Backstage Pass

This week, JESSICA RHAYE – Foolish Heart Finally, I have the chance to share this wonderful conversation with Jessica Rhaye about her newest EP ‘Foolish Heart’ and the heart felt tender songwriting that created this magical set of songs. Beautifully produced and performed by her remarkable band ‘The Ramshackle Parade’. ‘Foolish Heart’ was released on March 20,2026 and it is deep honour to share th...

This week, MARC JORDAN - authorized biography, ‘Rhythm of My Heart’. Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee Marc Jordan brings his remarkable story to life at Huntsville’s Algonquin Theatre on June 12,2026 with the launch of 'Rhythm of My Heart', his authorized biography. With a night full of songs and stories, the evening offers an intimate look into the five-decade career of a songwriter who...

This week, DAVE GUNNING - Field Notes ‘Field Notes’ is one of those rare, memorable albums that comes along once every generation reflecting not only the urgency of the times, but reveals an artist in full force and flight, sharing the craft, precision and imaginative power beneath the song writing With his Ontario tour continuing, Dave Gunning joins Backstage Pass in a wide-ranging conversation a...

This week, KAELEY JADE - ‘The Great Unknown’ Alternative-folk singer-songwriter Kaeley Jade crafts full-hearted songs that dig deep. Growing up on the outskirts of North America’s most northern metropolis, the Edmonton-based Métis artist has been sculpted by icy winter winds and sweeping prairie skies. Whether through gently textured acoustic ballads or rip-roaring full-band cuts, Canadian Folk Mu...

This week, JENN GRANT - Queen of the Strait Her 2026 album, Queen of the Strait (2026), is her most personal work yet. Co-produced with Joshua Van Tassel and longtime collaborator Daniel Ledwell, it is a modern-day classic of country and Americana, elevated by Jenn’s unmistakable pop-infused charm. The title draws its name from the MV Abegweit passenger ferry - Abegweit being an anglicized version...

This week, THE BURRITO BROTHERS / The Magic Time Machine of Love “ The idea will keep going. It’s not like it’s dead. Whether I do it or anybody else does, it’s got to keep going.” Gram Parsons 1972 Chis P James in converstation about the new album from The Burrito Brothers,The Magic Time Machine of Love, which was released in November through Think Like a Key Music. How can music that sounds so c...

GRAVEN - Geographics Releasing two singles a week throughout February 2026 on Bandcamp, Graven has finally released his newest stellar album. Thoughtful and inventive, as always, Graven captures the mood of the times with this exception set of songs. ‘Geographics’ was sonically birthed in 6 days in Halifax, NS at Ocean Floor Recording with Matty McKechnie (Graven), Melissa Payne, Charles Austin, J...

This week, STEVE JENSEN – mrSTEVE and friends From the opening track to its beautiful closing, Steve Jensen’s 2026 album, ‘mrSTEVE and friends’, is a gentle reminder of all that is good and loving in this tumultuous world. The gifted British Columbia songwriter has crafted a set of songs that in lyric and melody, span genres and musical approaches with an airy hopefulness and enthusiasm reminiscen...

This week, BOB D'EITH – ‘A Career in Music: 10 Steps to Success’ “You make your own luck” Bob D'Eith Highly accomplished musician, lawyer, author and consultant, Bob D’Eith shares details and foundational advice from his book, ‘A Career in Music: 10 Steps to Success’, a master class in developing a solid, universal approach to achieving success in real terms in every changing and evolving music bu...

This week, WILLIAM 'GRIT’ LASKIN - THE STRADIVARI FORMULA GRIT LASKIN – making the book As a luthier (maker of stringed musical instruments) for more than half a century I was aware of Stradivari and knew that despite him being a violin maker he also made some mandolins, a harp and some guitars. (There are currently 5 known Strad guitars still around, although only 1 is playable). That anomaly stu...

This week, CARMEN TOTH. ‘Fix the World’ On October 7, 2025, Toronto-based singer-songwriter Carmen Toth released ‘Fix the World’, her most personal and politically charged album to date. Anchored by its searing title track - written in a single burst of inspiration - the record blends raw honesty with lush, guitar-driven instrumentation to deliver a message that is both intimate and universal: bre...

This week, LLOYD SPIEGEL . CANADIAN MINI-TOUR On his way to NAMM in California, 2026; Lloyd Spiegel took time before his mini-tour in Ontario to talk to Backstage Pass. Bakehouse Dozen (2023) is a masterclass in tone and soul. Band is cooking and Llyod is in fine form with incredible guitar mastery and deep soul blues vocals. Great album with a baker’s dozen of powerhouse songs. Melbourne Blues ar...

