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All the performers at the East Coulee Spring Festival donate their time & talents to help support the Museum.
Thanks!

14th East Coulee Spring Festival 2008

Performer Bios

Afro Cowboyz

The Afro Cowboyz is an exciting mix of talented people that bring many styles and sounds to their live performances. The band was formed by Roger Duncan (percussionist, facilitator and teacher) to feed his passion for creating and performing music with a world beat flavor. Come out and experience the intensity of live drumming and music.
There will be a chance for some members of the audience to participate by joining in trying their hand at drumming with the band.

Visit: www.one-world-drum.com

Amy Bishop

Having collaborated with Moby, opened for Farmer’s Daughter and Chris Cummings, Calgary-based singer-songwriter Amy Bishop’s intuitive musical prowess is becoming local legend. An instinctive ability to craft stories into song and deliver them with the sincerity and passion of a best friend makes Amy an undeniable Canadian talent. An evening with Amy Bishop includes fist pounding “ain’t life grand” road songs, smoky-soul train versions of love-gone- wrong ballads and folk-based acoustic numbers that reveal her naked vocal beauty.

Check out her website at: www.amybishop.com

Alexia Melnychuk

Alexia Melnychuk’s Flying Machine deserves to be pushed and promoted and distributed..." "...a delightfully refreshing debut..."

“Alexia Melnychuk has something very much in common with some of Canada’s most influential and inspiring singer songwriters but what tends to set her apart... (are) her beautifully mastered vocals and expertly crafted lyrics."

Colin Lynch of RCatCommunications - 5 star review of Flying Machine

Check out website: www.alexiamelnychuk.com    MySpace: Alexia on MySpace

Alison Demeter

Calgary based singer/songwriter Alison Demeter has an honest, genuine presence on stage. Although Alison's music is rooted in folk, her songs embody a mix of influences including Celtic, pop, country and blues. While performing she is passionate about offering her gifts of a strong, clear voice and her songwriting as a vehicle to bring awareness to social issues, to tell stories that celebrate the lives of ordinary people, and to provide audiences with an engaging, interactive experience.

Check out her website at: www.songs-we-remember.com

Anna Somerville and Marc Ladouceur

Anna Somerville has been a long-time musical collaborator with Marc Ladouceur. Anna is a very original and talented singer-songwriter, and together they play her originals, as well as obscure folk songs, and country and bluegrass duets. Anna was one of the founding members of the very influential Alberta bluegrass band, Lonesome and Then Some, along with David Ward, of CKUA fame. Marc Ladouceur plays in a bluegrass band, Down to the Wood, as well as being a sideman for the likes of Andrea House, Karla Anderson, Jessica Heine, the Swiftys, and Bob Jahrig.

Bill Werthmann

Singer/songwriter, drummer, promoter...

Living and working out of Edmonton Alberta, Bill’s work in the folk/roots music community has been recognized and appreciated by many. His eastern Canadian roots are evident in his performance whether playing one of his own compositions or a song by one of his favorite writers from around the globe.

His delivery is passionate, his words meaningful and his voice and his message strong.

Bill usually plays solo but has been known to team up with other players along the way.

Bob Jahrig

An Edmonton based singer/songwriter, Bob Jahrig has been involved in the Alberta music scene for a number of years. His debut CD, "Tree Tops", was released in 2002 and produced by local musician producer Shannon Johnson. "Tree Tops" received critical acclaim and extensive airplay on CKUA and CBC. It was chosen by a panel of CKUA announcers as one of the top 20 recordings of 2002. Bob has been a concert performer at folk venues across Alberta and teaches songwriting to youths as an instructor at Youthwrite, a summer camp run by the Writer’s Guild of Alberta and recently as a writer in residence at elementary schools. In addition to folk venues in Edmonton, Calgary and outlying areas, Bob performed at the Edmonton Folk Festival in 2003 and had one of his songs scored by the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra in 2004. He has opened for such musical luminaries as Ian Tyson, Tim O’Brien and Bill Bourne. Bob’s songwriting reveals his love of language, melody and a search for beauty in the human spirit and the natural world. His unique guitar style and unforgettable voice complement a poetic lyricism. His inspiration comes from family, his hobby as an amateur astronomer and the wilderness he experienced growing up in northern Ontario and Alaska. Bob is currently working on his second CD, "Colour of the Moon", produced by local musician/producer Mike Lent which will be released early in 2008.

