Final Wave of Artists Announced for 2023 Festival Lineup

The third wave of the Folk On The Rocks 2023 lineup is here!

We are thrilled to announce the third and final wave of artists that will be playing at Folk On The Rocks on July 14-16, 2023.

Performers in our third wave include Desirée Dawson, OMBIIGIZI, Shred Kelly, Balaklava Blues and Mama’s Broke.

Folk On The Rocks will be releasing the full schedule in the coming weeks, with many opportunities to enjoy music by talented artists from Yellowknife and across Canada.

Tickets are on sale at www.folkontherocks.com/tickets.

Third wave of the lineup for Folk On The Rocks 2023:

Desirée Dawson: Desirée Dawson is a JUNO-nominated recording artist, songwriter, producer and yoga teacher. Desiree is very passionate about music’s role in collective healing by encouraging listeners to find a connection within themselves and the people and land around them. A CBC radio favorite, Desirée's music has been featured on numerous CBC programs, with her songs on regular rotation. She won the CBC Searchlight contest in 2016. Whether performing solo with her baritone ukulele, in harmony with her band or leading sound healing workshops, Desirée’s music is made to get us feeling and healing.

Desirée was a Folk On The Rocks Artist In Residency last November and Yellowknifers fell in love with her heartfelt performances.

OMBIIGIZI: Pronounced om-BEE-ga-ZAY, meaning this is noisy, OMBIIGIZI is a collaboration between Zoon (Daniel Monkman) and Status/Non Status (Adam Sturgeon), Anishnaabe artists who explore their cultural histories through sound. Their music together is a rumination on family, a holistic cleansing, and a celebration with a strong sense of unity and loving support.

Shred Kelly: Shred Kelly is a five piece, alternative folk rock band that emerged from the heart of the Canadian Rockies in 2009. Over the past decade the band has taken its highly energetic live show from humble beginnings on the Canadian ski-town circuit to the international stage. The band’s progressive pairing of acoustic instrumentation with electric counterparts, harmonies, and driving rhythm, continues to develop and reach new heights. Shred Kelly was a fan favourite at Folk On the Rocks in 2015.

Balaklava Blues: Balaklava Blues are folk-noir trench-fighters on the cultural front of Ukraine's battle for democracy and freedom. Timely and emotional, their multimedia live show builds empathy and understanding when we need it most and speaks to universal themes of identity crisis, displacement and oppression through deeply personal and specific Ukrainian experiences and music. The band includes members of the Lemon Bucket Orkestra.

Mama’s Broke: Mama's Broke is a powerful duo that deliver a compelling performance with heart and raw energy. Although highly influenced by their Canadian roots, Lisa and Amy are based out of nowhere and everywhere. Their two strong voices blend to create haunting harmonies, while they artfully juggle fiddle, banjo, guitar and mandolin, and incorporate traditional dance and foot percussion into their performance.

Tea Fannie: Alberta rapper Tea Fannie grew up moving often and ingesting an omnivorous musical diet. The result is her own distinctive hip-hop style that draws on trap, 2000s hits and various Caribbean styles. Flow-wise, she can run from hard-edged (“Kings”) to sing-song and playful (“YWICM”) with ease.

MOOCH: A psychedelic trip that melts down the tree of blues-rooted rock music, MOOCH is a Montreal trio composed of three lead vocalists and multi-instrumentalists Ben Cornel, Julian Iac, and Alex Segreti. The band delivers the timeless expression of rumbling rock n'roll music. Whether showered in a psychedelic light show, under an open sky, or cradled by a curtain of fog, the loud is delivered with razor-sharp precision and an outflow of captivating energy emanating from each member.

The Garrys: The Garrys are a trio of sisters from the coldest part of the landlocked Canadian prairies. Formed in the spring of 2015, The Garrys use layered three-part blood harmonies, hazy sun-bleached melodies, classic lo-fi guitar tones, and syncopated surf beats to create a unique “doom-wop” sound, dripping with dark nostalgia and touched by psychedelic dread.

Karima Essa: A three-time Canadian National Dance champion, Karima Essa is a charismatic Bollywood dancer, choreographer and performer. In 2014 and 2015, her love for Bollywood took her to Mumbai as a two-time finalist on Omni TV's reality show, Bollywood Star. Since first showcasing in 2018, she has performed shows and workshops in 250+ schools across BC and Saskatchewan. Karima's new focus is on celebrating that all bodies can dance by bringing the body positivity movement to Bollywood Dance in schools.

Flora and the Fireweeds: Flora and the Fireweeds formed in Yellowknife in 2019 and is made up of Brie O’Keefe (lead vocals), Eva Paul (vocals/percussion), Kate Mansfield (vocals and whistling), Jean-Michel Hivon (bass), James Hodson (guitar) and David Dowe (drums). Their sound is characterized by sweet yet melancholy harmonies and a whimsical folk-style that points out the absurdities of life.

