Meet the musicians

Zeegwon Shilling

Zeegwon Shilling is a 15 year old Anishnawbe (Wasauksing First Nation) singer songwriter, multi-instrumentalist who is just beginning to share his voice with the world. In November 2018 he was captured on camera singing Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah which went viral on Facebook garnering over 100,000 views in 3 days (600k+ in total). Zeegwon recently made his television acting debut as a guest star on the second season of CBC’s The Coroner (One Drum).

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Elyse Saunders

Country music has always felt like home for Elyse Saunders. From the dynamic stages of Toronto to the bright lights of Nashville, the Peterborough, Ontario native has followed a path of steadfast determination and artistic inspiration – regularly captivating crowds with her powerhouse vocals, engaging live show personality, and interactive charm. Elyse has performed at over 350 shows with industry showcases like Canadian Country Music Week, Indie Week, and 2019’s Canadian Music Week with Nice Horse, Kira Isabella, & David James. She also rocked 2019’s Powassan’s Smoke ‘N’ Spurs ahead of Eric Ethridge and The Washboard Union, and opened for Terri Clark and Jason Aldean at Sunfest. On the release side, her 2017 single, “Rise” went Top 20 after Toronto’s DJ Danny D released a dance remix of the song on Z103.5. The single continues to build momentum today with an upcoming television placement at the 2020 Summer Olympics. 

The Wanted

Beautifully blurring the lines between Folk and AltCountry, with that Canadian ‘edge’ and trademarked ‘cool’ that is so difficult to put into words.”* On their new album Strange Flight, The Wanted return with another collection of honest and gritty roots music, infused with a spirit that’s at times darkly haunting, incisively witty, or just plain fun. It’s an approach the Toronto-based group has honed since releasing their self-titled debut album, which has tallied close to a half-million Spotify streams. The Wanted forge a fresh sound by finding common ground in diverse musical influences—reconstructing roots music, one song at a time. This is full-throated, full-throttle swamp Americana, with edgy licks, infectious rhythms and soaring harmonies— a “performance worthy of The Ryman on a steamy Saturday night.”*The Rocking Magpie, UK

Brooklyn Doran

Brooklyn Doran (she/her) is a queer singer-songwriter originally from the heart of Northwestern Ontario, who has been a staple of the Toronto folk scene for over ten years. Doran’s unique sound weaves song and storytelling; the polarity between her music and personality create a harmonious blend of wit and humour contrasted by vulnerable lyricism and haunting melody.

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Sean Pincin

Juno nominee slide-guitar-hero Sean Pinchin is back with eight-song blues tour-de-force:  Bad Things. His 2016 breakthrough album Monkey Brain nabbed him a 2017 Juno Nomination for Blues Album of the Year and cemented his reputation as a guitar player’s guitar player.  The album took his singing to a new level and turned heads his with his best songs yet.  One reviewer's description summed up many people's reaction to Sean's killer brand of modern blues: "track after track built from masterfully infectious riffs with lyrics as smart as one might hear from a top-notch pop songsmith … power, drive and gobs of style.” (Duane Verh, Roots Music Report) 

Ida Benna

Ida Benna is a charming Toronto four-piece band playing original songs featuring a throwback blend of old-time blues sensibilities, deep grooving rhythms and virtuostic guitar chops.Bound by a humble curiousity for collaboration, this quartet finds joy in richly-layered vocal harmonies, meaningful emotional lyrics, and a shared gravity towards introverted kinships.

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Sarah Hiltz

Sarah Hiltz is a contemporary folk artist based in Toronto. Her upcoming album Calm Fury (Spring 2022) is a song cycle created in response to her research into the ways Canadians experience, express and suppress anger in modern society, especially women. Sarah’s last album, Beauty In The Blue, compiled songs and stories culled from her multiple journeys across Canada as a travelling musician on VIARail’s passenger train, “The Canadian”. Beauty in the Blue features lush, nuanced vocals and jazz-influenced song writing.  Sarah has independently released three full-length albums and two EPs since 2009. Her work over the last decade as a talented singer-songwriter has landed her Folk Music Ontario’s Songs From The Heart Award (Political Category), opening slots for Canadian icons Gordon Lightfoot and Ron Hynes, Top 3 placement in a nation-wide music competition (She’s The One), a Best Folk Album nomination (Toronto Independent Music Awards) and earned her an invitation to give a TEDx talk in 2014. 

Hayley Verall

Internationally awarded Burlington country singer/songwriter Hayley Verrall has spent the past couple years etching out a spot in the country music community and opening shows for well known Canadian acts such as Burton Cummings, Dan Hill, Gil Grand, and Ryan Langdon.  She is Burlington's Arts Person of the Year 2018 and the Burlington Performing Arts Centre's 2020 Hall of Fame inductee.  Influenced by roots artists like Shania Twain and Dolly Parton and contemporary artists like Maren Morris and Kacey Musgraves, Hayley's music dives into real life with clear, meaningful lyrics complemented by fun, catchy melodies.  Her debut into the pop country scene, Dance Around It, is a pop country tune which was featured on CBC Country 171 on SiriusXM and continues to be featured where independent country music is being played.  Keep an eye out on your favourite streaming platforms for Hayley's upcoming singles which will not disappoint!

Dirty Dishes

Blending roots, folk-rock, bluegrass, gospel and country music, Dirty Dishes will have you in stitches one minute and reaching for your handkerchief the next. Lisa Olafson, Suzy Wilde and Alison Porter (uke, guitar and fiddle, respectively) come together with extraordinary energy and flair for their unforgettable live show, donning cowboy boots, gingham dresses, big smiles and a whole lotta sass. Whether you catch them on a festival stage or at your Uncle Joe’s kitchen party, you’ll be eager to roll up your sleeves for more Dirty Dishes.

Lindsay Brohan

While weaving in and out of studios, and stepping onto full-sized stages with established artists, the people of Lindsay Brohan never fail to come back together downtown Toronto and play for the home team! The band unearths from a roster of professional industry musicians. Lindsay Brohan entertains on multiple levels with a high-impact spin on top40 pop, rock, hip hop and country. With an ever-growing list of events under the belt, Lindsay Brohan is becoming a household name for client-based entertainment!