By the time she began writing her own music in the mid-90s, Maria Dunn was learning to draw deeply on the folk tradition of storytelling through song to honour the resilience and grace of ordinary people, both past and present. Maria’s earlier albums anchor her lyrics in music that melds North American roots with her Scottish-Irish heritage. Maria showcases her keen social awareness and her melodic, unvarnished songs about the lives of working men and women. Gathering, nominated for a 2017 Juno Award and winner of the 2016 Edmonton Music Prize, highlights stories of love of family, community and humanity, that fire our actions to make the world a better place. At the Nick, Maria will be accompanied by Shannon Johnson (vocals, violin) and Jeremiah McDade (vocals, whistles, clarinet) from the Juno Award- winning The McDades. Maria is working with Shannon and Jeremiah on a new CD to be released in spring 2020.

Ken Stead

Known for silencing a room to a whisper, Ken Stead’s new CD, Civil War is an earnest portrait of the domestic, the conflicts present in the everyday, and how one’s struggle with themselves and their own faults bleed into their relationships with others and how that mirrors the larger political climate. Throughout the record, Stead grapples with his firm belief that peace begins with the individual. Ken Stead makes every room feel like home. A generous demeanor, a delicate wit, and an empathetic understanding of audiences of all shapes, his performances are as true and honest as the songs themselves.