Check out his website at: www.bobjahrig.ca

Broken Smoke

"There in history in the making for this band. For the last 15 years George has appeared in Gleichen to play for the Precoius Cargo Mission. He brings his stage for a free Jam session, this is always a wonderful time to catch up with some local musicians, and some wonderful friends . Kyle the Lead Guitar player is George's son; with the support of his family, and some very close friends this boy taught himself how to play. Steve the Bass player is very talented musician, he enjoys playing, and he can sing. Broken Smoke has been attending a Family Pig roast in B.C. for the Last 5 years they bring the equipment and have such fun with the whole town. Last year was the first time for Broken Smoke to play at the Spring Fest. This year they have asked Lou to Play drums for them. As they had such a great time last year. Truly hoping that each year brings success to the Spring Fest in East Coulee."

Val (a big of fan Broken Smoke)

Starland Sadie (Carol Gogol and Friends)

Starland Sadie presents an eclectic mix of folk/roots, country rock, blues, pop jazz, and band originals, with Carol and Lorrie taking turns on lead vocals, harmonies, acoustic guitar and bass. Paul backs it all up on piano. The group brings a wealth of musical experience in the Drumheller area. Carol has been a member of such groups as Blues Formation, The Voodoo Dogs, The Great Train Robbery, Slingshot, Prairie Girl and The Valley Fiddlers. Following a stint with Cabin Fever, Lorrie was also part of Prairie Girl. Paul is renowned not only as a solo artist, but recently as a member of Pirates of the Badlands.

So there you have it folks -- Starland Sadie

Come On In My Kitchen

"Come On In My Kitchen" is Ron Rault, Stewart MacDougall and Crawdad Cantera with special guest John Rutherford.

The piano playing and singing MacDougall is a former member of Ian Tyson's Chinook Arch Ryders and k.d. lang's reclines. His songs have been recorded by Tyson, lang, Randy Travis and the Great Western Orchestra. Stew has participated in COIMK shows at the Blue Chair Cafe and Festival Place. He recently participated in the critically acclaime Ian Tyson tribute album The Gift.

Ron Rault has recorded with American blues greats Johnny Shines and Louisiana Red, backed John Lee Hooker and written the hit Jump Up for the Powder Blues Band. Ron's bass playing and singing has been a cornerstone of COIMK for the past three years.

Crawdad Cantera has worked with many American blues artists while a member of the Yardbird Suite house band, and he first added his harp playing and singing to COIMK six years ago.


Come On In My Kitchen……

there’s a reason folks keep coming back for seconds.
Available for folk clubs, festivals and private functions

The Consonant C

The Consonant C
Like grabbing the grisly hand of a Grimm Brother and stepping into the land of Narnia, the music of The Consonant C is at once quirky and whimsical, murky and macabre. With intricate vocal harmonies and unique instrumentation of harp, glockenspiel, ukulele and mouth trumpet, The Consonant C and their latest release Capes and Crowns represent a new era in Calgary folk music.

Official Site: www.myspace.com/theconsonantc

Dana Wylie Band

Dana Wylie’s wit and wisdom continue to dazzle audiences across three continents, and shine through on song after song of her band’s new release, “The Unruly Ones”. Dana’s song-writing and passionate yet precise vocal stylings continue to evolve, as she reveals yet more colours of her musical palette. The past year has seen the Saskatchewan-born singer/songwriter return to her roots, touring extensively in Western Canada for the first time since forming the Dana Wylie Band in Taiwan in 2004, promoting their debut album, “Almost There”.

