The Coldsnap team is thrilled to return to Knox Performance Centre this spring to host a special performance by Juno Award-winning artist Wesli, who will bring his captivating blend of Haitian roots music to the stage on April 25, 2025.
That’s a wrap!
Coldsnap 2025 is officially in the books! An enormous thank you to all of our sponsors, artists, staff and volunteers. Planning for 2026 is already in the works!
Lineup
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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. Their original -and often dark- compositions push the boundaries of tradition and the constraints of genre. Drawing from old-time, Quebecois, blues, punk, celtic, balkan and doom metal, they create a soundscape that is both familiar and new.
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John Wort Hannam has been on his folk and roots-fueled troubadour journey for two decades, spinning song writing gold from the chaff of the lives he has encountered and those within his fertile imagination. Twenty-two years in, he shows no sign of slowing down. In fact, he’s gaining both momentum and a wider audience, winning two 2023 Canadian Folk Music Awards for Solo Artist of the Year and Contemporary Album of the Year. Add to this a Juno Award nomination, a Kerrville New Folk Win, a previous Canadian Folk Music Award, and it’s easy to see why audiences and critics alike hear something special in his narrative and lyrically driven songs. Effortlessly mixing rich and clear timbered vocals with lyrics that tug at the heart, his sound is both unique and familiar.
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More than 20 years ago six dynamic solo performers came together to jam at a late-night session during the Celtic Colours International Music Festival… this session was the spark that lit Beòlach.
During the next decade, Beòlach continued to grow artistically through their innovative and exciting arrangements of traditional Cape Breton, Scottish and Irish tunes for fiddle, bagpipes, piano and guitar. The energy they present on stage demonstrates their knowledge of and passion for the traditional music of Ireland, Scotland and Cape Breton. The natural, easy wit and banter they exchange on stage reflects lifelong friendships, a shared sense of fun and years of experience as professional musicians. The band has delighted audiences throughout the world with their original compositions and unique arrangements of traditional tunes and their ability to light the stage on fire with their energy and witty stories. Their versatility as instructors has provided an opportunity for learners to gain knowledge of traditional music and dance as well as insight into the relationship between these traditions that makes this style of music unique.
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From the West Coast of British Columbia, Jocelyn Pettit is a vibrant fiddle player, stepdancer, singer, and composer. With uplifting energy and engaging stage presence, Jocelyn integrates the Celtic and folk traditions of her roots into her music.
With grace and passion, Jocelyn has performed across North America, the U.K., Europe, and Malaysia. She has appeared on CBC and BBC television and radio, and shared the stage with internationally-renowned artists, The Chieftains (Ireland), and Carlos Núñez (Spain). She has released four albums, receiving multiple award nominations at the Canadian Folk Music Awards and Western Canadian Music Awards.
Her duo album with cellist Ellen Gira, All It Brings, won Traditional Album of the Year at the 2024 Canadian Folk Music Awards. Jocelyn has a Master of Music Degree from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, and is the founder of Coast Mountain Folk, celebrating folk and traditional music through community sessions, camps and retreats.
Jocelyn will be joined by renowned guitarist and singer, Andy Hillhouse. Andy has spent many years as a touring guitarist in the field of Celtic music. He is a founder of the Celtic rock band Mad Pudding, and has earned a Juno Award as a member of Edmonton-based group The McDades. As a backing guitarist, he has played with Irish flute player Nuala Kennedy, Canadian fiddle master Pierre Schryer, legendary Bothy Band piper Paddy Keenan, singer-songwriter David Francey, and many other folk luminaries. He has a PhD in Ethnomusicology from the University of Toronto, and is currently Artistic and Executive Director for the Harrison Festival of the Arts.
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The Slocan Ramblers (featured on the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville TN, 2020 IBMA Momentum Band of the Year Award Winner & 2019 Juno Award Nominee) are Canada’s bluegrass band to watch. Rooted in tradition, fearlessly creative and possessing a bold, dynamic sound, The Slocans have become a leading light of today’s acoustic music scene. With a reputation for energetic live shows, impeccable musicianship and an uncanny ability to convert anyone within earshot into a lifelong fan, The Slocans have been winning over audiences from Merlefest to RockyGrass and everywhere in between.
