SONGWRITERS, SHAPESHIFTERS & UP AND COMERS: INTERSTELLAR RODEO ANNOUNCES THIS YEAR’S INTERLUDE PERFORMERS WITH STRONG ALBERTA REPRESENTATION.
Interstellar Rodeo announces the 2016 Interludes, over 50% Albertan in origin (and 100% excellent from top to bottom).
The Interlude performers work in, and in between, genres ranging from glammy-country to trippy-spirit-folk to neo-soul and swaggering-rock n’ roll.
This year’s Interludes also draws a direct line to Edmonton’s sister city, Nashville, TN. The gold-dipped outlaw country of Australia’s Henry Wagons makes a return to the stage (his band, Wagons, has been a crowd favourite in years past). Donovan Woods and Calgary’s country newcomer Sykamore also have professional ties to Music City, a testament to the outstanding quality of each artist’s songwriting.
These Interludes also showcase homegrown talent that has received international stamps of approval, with Faith Healer’s Pitchfork-approved psychedelic-folk and Nuela Charles’ mix of pop, jazz, soul and hip-hop, which has impressed the discerning ears at KCRW, LA’s powerhouse radio station.
Joe Nolan, a frequent traveler up and down Alberta Highway #2, returns to the Amphitheatre stage with his raw and emotional songwriting, and finally Calgary’s Copperhead, bringers of “rusty-edged rock,” will make the trip up for their Interstellar debut.
INTERSTELLAR RODEO 2016 INTERLUDE ARTISTS:
DONOVAN WOODS
FAITH HEALER
JOE NOLAN
HENRY WAGONS
SYKAMORE
NUELA CHARLES
COPPERHEAD
SINGLE TICKETS WILL BE ON SALE THURSDAY, MAY 19 @ 10am MT.
Visit www.interstellarrodeo.com for details + purchase.
PERFORMER BIOS:
COPPERHEAD (AB)
Calgary’s Coppherhead is a four-piece band gathering buzz for their blues heart and rock ‘n’ roll soul. Copperhead blazed on to the scene in 2014, winning the Calgary Folk Festival songwriting contest with their blend of dark, throaty Motown, swaggering rock & roll and folk with a rusty edge. The group consists of Liz Stevens (vocals, keys), Kirill Telichev (guitar), Amos Bradley (bass), and Kane Bender (drums). Copperhead released their debut self-titled EP in September 2015.
DONOVAN WOODS (ON)
Donovan Woods is a Juno Award-nominated singer-songwriter from Sarnia, ON with strong Nashville ties (Tim McGraw recorded one of his songs) and big critical acclaim for his most recent album, Hard Settle, Ain’t Troubled. Like with so many songwriters of note, what matters isn’t what you call it, or where it comes from, but the stories you tell, and the voice you use. Whether about big ideas or seemingly minor incidents, broken promises or the promise of romance, Woods’ stories affect listeners deeply.
FAITH HEALER (solo) (AB)
Edmonton’s Faith Healer (Jessica Jalbert) has absorbed a steady diet of psychedelic rock from the 60s and 70s and created a sound soaked in sunsunny trippiness, thunderous fuzz and classic pop harmonies with Cosmic Troubles, her debut LP. Cosmic Troubles has received generous acclaim from major corners including Pitchfork, Stereogum, and Spin. Jalbert will begin recording a follow-up to Cosmic Troubles this fall, looking towards a new album in early 2017.
HENRY WAGONS (AUS)
Australia’s Henry Wagons is a true renaissance man, drawing on a broad-ranging swag of influences, from the bluster of sweaty jumpsuit era Elvis to the somber, drunken malaise of Lee Hazelwood, and from the tenderness of Roy Orbison to the menace of Nick Cave. After many years fronting the floor-fracturing outlaw band Wagons, Henry released his first ever full-length solo album entitled After What I Did Last Night… in 2016.
JOE NOLAN (AB)
While it’s not every day that a songwriter makes it from the shadows of open mic nights to the high wattage, real deal scene, Joe Nolan’s old soul lyrics and striking vocals suggest that the odds of breaking through are in his favour. His most recent album, the WCMA-nominated Tornado (released by Six Shooter Records), showcases Joe’s lyrical style – intense, evocative and gripping.
NUELA CHARLES (AB)
Edmonton’s Nuela Charles released her debut album Aware in late 2012, and it went on to be the very first recipient of the inaugural Edmonton Music Prize in 2013. Saxy and sexy, songs from this debut have found fans at powerhouse radio station KCRW in LA, and have found homes on TV networks across the USA. Be it hip-hop, pop, jazz, R&B or soul, Nuela Charles captures the spirit and confidence of them all.
SYKAMORE (AB)
Calgary’s Sykamore is a brand new face on the country scene, a statement confirmed by her recent nomination for the Canadian Country Music Awards ‘Discovery’ Award and the fact that she now spends half her time in Nashville, TN. Known for her strong songwriting, Sykamore has been grabbing attention with her recent material, which recently netted first prize in the All-Alberta Songwriting Contest.