From Forget, SK to Terrace, BC the band has, as always, been covering great distances. Their 9000 km, twenty-date fall tour of Alberta and British Columbia took them through some spectacular territory and landed them in Edmonton, AB where, with the help of some of the city’s finest musicians (namely Cam Neufeld, Jason Kodie, Mike Sadava, and Scott Cook), they recorded “The Unruly Ones”, their second release on the eponymous Tiny White Girl Records.

Although Dana’s piano playing remains central to the band’s sound, “The Unruly Ones” puts more emphasis on her guitar-based compositions, reflecting the fact that, for a travelling musician, guitar is a much more handy writing tool than piano. On drums, harmonicas, guitar, and vocals, Jeremy Hellard remains Dana’s primary accompanist and partner-in-crime. Nye Parsons, one of the UK’s finest stand-up bassists provides a sublime bottom end to the band’s dynamic sound, giving virtuoso performances with both fingers and bow.

The Dana Wylie Band show no signs of slowing down, and are currently finalizing a summer tour of Western Canada, followed by a fall UK tour, before returning to Taiwan to play a few dates and plan their first tour of Australia and New Zealand.

Check out more on the web at: http://danawylie.net

MySpace: http://myspace.com/danawylieband

Danielle French

Danielle French Shadows

Danielle’s third full-length independent CD, "Shadows", has been described as “beautiful strangeness”. Discovering melodies that are somewhat strange, yet somehow familiar, Danielle cruises through the ether, as well as the underworld, with artists such as Jane Siberry and Tom Waits. "Shadows" features a variety of guest musicians including Martin Tielli (Rheostatics) and it was recently named among CKUA Radio's top 100 albums of 2007.

Danielle has toured relentlessly throughout North America. Career highlights include appearing on the Rita McNeil Show and being invited to perform at Lilith Fair.

Visit: www.daniellefrench.com

Donna Durand

Donna is a singer/songwriter from central Alberta, Canada. She plays a jumbo tak and any other instrument she can coax a sound out of. Her inspiration is drawn from the people she meets and the rich prairie landscape surrounding her. It has been a slow burn but she has finally fallen in love with her roots. She happily performs at concerts, coffee houses and gatherings. She writes songs on commission and also uses music in a therapeutic capacity (for herself and others!).

Visit: http://donnadurand.fuzz.com/

Heather Blush

Heather Blush is a singer/songwriter based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Performing solo or with her trio, her sound can be described as somewhere between the newly-named "Adult Alternative" genre, and old "Ella/Louis-style" vocal jazz/blues. Her voice is often compared to Norah Jones, Maria Muldaur, and Joni Mitchell. With energetic, audience-engaging shows, she is quickly becoming known for lyrics that cover all bases between witty sarcasm and gutwrenching honesty.

Heather’s debut CD, first blush, released in March 2005, was recorded with Juno award-winning producer Dan Donahue (Valdy, Connie Kaldor) of Winnipeg. It has been receiving radio play on CBC, as well as independent and university radio stations across Canada, and as far away as Portugal, Spain, and Serbia.
Since arriving in Calgary in 2003, Heather has made an impression on the Alberta scene. She won the first “Calgary Songwriter’s Mic” contest in 2004, and received a “judges’ discretionary prize” in the Best Song category for the Calgary Folk Festival songwriting contest in 2005. After appearing at the Alberta Sessions in Calgary’s Epcor Centre in March 2006, acting as “house band” on CBC Radio One’s Homestretch in Feb. 2007, and appearing with the likes of Stephen Fearing, Ray Bonneville, and Maria Muldaur, she’s shown that Alberta audiences can’t get enough. With the launch of her sophomore recording “Vice” in 2008, the rest of Canada is about to be taken by storm.