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Hailing from Kelowna, Canada, Under the Rocks has emerged from a city with no other bluegrass acts to become one of Canada’s premier bluegrass bands. Featuring acoustic guitar (Jordan Klassen), fiddle (Chloe Davidson), banjo and mandolin (Chris Baxter), and upright bass (Nils Loewen) the band makes a big sound that tips its cap to tradition while incorporating singer-songwriter music intentionally put together with clever, inventive song arrangements, emotive instrumental breaks and powerful vocal harmony. Their shows commonly feature dancing, laughter, joyful hoots and hollers and serene moments accompanied by tears and tranquil sighs of release or appreciation. They are a heartfelt, talented string quartet that blends uplifting energy with a reflective reverence for the difficulties of reality that marries joy and sorrow and declares “YES”. Yes to all that it means to be alive on this planet, here and now.
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The Hearts deliver unforgettable melodies and moody harmonies that resonate at dive bars, soft seat theatres, and music festivals alike. Their heartfelt Indie-folk/Americana songs are beautifully backlit by dreamy textures and earthy grooves. They’re revered for delivering an exciting live show where they trade, layer, and cohere splendidly - mixing equal parts glitter and grit.
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Based in Calgary/Treaty 7, Miesha and The Spanks are a garage-rock two-piece who turn it all the way up. Shaking the rafters with her radiant range, Miesha Louie simultaneously wails on the mic while she riffs on her flying V, as Sean Hamilton’s performative but hard-as-heck hitting drums also captivate the crowd - revealing their undeniable chemistry on stage. High-energy performances paired with catchy power-pop sing-a-long choruses make them at home on big festival stages as well as sweaty dive bars - and they have played plenty of both!
Whether it’s an all ages punk show or theatre showcase, Miesha and The Spanks command the audiences attention, appealing to their inner angst or nostalgia for a time when their heart’s were on fire.
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Cat Clyde is a singer/songwriter based out of rural Ontario, Canada. A combination of driven, soulful blues and sweet, folk-tinged, dulcet tones that carry a particular sense of familiarity provide the structure on which she creates her unique sound. With influences ranging from Patsy Cline and Lead Belly to Karen Dalton and Bobbie Gentry, this patchwork of musical significance, when stitched to her modern approach, fits like a well-tailored, corduroy-road cloth.
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Wax Mannequin (Christopher Adeney) writes music that veers from scrappy prog oddness to arena rock to modern folk-inflected indie, all with a dark humour that embraces the ridiculous and borders on outright Dadaism. However, beneath the unsettling imagery and musical left turns there is a steady current of inquisition — a constant questioning of life’s inherent strangeness. He has appeared on thousands of venue, gallery and festival stages in Canada, Australia and Europe since 2001 and continues to carve an ever-deepening groove across the modern musical underground.
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With roots in rhythmic traditions around the globe this groove heavy ensemble delivers music that transcends the bounds of tradition, blurring the lines between jazz and folk as they carve out new territory for the marimba at the forefront of the sonic landscape.
Over the past decade and a half, percussionist Robin Layne has steeped himself in rhythmic traditions around the world from Cuba to West Africa to Mexico and beyond. He brings these influences to bear in his compositions that are inspired by his travels. Robin has worked with many of Canada's finest global artists and toured throughout China, Europe, Mexico, USA and Canada. Highlights include Nanjing Jazz Festival, Hildesheim Jazz Festival, Victoria Jazz Fest, Arts Wells Festival, Vancouver Island MusicFest, Salmon Arm Roots and Blues, Vancouver Folk Festival, Vancouver International Jazz Festival.
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Kobo Town returns to stages across North America and Europe to tour their new album Carnival of the Ghosts, where the wit and wordplay that defined the group's previous releases are on full display, accompanied by an everything-soup of infectious Caribbean sounds - where calypso melodies and ska-driven horn hooks collide over heavy reggae and soca bass grooves, all amid an interplay of dirty electric guitars with hints of zouk and son montuno.
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Edmonton indie-pop artist St.Arnaud crafts music that mixes upbeat melodies with reflective themes like death, loss, and self-growth. Gaining a loyal following online, he has toured extensively, captivating audiences with his clever lyrics and unique blend of sardonic humor and raw honesty. His latest work explores themes of self-doubt, love, and the search for joy, all delivered through catchy hooks and thoughtful composition. With stripped-down orchestration and an intimate vibe, St.Arnaud’s music is heartfelt, relatable, and refreshingly genuine.
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The Garrys are a trio of sisters from the coldest part of the landlocked Canadian prairies, and they make surf music.
