, and has been involved with Soundbone’s Cultural Ambassador Program, performing for seniors, doing workshops with children, and performing at various venues. She is currently the assistant director of The Soundbone Folksong Choir.

Mackenzie Critch is an 18 year old award winning singer songwriter, from Paradise Newfoundland Canada. Her music has been described as a mix of Adele and Dolly Parton. Mackenzie has been classically trained vocally since she was 6 years old. With a background in classical and contemporary music Mackenzie is a seasoned musician with an extensive amount of awards and accomplishments, some of which include; 2019 Canadian Model and Talent Convention National Singing Competition in Toronto, Ontario where she placed 1st place out of thousands of contestants. 2019 Mount Pearl Frosty Festival Rising Star Award. 2022 Music NL Newfound Talent first place award. Mackenzie has also completed up to grade 8 Royal Conservatory exams. Mackenzie opened up for the world renowned Boney M featuring Liz Mitchel at two sold out shows, in Corner Brook at the Civic Centre and in St. John’s at the Mary Browns Centre. This was an amazing opportunity, where she got to share her talent with thousands of people. Mackenzie is currently working writing her own music and plans to release her first single early 2023.

Born and raised on the East Coast of Canada, fiddler Madeline Carter has always loved being around the music. Having a love for fiddle music, she started lessons at the age of 6 and has
never put the fiddle down since. Originating from the center of the Maritimes in a small town called Aulac, New Brunswick, she has been exposed to multiple genres of music, her favorites being Celtic, Scottish and Irish music.

She is the oldest of 4 children, all girls who followed in her footsteps and play Celtic music as well. Together, they make up The Carter Girls and after performing at festivals, fundraisers, and local events for 5 years, they released their debut album Crossing Borders in August 2020 with the help from studio engineer and friend Tyler Vollrath. Madeline and her love for fiddle music has gotten her the chance to perform at multiple fiddle contests and shows around the country. She was a junior showcase performer at the 2017 Canadian Grand Masters Fiddling Championships and in 2019, she was asked to compete as a contestant in the contest in Abbotsford, British Columbia. She has won multiple contests close to home in the Maritimes of Canada and she has had the chance to open up for performers like The Paul McKenna Band, Cassie and Maggie and Fortunate Ones.

Now living and studying music in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, Madeline is pursuing a career in the Celtic and Trad music scene. She is a regular session player downtown St. John’s and is often at open mics with fellow musician friends. With multiple musical goals in mind, she is driven to become a successful musician and become a well known name in the industry.

A French Canadian singer/songwriter, Louise has just released her debut album. She moved to Newfoundland 14 years ago with the goal to explore the music scene. She has been writing songs and working as an actor for 35 years across the country. She embraced the music scene of Corner Brook, connecting to local musicians and bringing her francophone flavour and style to the stage in cabarets and tributes which have led to a project that has been co-produced by artists from two provinces, Newfoundland and Quebec the Ginger Beard Studio. After being awarded the 2018 & 2020 Arts and Letters award for Senior Original Composition for her original composition Petit Coeur & Il S’en Va, supported by pianist Louis McDonald, she connected with musician and composer Lucie Cauchon of Montreal. They have been collaborating creatively ever since! Lucie and Phil Churchill have co-produced Louise’s debut album “Petit Coeur”. Her album reflects the romantic and story telling musical styling of “la Chanson Francaise”. 

 Les chansons de Louise evoquent !’atmosphère romantique et sensuelle de la “Chanson Française”, avec les influences éphémères et mélancoliques d’Edith Piaf et de Serge Reggiani. Les arrangements musicaux superposés donnent aux chansons une touche plus contemporaine, avec des sons de guitare ambiante comme toile de fond à des progressions de piano intimes. Avec une formation en théâtre et en art clownesque, elle joue avec intention et écrit avec le coeur, partageant des histoires personnelles avec une voix poétique qui tire sur les rêves, révélant un sens profond de l’empathie pour un monde qui a besoin de plus d’amour et d’attention.

Liz Fagan is a multilingual singer/songwriter from St John’s. Their find song ideas in bits of conversations, from the experiences of love and pain, and the complex world of communication. Liz Fagan Band’s debut bilingual EP “Leaning In/Se pencher vers” was released March 22nd.