Double Bill
Four-time Canadian Folk Music Award nominee, Sarah Jane Scouten is a songwriter of rare quality, combining sounds of early country music, ballad singing, folk rock and 60’s soul. It’s modern indie Americana that knows exactly where it comes from, with confidence and sophistication only bought by time. Surrounding herself with top-notch musicians, the live show is as dynamic as her four (soon to be five) albums: at any moment making feet move or eliciting laughter or tears. She is dry, funny, irreverent yet generous. She has a job to do and she takes it very seriously: to entertain, to inspire and to be cathartic. An ever expanding palette and a warbling iconic country voice – honed over many a campfire – brings a freshness to her brand of ambient indie Americana. It’s as relevant today as it is rooted in the music of her forebears. “Confessions possesses an almost irresistible draw.”- Exclaim! “Sarah Jane Scouten showcases a major talent and a whole lot of versatility.” – No Depression“An agile voice, ruminative songwriting, and love for classic country, indie pop, and everything in between.”- American Songwriter
Fern Maddie is a multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter, and experimental folk artist based in Central Vermont (N’Dakinna). Her debut EP, North Branch River, was named one of the 10 best Vermont records of 2020 by Seven Days. After a successful Kickstarter campaign, her debut album, Ghost Story, was released in 2022, and was named The Guardian’s Folk Album of the Month in July 2022, gaining a five-star review.
Blending driving, trancey instrumentals with crisp vocals and the simple lyrical rhythms of old folk songs, Fern’s unique sound is the child of many influences: Old-Time string band music, the revivalist balladeers of the 60s and 70s, dark country, experimental folk-rock, and the modern trad renaissance(s). Her sound has been compared to June Tabor, Kate Rusby, Sharon Van Etten, and Joni Mitchell. Her work as grown over the past three years through collaboration with Colin McCaffrey, a legend in the Vermont folk scene. Colin co-produced both of Fern’s records.
[Fern] Maddie’s young, welcoming voice belies a darkly evocative lyricism creating an album that is both unsettling and thrilling.” – Jude Rogers, The Guardian ★★★★★