Formed in the spring of 2015, The Garrys use layered 3-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. Their music is likely to leave you with an urge to do the Watusi, bittersweet thoughts about slow-dancing with your middle school crush, or a nagging feeling that it’s not quite safe to go back into the water.
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4x JUNOS and 5x Canadian Folk Music Awards nominee Ginalina pioneers unique family folk music, eclectic fusion folk music, and beautiful children's books that celebrate family, nature, community, culture, and the connections we share between them. Her songs and stories are respectful and real, warm and winsome, emotive and energizing. Together, and in English, Mandarin, and French, with loved ones, strangers, and friends, we can sing, dance, and experience a creative sort of kindness that this world needs more than ever.
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Grenadian-Canadian Kaia Kater's jazz-fueled voice and deft songcraft have garnered acclaim from NPR’s Tiny Desk, Rolling Stone and The Guardian. Her new album, Strange Medicine (May 2024), celebrates the power of women and oppressed people, while also sharing meditations on her own life. Kaia is equally recognized for her film work, winning a Canadian Screen Award for 'The Porter' (CBC/BET+), and contributing to the new film, My Dead Friend Zoe (March 2024) as a songwriter and singer.
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Sechile Sedare (pronounced seh-chee-le seh-dahr-eh) is a contemporary roots duo featuring sibling songwriters Leela and Jay Gilday. Sechile Sedare means 'my younger brother, my older sister' in the Dene language. This musical collaboration sees Jay and Leela co-write and co-create new repertoire together, harnessing their talents as deeply insightful and genuine storytellers.
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Reckless Burning is a band rooted in a rare alchemy: five distinct and celebrated musicians and songwriters joining forces and drawing inspiration from the stolen, unceded territory of the Lheidli T’enneh in Northern British Columbia. Driven by an impassioned commitment to social justice, this group uses music as both an outlet and an antidote to the wild horrors plaguing the world. Each dedicated to their own craft, together they create and share songs filled with beauty, pain, politics, and love.
Refusing to be defined, labeled, or directed, these friends make music that makes sense of the times.
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Checkdown Charlie pulls heartstrings, not punches. Their melodies make for a good time, while their lyrics paint a picture of community, society, nature, and connection. It’s not all roses. Gritty and cooperative, uncompromising and open-hearted, Checkdown Charlie invites you to get curious and come along.
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Singer songwriter from Gitwangak BC from the Gitxsan nation playing a mix of blues, country and soul music with his own twist on it in a blend of covers and originals
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Aquiles Tarumba is the solo project of Aquiles Pérez Merlos. This project was born in 2019, in the city of Morelia, Michoacán, Mexico. His music is characterized by having a sound with warm and embracing melodies and harmonies, fearlessly going from folk to jazz; from alternative rock to pop.
Aquiles Tarumba has a long musical career and has worked on many projects, the most notable being Expedición Humboldt, a band that he founded and with which he has played in many venues, festivals and cities across Mexico, such as the Marvin Festival, the Lunario del Auditorio Nacional, the Youth Week in CDMX, SofarSounds, among others.
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Kate Pike and the Loose Boots are happy humans. Happiest with sweat on their faces and voices tangled in chorus. A little bit folk, a lotta bit punk rock and/or roll, these humans play what they call the Grease Folk.
Grown in the pits of Ktaqamkuk (Newfoundland) Kate’s songwriting brings forth the coast that grew her - harsh and rugged, yet beautiful and alluring. Hailing from unceded territory of the Lheidli T'enneh, this energy packed trio (Kaleb Clarke, Johnny Prudhoe, Kate Pike) will keep you dancing your butt off and screaming into the ether. Let’s sing!
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Amanda Wood is an Anishinaabe & Nlaka’pamux artist, singer-songwriter and performer currently living on Lheidli T’enneh territory. She’s a celebrated performance graduate of Canada’s only multi-disciplinary Indigenous fine arts and writing school at the En’owkin Centre. With a certificate in the Foundations of Indigenous Fine Arts from the University of Victoria. Amanda is proud to return to the Coldsnap stage after her 2023 debut at Coldsnap’s local artist showcase. This time returning with her first ever single release, Take Care. Produced, mentored and recorded locally at Pulp City Recording; supported by the province of BC and CreativeBC. Amanda will be joined by her lead guitarist and new music co-songwriter Joel Fowler. With new music created over the span of Fall 2024; Amanda and Joel's complimentary styles, presence and harmony carry notes of jazzy blues, alternative folk and rhythmic roots.
Artists and venues are subject to change. Check back here for updates.