Visit: www.HeatherBlush.com

Jenn Beaupre

"I feel quite strongly that music is one of the most HEALING channels that humans have access to - and the ability to create all by ourselves! I know that I am here to bring me music to the world. So the short of it: I'm a singer/songwriter, age 25. I feel very blessed to share my life with my listeners. My NEW album: "Lullabies for Grown-ups" is READY! Yay! My fav track includes really pretty harp playing by Zeena Parkins (who toured with Bjork). Pick up a copy! "

Jenn

Visit: Jenn Beaupre on MySpace

John Rutherford

Known throughout western Canada for his work with the Ronnie Hayward Trio, No Guff and the Highwater Jug Band, John Rutherford has recently embarked on a new musical journey as a solo artist. Simultaneously contributing to several bands and various collaborative projects Rutherford strikes a balance in his creative output penning a series of highly personal and introspective songs while setting out to perform under his own name for the first time in an extensive and diverse musical career. With songwriting as the driving force behind this direction, Rutherford’s vocal and instrumental approach finds renewed artistic freedom. John Rutherford will release his first solo recording later this year.

John Spearn

John Spearn (var. Spearin) is Canadianafolkrootsceltic. You’ll instantly catch these deep influences threaded through John’s fine vocals, lyrics, and tasteful, guitar-mastered songwriting works. His original, grant-supported "Canada Songs" and "Northern Sightlines" CDs have taken him from sea to sea to sea as a major festival performer, workshop host, and historical curriculum author. The Canada Songs Project has received several award nominations. This is pure Canadiana: forgotten but deserving heroes, the humility in our international image, and a superb range of tender ballads through to raw, foot-stompin’ stories that need to be told. A brand new third CD, "Lonely Heroes" (five years in the making), has just been released.

Visit: www.canadasongs.com

MySpace: www.myspace.com/johnspearn

Lothar The Magician

Born in New Guinea at an early age LOTHAR began his performing career at the age of 9 with the Edmonton Teenage Magic Club and has since gone on to sharpen, hone and improve his style over the years.

LOTHAR’S career has taken him to Jamaica, Edward’s Air Force Base, and all across Western Canada. In fact, his name is a household word in Germany –-- he has relatives there !

He is married with 3 children and lives in Rosebud, AB, where he prepares and delivers his programs to audiences everywhere.

Magnolia Buckskin

Magnolia Buckskin When four bona fide singer/songwriters join forces the outcome is Magnolia Buckskin – an acoustic quartet of sublime voices and refreshing originals that will elevate your soul into the rafters of the nearest saloon. The notorious four are Kathy Cook, Natasha Platt, Emily Triggs and Marti Smith and they bring you bohemian cowgirl, gospel touched folk roots music.

They say she can bend mandolin strings quicker than the Sundance Kid can pull his gun. Calgary music aficionado, Kathy Cook, is a multi instrumentalist (mandolin, guitar, bass, hand drums). Her sultry voice and songwriting abilities have won her praise as a mainstay on the scene who has nowhere to go but onwards on the dusty road of musical mayhem. Inspired by her love of Celtic, folk, roots and country music, Kathy has performed and recorded with a variety of musical artists and groups over the years, including James Keelaghan Trio, Jenny Allen, Ruth Purves-Smith, Tim Williams, Ron Cassat, Ralph Boyd Johnson, Rose Hip, and Wilf Carter to name a few.

She’s busked Europe’s cobblestone streets and has collected instruments from Germany to India. Multi-instrumentalist Natasha Platt can play just about anything she takes a fancy to, including accordion, banjo and piano. She’s been writing songs and performing for many years as a soloist and with several local bands including Bufflehead and the Collective, and is currently burning up local Calgary haunts with the Bitumont Players. She’s known for her powerful vocals, unforgettable melodies and her ability to engage an audience.

Emily Triggs was forced to perform at family gatherings and parties since she was small enough to fit inside a guitar case. This bilingual beauty honed her natural talent in Hemmingford, Quebec, before heading out west to cut her teeth in Cowtown. She’s broken many guitar strings in Calgary bars over the last seven years, as the sweet side of the House Doctors, performing solo gigs or as one of the seraphs in the Fallen Angel Band. Her honest, authentic vocals win fans everywhere she sings her alt country music.