This week, CLELA ERRINGTON - ‘Walkin’ Each Other Home’ Comprised mainly of newly arranged blues and country material and two originals, this album stands out for its authentic, resonate connection, that singer- guitarist, Errington makes with the material. She embodies the essence of blues-soul singing with song choices, some of which date back to the earliest of recorded music. In a voice, filled...

This week, LAYNE NEGRIN - Gurdjieff in Tibet In an extensively researched and detailed study into the background training and inspiration for the teachings of George Ivanovich Gurdjieff, Layne Negrin takes the reader on a profound journey of one man’s path to self-discovery, against seemingly impossible odds, to become one of the most influential thinkers and teachers of the twentieth century. Lay...

This week, DUKE & GOLDIE . Romance and Ramblin’ “ Romance and ramblin’ There’s two hearts, one’s free the other bleeds Tumbling dice, paying the price, the winner who walks with it all Teardrops of diamonds will fall ” Romanticized Cowboy Rarely do artists give us the type of lyrics that take the listener on deep inner journey that provoke wonder and pondering at the same time. In an easy goin...

This week, JORY NASH – THE LIGHT STILL SHINES ON THE MAIN. October 24, 2025 - After stepping away from music in 2019, acclaimed folk singer-songwriter Jory Nash returns with his 10th album, The Light Still Shines On The Main, co-produced with longtime friend Chris Stringer (The Wooden Sky, Elliott Brood, Timber Timbre, Megan Bonnell, Holly McNarland). The road to this record has been anything but...

This week, THE EAST POINTERS. - Jake Charron joins Backstage Pass to discuss ‘ Schoonertown’ JUNO Award-winning Canadian contemporary folk group The East Pointers are excited to announce their anticipated fourth full-length album, ‘Schoonertown’, which will be released on January 23, 2026, via Nettwerk. To celebrate the news, The East Pointers' have released a series of new singles which showcases...

This week, JASON SCHNEIDER - the Strange Saga of rock’s most enduring song, ‘Hey Joe’. Music journalist, editor, publicist and musician, Jason Schneider has written extensively about Canadian Music legends such as Leonard Cohen, Joni Mitchell, Gordon Lightfoot, in his book ‘Whispering Pines’ (2009); Art Bergmann, in ‘The Longest Suicide: The Authorized Biography of Art Bergmann’ (2022). In his mos...

This week, GRANT LYLE - And Now Released September 12th, 2025 Toronto-based Grant Lyle is a powerhouse frontman known for his electrifying presence and dynamic guitar playing. Grant blends raw, punchy chops with smooth, fluid phrasing, crafting a sound that captivates audiences from start to finish. Lyle's guitar solos are sharp and emotive, effortlessly blending technical skill with soulful impro...

This week, GORDIE TENTREES International touring award winning Canadian (Yukon) artist has arrived. This authentic road poet travels North America, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, UK/Ireland and Scandinavia with 9 records under his belt. From Celtic Connections (UK) to the National Folk Festival (AU) his ability to hold an audience, weave melody, while juggling the dark with the light is infectiou...

This week, DAVID FRANCEY - MAPS (A Collection of Fan Favourites, Personal Picks, and a Brand-New Track) "I have been writing songs for over 50 years. Each song is a map that helped me navigate through the ups and downs life put in my way. I'd have been lost without them." - David Francey One of Canada’s most beloved folk voices, David Francey, is set to release MAPS, a new album that looks back on...

This week, BREE TAYLOR – ‘Wake Up!’ Bree Taylor has quietly but steadily built a reputation as one of country music’s most compelling new voices—an artist whose work cuts through the genre’s conventions with a blend of grit, honesty, and rock-infused energy. This summer, Bree made her landmark Nashville debut at the CMA Fest Spotlight Stage earlier this month, marking a major career moment and exp...

This week, STEVE MARRINER – Hear My Heart With over twenty years of relentless touring and recording, Steve Marriner now enjoys his hard-earned reputation as one of the most hard-working and talented musicians in Canada and beyond. In addition to being one of the world’s foremost blues harmonica players, ‘The Swiss Army Knife’ is also known to be a wildly skilled multi-instrumentalist, soulful sin...

This week, EDDIE SCHWARTZ - Film School. Film School is one of those impressive albums filled with songs that simply stay with you like a call for a forgotten friend of long ago. For decades, Eddie Schwartz has remained one of the most respected figures in the music world—an iconic Canadian songwriter, producer, performer, and rights advocate whose songs have echoed across generations. With his ne...

This week, THE PLANET SMASHERS - On the Dancefloor After more than three decades of two-tone swagger, punk attitude, and brass-blasted joy, Montreal’s beloved ska lifers The Planet Smashers return with “Meet Me On The Dancefloor,” the first single from their forthcoming tenth studio album, On the Dancefloor lands August 22,2025 on Stomp Records. It’s a summery, anthemic invitation back into the ba...