Joel Plaskett is a Canadian rock musician who has been a longtime favourite on campus radio charts throughout the country. He was a member of the Halifax based alternative rock band Thrush Hermit from its founding in 1992 until its breakup in late 1999. Joel was the lead singer and guitar player for the group. He was also the band's primary songwriter. After the breakup of Thrush Hermit, Plaskett embarked on a solo career.
Jack Hody Johnson (born May 18, 1975 in North Shore, Oahu, Hawaii) is a singer-songwriter, accomplished professional surfer and filmmaker who has achieved critical and commercial success and a dedicated following since he first appeared on G. Love & Special Sauce's album Philadelphonic. The release of his 2001 debut album, Brushfire Fairytales further cemented his popularity and he has since released four more successful albums including 2003's On and On, 2005's In Between Dreams, 2008's Sleep Through the Static and 2010's To The Sea.
Drawing on influences from old-time jazz standards, folk balladry and traditional country, Halifax Nova Scotia’s Jill Barber has become one of Canada’s most distinctive young voices. Jill is gaining acclaim and radio play for her new 2008 album " Chances" and her status as a 2008 double-Juno nominee and multiple East Coast Music Award winner for previous releases "For all Time" (2006) and "Oh Heart" (2004).
Traversing a sea of folky-jazz melodies, country ballads, humorous love songs and deeply poetic, classically influenced pieces is Freya Hanly. Freya has established herself in the Australian independent music community as a seasoned performer., having extensively toured WA and the East coast as well as being a regular at some top Australian festivals. Freya has supported and performed alongside such artists as The Indigo Girls, Deborah Conway, Lior, Sarah Storer, Kate Miller-Heidke, The Whitlams, Clare Bowditch, Blue King Brown and Brandi Carlile.
In the past year 18 year old Newcastle based singer/songwriter Beth Jeans Houghton has garnered a reputation as an antidote to the current crop of acoustic songstresses. With her alternative blend of experimental folk, Beth has been hailed by the NME as "a Joni Mitchell for the anti-folk generation". With influences ranging from Frank Zappa, Vashti Bunyan, Fourtet and Love, Beth has cultivated a sound that is truly her own.
John Hiatt (born August 20, 1952 in Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S.) is an American rock guitarist, pianist, singer, and songwriter. He has been nominated for eleven Grammy Awards. John Hiatt's sales have never quite matched his reputation. Hiatt's songs were covered successfully by everyone from Bonnie Raitt, Ronnie Milsap, and Willie Nelson to Iggy Pop, Three Dog Night, and the Neville Brothers, yet it took him 13 years to reach the charts himself.
Dougie MacLean is one of Scotland's finest singers and songwriters, with a rich, heavily-accented voice. He is a multi-instrumentalist (harp, banjo, mandolin, fiddle, didgeridoo, guitar) with a large back catalogue. His first release was in 1983 with the album "Craigie Dhu", although he had already recorded other albums, such as "Snaigow" and "Fiddle", which were not released till much later. He began his career playing with the Tannahill Weavers.
Lissie Maurus (born 1982), known by her stage name Lissie, is an American folk rock artist. She released her debut EP, "Why You Runnin'", in November 2009. Her debut album, Catching a Tiger, was released in June 2010. Lissie is from along the banks of the Mississippi, Rock Island, Illinois.
Why You Runnin' - the Fat Possum released & Bill Reynolds (Band Of Horses) produced - EP released in the US late last year, earned the young singer high praise, with coverage in Bust, Filter, Marie Claire, Nylon, and Under The Radar to name but a few.
She formed the Susan Tedeschi Band in 1994, featuring Tom Hambridge and Adrienne Hayes. In 1995 she began playing guitar and honed her skills and in December the band released Better Days to regional audiences. Record contracts were difficult to keep together; however, recording sessions from 1997 were acquired by Richard Rosenblatt, and the band was signed to Tone-Cool Records and Just Won't Burn was released in February 1998 to rave reviews from blues publications.
Where should I start…these stories, my music, it comes from all the places I’ve been, the people I’ve been blessed to play music along side, the way it feels to play my guitar until it bleeds or to bang on that old piano in my living room until my shoulders ache and my fingers won’t move anymore. From Georgia to New York, New York to the road; Charleston and Memphis, Vermont to Chicago. Turned 21...