For Marti Smith singing harmony is better than going to church. She threw off the chains of her family’s backwater religion in Ontario in favour of the groove that connects us all. Pound for pound, this little filly’s voice packs a punch. It cuts through the dust like lemon juice, or a bullet ricocheting around a coulee. She has played with the Fallen Angel Band, and backed up the Platts in Bufflehead as well as other local musicians on the trail of the lonesome pine. She’s recorded in the studio with Ralph Boyd-Johnson, Joe Fournier and Deep Field South.

Marty and Lil Siltanen

Marty and Lil Siltanen live in Sherwood Park, AB. They play an easy-going mix of original folk-roots music with stories about home, away, work and play, told with guitar, djembe and vocals. “Their harmonies are beautiful and their arrangements really tasteful” (Tim Chesterton‘s Tale Spin). Marty and Lil have one CD available, “It’s A Long Way To Roam…” and a second in the works. An honest turn of phrase and a heart-felt melody... that's what characterizes their singing and songwriting. Stories seen through plaid-coloured glasses. Red plaid... honest stuff!

Visit: www.siltanen.ca

Plaid Stallions

The Plaid Stallions were found cryogenically frozen in a space pod which was unearthed near East Coulee. They are apparently the only survivors of a distant planet who were jettisoned across space and time in a desperate attempt to save their species. Upon waking, they found that they could communicate musically with the inhabitants of this planet and soon set about trying to spread the gospel of Ballistic Panspermia to anyone who would listen.

Although most people are only able to hear pirate type music, the spiritually attuned listener will clearly discern echoes of cosmic harmony cleverly disguised as drunken gibberish.

Prairie Mountain Fiddlers

Prairie Mountain Fiddlers are a group of people that love to play old-time fiddle music. They bring a wonderful blend of music and love for performing. Many audiences throughout Alberta have enjoyed special moments with the Prairie Mountain Fiddlers. We hope the audience at the East Coulee Spring Festival will add one more to the list.

The Sadlier-Brown

This band is a group of good friends and family of Mark Sadlier-Brown. Mark has been playing is own kind of rootsy, rockabilly, folk and proto jazz music for years. He played with the Alien Rebels for ten years. He also wrote "spur of the moment" songs for the local CBC station in Calgary. He is also presently a member of "The Highwater Jug Band". Dylan has been performing with the "Screamin Jimmys". He will be slapping his big aluminum bass with Bev and Mark. Bev will be keeping the rhythm with her trusty rusty slingerland snare drum. This year we expect to play as a three piece band with Mark, Dylan and Bev. However we might invite a special guest or two from the available talent to throw into the mix.

http://www.myspace.com/sadlierbrownband

Steve Pineo

Steve Pineo is the writer of “Canadian Man” by Paul Brandt and “Too Bad For Me” by Prairie Oyster. He is also a unique and talented performer in his own right. Working as a solo act, with an acoustic trio, with a four piece roots rock band or an 8 piece horn band, Steve’s sound is immediately recognizable. Like Ry Cooder and Mark Knopfler, Steve is a virtuoso guitar player who’s style was originally blues-based but has expanded its palette over the years. Also like Cooder and Knopfler, Steve writes about characters who could be part of a soundtrack in a “slice of life” movie. His flair for sly satire and gentle humour is comparable to John Prine and Ray Davies.

Steve was born in Toronto Ontario, learned guitar at age nine, moved to Calgary in 1978, went to Western Canada High School, took a brief stab at post secondary at U Vic., and then started his musical career. He played solo acoustic gigs at the Kensington Deli Café one night and blues gigs at the King Eddie the next day and was virtually unstoppable at house parties. With a legendary bag of songs, he could sing until sun up without repeating a tune. Although he’s a little older and wiser now, Steve Pineo still pursues his music with a relentless, restless passion and a thirst for truth and inspiration that will continue for the rest of his life.