Sunaïra: Sunaïra is the creative audio-visual concept project of non-binary multimedia artist Sami Blanco. Originally from Montréal and currently living in Yellowknife, Sunaïra creates sound worlds and atmospheric environments inspired by the serene land of the North.

Hard.Times with Lady Phyl: Nanaimo-based Hard.Times with Lady Phyl consists of four musicians with a serious passion for rhythm. With backgrounds in jazz (Harvey Paris Quintet), pop (Lovecoast), and progressive metal (The Body Politic), they seek to meld these genres with the vibe of R&B and soul music to create a sound that is truly unique.

Quantum Haze: Quantum Haze is a progressive rock/metal band formed in March 2020 by lead guitarist Alex Ketchum and drummer Nikilesh Gohil. In June 2020 they added bassist/keyboardist Joe Curran and played their first show in Gohils basement. Later, in October of 2020 vocalist Vincent Lumacad and rhythm guitarist Duncan Stewart joined the band completing the lineup. Influences range from hard rock of the 70s like Led Zeppelin, to modern progressive metal and bands like Gojira.

Bush League DJ’s: Bush League DJ’s cut their teeth on vinyl back in 2006 in their hometown of Yellowknife. Armed with a box of house records and a love for the music, they taught themselves how to mix and introduced the Yellowknife scene to the sounds of electronic music. Their eclectic sound spans many genres and styles of music including house, techno, breaks, funk, glitch-hop, D&B, and all things in between.

Jenna Blanchard: Jenna Blanchard is a folk musician hailing from Prince Edward Island. When she's not strumming her guitar, she wears two hats working in Yellowknife as a registered nurse and a program coordinator for the Northern Birthwork Collective. Her music is heavily influenced by her small town roots, her lived experiences, and life working in healthcare resulting in soulful and heartfelt music choices that resonate deeply with audiences.

Peekaboo Kazoo: A female-fronted children’s performer from Yellowknife.

Taiga Yoga: Taiga Yoga Yellowknife yoga studio will be teaching yoga classes during their sets.

Aurora Fiddle Society: The Aurora Fiddle Society promotes fiddling in Yellowknife and throughout the North Slave region.

Northern Mosaic Network: Running since 2017, the Performing Arts & Queer Justice Camp is a week-long joint project between Northern Mosaic Network and Folk on the Rocks. The camp hosts an NWT-based artist and an artist from elsewhere in Canada to mentor young artists and share their skills. Youth spend the week talking about social justice issues that impact the 2SLGBTQIPA+ community and write songs, spoken word poetry and performance art, all to perform it at Folk on the Rocks!

The Complete Lineup for Folk On The Rocks 2023

Broken Social Scene

Serena Ryder

Jasmyn

OMBIIGIZI

Desirée Dawson

Lemon Bucket Orkestra

Shred Kelly

Status/Non-Status

Pantayo

Mama's Broke

Wayfinding

BuenRostro

Megan Nash

Balaklava Blues

The Garrys

Hyaenas

TE KAAHU

La légende de Calamity Jane

Diamond Dino

Tea Fannie

MOOCH

Erica Dee Mah

K-Riz

Hard.times with Lady Phyl

Karima Essa

Flora & The Fireweeds

Brenden MacIntosh

Tanya Snow

Sunaïra

Quantum Haze

JDBS

PARTS

Bush League DJ's

Mariel

Captain Mel

Jenna Blanchard

PRONOIA

Peekaboo Kazoo

Aurora Fiddle Society

Bella Beats

Taiga Yoga

Glam On The Rocks

Northern Mosaic Network

Northern Lights Pow Wow Dancers

Yellowknives Dene Drummers

 

Folk On The Rocks 2023 will be bigger and better than ever, featuring lots of incredible local talent.

Special thanks to Folk On The Rocks’ dedicated title sponsor: Canadian North Airlines.

Further thanks to our dedicated sponsors and funders: 62 Degrees North; 100.1 True North Cabin Radio; CANNOR; Capital Suites; City of Yellowknife; DT Electric; Lawson Lundell; RioTinto Diavik; Media Tenois; NWT Brewing; Government of Northwest Territories Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment, Department of Education Culture and Employment, and Department of Municipal and Community Affairs; Heritage Canada; and NWT Arts Council.

 

MEDIA CONTACT FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, OR INTERVIEW REQUESTS

Agata Gutkowska, Marketing Manager | agata@folkontherocks.com

Carly McFadden, Executive & Artistic Director | carly@folkontherocks.com | 778-990-6257