Canada House brings the very best Canadian music to UK Americana Music Week 2023
Canada’s official Music Export platform, ‘Canada House’, returns to the UK for two days of music by 12 carefully curated Canadian artists at the UK Americana Music Week 2023, 23-26th January, in London. CIMA (Canadian Independent Music Association) in partnership with Music PEI will be putting down roots at Moth Club in Hackney on the 24/25th of January to showcase the very best in Canadian music. The impressive list of artists includes Tara McLean, William Prince, Andrew Waite and Julian Taylor, to name but four. More about the UK Americana Music Week 2023 and the Canadian contingent follows:
The UK Americana Music Week 2023 – (formerly ‘AmericanaFest UK’), is back in the flesh for the first time since 2020, in its original multi-venue format, for an extra special edition to celebrate its 10th Anniversary. A stroll between Hackney’s best hangout spots, it incorporates a 3-day music festival, conference and awards show, celebrating all things Americana.
A conflation of many different types of pure, American roots-based music, Americana is a fast-growing genre – reflected in the wide variety of original music brought together under its banner (blues, country, gospel, bluegrass, and more) – and Canada House espouses this ideal with a vivid, expansive line up not to be missed.
“CIMA is thrilled to be returning to UK Americana Music Week 2023! This will be CIMA’s fourth year participating, and we’ll be hosting two full nights at the Moth Club! The 12 showcasing artists will get the opportunity to perform in front of Americana buyers and industry in the UK.”
Hosted by CIMA (Canadian Independent Music Association) in partnership with Music PEI, Canada House has an industry-wide reputation for bringing accomplished homegrown talent to music conferences and trade fairs all over the world.
Catherine MacLellan: Photo credit Dave Brosha
Revered for the sterling standard of their acts, Canada House catapults budding musical careers into new territories, providing invaluable opportunities to perform to key players in the international music industry and the wider public – which often leads to further festival appearances, tour supports, press coverage, international management partners, licensing, and of course - signing record deals.
The gilded walls of Hackney’s beloved MOTH Club will provide the backdrop for this crop of the finest Canadian Americana musicians, and this year’s elect will be a mixture of award winning, award nominated, and poker-hot newcomers you can expect to see touring the world very soon:
JAN 24: Shane Pendergast -Tara Maclean - Catherine MacLellan - Lawrence Maxwell - Dylan Menzie - Andrew Waite
JAN 25: Mikhail Laxton – The Hello Darlins - Julian Taylor - Whitehorse - William Prince - Willie Stratton
Get a flavour of all artists on this especially curated Spotify Playlist.
From established JUNO Award* winners, to those making a rumble in their hometown, CIMA is widely respected for nurturing and bringing remarkable Canadian talent to a wider audience worldwide. Former alumni include; Alvvays, Hannah Georgas, Ben Caplan, Arkells, Jenn Grant, Pierre Kwenders, Bad Pop, Madison Violet, Andy Shauf, to name a few – don’t miss 2023’s bountiful harvest!
Meet The Artists:
Lawrence Maxwell With its neo-traditional production, and comparisons to both John Prine and Merle Haggard, Roots Music Canada has dubbed Maxwell’s debut “the first great Canadian alt-country album of 2022.”As an ECMA award nominee and two-time Music P.E.I. award winner, this Prince Edward Island singer-songwriter will tell it to you like it’s folk and sing it to you like it’s country.
Dylan Menzie has been steadily building a catalogue of critically acclaimed, award winning music. A combination of folk, rock and pop elements, Menzies style is best described as Indie Pop Americana. His dynamic vocals and compelling songwriting have given him the opportunity to showcase & tour across Canada and other countries around the world, including performances at Cambridge Folk Festival, Edmonton Folk Festival, Folk Alliance International, Australia Music Week, Breakout West, M for Montreal, AmericanaFest UK and many more.
Tara MacLean has been an internationally renowned and award-winning recording and touring artist for over 25 years. She’s written and recorded six solo albums and two with her band Shaye. A playwright, author, poet and a mother, Tara resides in her home province of PEI. She is preparing to release her first book and a new album,‘Sparrow’ in the spring of 2023.