Visit: http://www.myspace.com/stevepineo

Tim Hus

TIM HUS

Tim Hus has a voice sweeter than a Husqvarna chainsaw, a wit that is sharper than rusty barbed wire, and a list of songs longer than a Saskatchewan fence line! He has released three highly acclaimed albums of outstanding original songs about bootleggers, buckin’ horses, bulldozers and everything that is embraced in the West. Tim is a crowd favorite entertainer who has performed on the mainstage at Canada’s largest festivals: Big Valley Jamboree, Dauphin Coutryfest, and the Calgary Folk Festival. In 2006 Hus represented Alberta at the prestigious Smithsonian Folklife Festival in Washington, DC.

“Tim Hus is well on his way to becoming an Albertan and Canadian institution." Barry Hammond - Penguin Eggs Magazine

Tim’s awesome. He’s one of my favorite Canadian songwriters. Nobody captures the rough-and-ready frontier imagery better than him.” Corb Lund – Juno & CCMA award winning singer/songwriter

"Tim Hus is a Canadian treasure” John McLaughlin - Vancouver Province

“Canada needs more singers like Tim Hus” Stompin’ Tom Connors – Legendary Canadian singer/songwriter

Vist: www.timhus.ca

the TIPPLErs

Jan Krueger weaves his rich melodic stories from the thread of local history and legend, with a folky, roots driven sound that brings it all to life as if it were only yesterday. The band have become true ambassadors for the Drumheller Valley, spreading the word at venues throughout southern Alberta. And the message is: "Dinosaur, Shminosaur! There is a deep seam of warm human history that runs through this valley, one that you can feel and see in these hills of home."

the TIPPLErs are:
Jan Krueger, guitar and vocal;
Alisa Dayman, 2nd guitar and vocal;
David Daly, violin;
and Doug Harvey on accordion.

Original, infectious and powerful.

Vist: the TIPPLErs on MySpace

Tir Na N'Og

Folk that rocks

Tir Na N’og is a Calgary-based folk roots band which takes traditional music and contemporizes it. It also takes contemporary music and folkifies it. Live performances are fun-filled affairs with crowds of Tir na n’oggins grooving to the music..

Tir Na N’og was formed in early 1999 by singer-songwriter Brian Volke.

What is the Tir Na N’og sound?
It is original music spiced with traditional tunes. It is heartfelt traditional music refreshed with original arrangements.

Who makes the Tir Na N’og sound?
Brian Volke fires up the band with vocals, guitar, mandolin and original songs.
R.J. McConnell is the rock, anchoring everything with his bass.
Colin Peters fiddles up a storm and adds harmony vocals.
Brad Uphill is the heartbeat, playing bodhran and percussion.
Christie Simmons, plays whistles, guitar and sings lead and harmony.

Where’s Tir Na N’og been all your life?

The Water Valley Celtic Music Festival, the Rocky Mountain Folk Club, the James Joyce Irish Pub, the Karma Local Arts House, the Big Breakfast, the Hose and Hound, Fionn McCool’s, the Lethbridge Irish Festival, the 4th Street Lilac Festival and the Cochrane Valley Folk Club.

Tir Na N’og’s first CD “Home Again” was released in December 2003.

Visit: www.tirnanogtheband.ca

Willow Creek

A group of dedicated musicians that take to the stage every year at the festival. Always entertaining and special to see as they play the favorites form a time when East Coulee was a whole lot bigger and busier than the town of 2008. Come out and enjoy the fun !

Raisin' Cain

“Raisin’ Cain” plays an eclectic mix of folk music, with influences from singer/songwriter, country, swing, blues, pop and roots music of all types. A typical set includes a mixture of these influences, along with a strong selection of original songs. This exciting musical group likes to keep you guessing when it comes to their musical offerings. You just never know what musical genre they will draw from next, or what fascinating “twist” they’ll use in their arrangements of songs that you know. That’s how they “raise a little cain” with their music!
Raisin' Cain is . . .
Terry Knutson, Rob Miller, Cathy Verdin & Randy Zutter

Visit: www.raisincain.ca

Rob Smith

East Coulee Spring Festival says…“Rob Smith is a superb songwriter who has long been a favorite of Spring Fest audiences. Rob mixes sweet harmonica, passionate vocals, and solid guitar licks in a thoroughly enjoyable fashion.”

The Ruminants

Ahh, the band biography. It's where musicians put down their guitars and drumsticks, and craft a paragraph extolling their amazing talents, while still trying to sound humble. A bio should say, The Ruminants offer a pithy depth to their songs which will have you listening again and again, like a cow chewing its cud. But this bio doesn't. The Ruminants are just three guys who love playing music, whether it's on a porch or a stage. We like beer, a good beat and the badlands. It's why were here. And we'd be happy if you'd listen even once.

Ruth Purvis Smith

Ruth’s childhood rambled the prairie highways between urban and country homes. Her mother, a cultured English teacher, lived in the city, and her father and stepmother operated an antique woolen mill in Rural Alberta. This paradox is apparent in Ruth’s music. While the stories may appear to be simple, traditional country, they are supported by a sound that pulls influence from the city: complicated, restless and sometimes loud. The story of Ruth’s career is no different.

In the fall of ’87, Ruth answered an ad for a “girl country singer” The ad was posted by Frank James, a one man band who played the bass guitar with his toes while playing guitar with his left hand and piano with his right. Frank had appeared on the Johnny Carson Show and That’s Incredible. Wow, the Big Time. Ruth soon discovered however that Frank was nuts. She recalls, “As long as my hair was big enough and my skirt was short enough, Frank would play the songs at their proper tempo. Otherwise it was “Blue Eyes Cryin in the Rain” at 90 miles an hour.

Next came Ruth’s first real band, Rodeo-A-Go-Go. In it’s various incarnations, Rodeo traveled the “B” country circuit throughout rural Alberta. The band was often too far out to be country, but too country to be anything else. This didn’t make for a very long run. By 1989, it was over.

Ruth then joined an Edmonton road band for a while, played the odd solo engagement, and in1993 joined the all girl trio Roadside Turnout . The highlights of their time together include a performance at the Calgary Folk Festival, and the birth of her first child.

The fall of ‘93 marked a break for Ruth, who then focused on raising her young family and writing her own music. Though she was occasionally involved in the writing process over the years, she was fundamentally playing other people’s music. Now, she was writing her own and loving it.

After the birth of her second child in ‘96, Ruth embarked on her solo career - opening at different clubs and events, including a couple of shows for Fred Eaglesmith.

Ruth’s recent endeavors include co-writing and performing the song Big Skies on the compilation Rivers and Rails and the recording of her debut CD “Out in the Storm”.

Sandra Clemons

Born in Lahr, Germany in 1972, Calgary-based singer/songwriter Sandra Clemons developed a love and appreciation for music at an early age. She grew up near her grandparents who first introduced her to German folk music. By the age of two, she was already singing and performing for her family.

Early influences for Sandra range from Abba, Don Henley and Michael Jackson to other 80’s pop music. She progressed through a series of instruments before picking up the guitar at age 15. She has also dabbled with bass guitar and mandolin.

Sandra brings a great deal of experience in the music industry with her, having worked with her previous band, Riddler’s Reason for 6 years. They released a demo in 1997 and a full CD in 1999. When the band dissipated in 2002, Sandra knew that she wanted to make a go of it on her own. “I’m at a point now where I want to get so good that other musicians want to play with me”, she states.

Sandra describes her live show as an eclectic mix of folk, pop and jazz sounds, creating an intimate and entertaining evening similar to a gathering of friends.

Visit: www.sandraclemons.com

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