Catherine MacLellan: A JUNO award winner, CFMA & ECMA songwriter of the year, Maclellan has released 7 albums over the past 20 years while touring around the world. She makes her home in her beloved Canadian province of Prince Edward Island, and much of her music reflects the landscape of the island.
Shane Pendergast: A folk singer from Tracadie Cross, Prince Edward Island. His 2021 album “Second Wind”won Contemporary Roots Album of the Year at the Music PEI Awards. Shane’s connection to Maritime music dates back to the efforts of his great-grandparents, preservers of folklore in P.E.I. Shane is carrying the torch forward with his own songs of Maritime lore and life experiences. Known as an old-school troubadour, “Shane might just become the East Coast’s de facto King of Folk.”(The East).
Andrew Waite
Andrew Waite: Recently winning the ECMA Solo Recording of the Year (2022) and the coveted Music PEI SOCAN Songwriter of the Year (2020), Waite is an act not to be missed. His most recent single “Full Time, Tryin’ 2 Luv”was co-written with Chris Kirby and Colin MacDonald of The Trews. Combining raw sound with electric showmanship, his songs are honest and rugged, making for an unforgettable experience when paired with his dynamic live shows.
Mikhail Laxton: Ottawa-based Australian-born singer/songwriter’s immense talent—already established in hishomeland through appearances on Australia’s version of The Voice—was set to open the next chapter of his life with the acclaimed release of his debut EP, Real, a collection of Soul-folk gems. He’s back with an eponymous album that fulfils the promise of his debut and establishes him as one of the most vital new voices within the Canadian music scene.
William Prince: Since his JUNO Award win in 2017, Prince’s momentum has continued to build, with each new album adding depth and dimension to an exceptional body of work that has received international acclaim. From national network television appearances, top tier media coverage and performances at major international festivals, William Prince has become one of the country’s most respected and celebrated songwriters. William Prince approaches the big questions with humility and curiosity, and his songwriting is a masterclass in skilful simplicity.
Willie Stratton: Halifax-based singer-songwriter, Willie Stratton has been building his name on sonic shape- shifting. On his new album, Stratton seeks synthesis: Drugstore Dreamin’ finds him playing alchemist, melting down the myriad sounds he’s mastered over the years to create singular sonic gold. As Stratton deftly weaves and mixes musical forms, Drugstore Dreamin’s intoxicating concoction brings timeless songwriting to the forefront.
Julian Taylor: Toronto-based, award-winning independent singer-songwriter, radio host, and label owner. Over 20-plus years as the leader of Staggered Crossing, Julian Taylor Band, and his solo work, Julian established himself as one of Canada’s greatest troubadours. His 2020 LP, The Ridge, earned two Juno Award nominations, a pair of Canadian Folk Music Awards, five Native American Music Award nominations, and a nomination for the Polaris Music Prize. Julian's new album, Beyond the Reservoir, builds on the soul-folk sound and autobiographical themes.
The Hello Darlins’: a powerhouse cast of Canada's most in-demand session musicians forging a distinct hybrid of country, gospel, and blues. Their debut album was nominated for three Canadian Folk Awards, debuted at #4 on Euro- Americana Charts and was a feature for ABC Country Music. They are hard at work with an upcoming double album release for 2023.
Whitehorse: As attested by five consecutive JUNO Award nominations in many different genre categories, Whitehorse do a lot of things, and do them well. The prolific partnership of Melissa McClelland and Luke Doucet, Whitehorse’s signature sound is always guitar-heavy, harmony-plentiful and lyrically deft. With an expansive run of records that freely and thrillingly dip in psychedelic country, pop noir, squalling blues rock and celestial folk, Whitehorse have pushed their musical identity into new realms and sounds for over a decade.
On a bitterly cold January night, the RGM team are in London’s Hackney, where I’m pleased to report, despite the multiple issues of recent years, live music is thriving with a wide variety of venues still hanging in there. Moth Club is one such venue, tucked away just off the main street but still, very much, part of the bustling Hackney ambience. The reason for our visit this evening is the first of two nights showcasing some of the very best Americana and Roots music Canada has to offer as part of Americana UK Music Week (that’s Americana Fest to you and me) hosted by CIMA (Canadian Independent Music Association) in partnership with Music PEI. Twelve acts over two days with a good mix of old favourites and new blood, so let’s dig in to Canada House.