Festival Express

BC-based psychedelic-Cumbia band Empanadas Ilegales will be releasing Laboratorio Tropical later this summer but first they'll be sharing some of the new songs at Winnipeg Folk Festival. Ahead of that they joined UMFM PD Michael Elves for a conversation about their musical roots, following up 2025's Sancocho Trifasico and more.

Baltimore, MD post-rock quartet Horse Lords have recently relocated to Germany and guitarist Owen Gardner joins UMFM PD Michael Elves to talk about making their new album Demand To Be Taken To Heaven Alive! without all being in the same place ahead of the start of their North American tour with a performance at Winnipeg Folk Festival .

UMFM PD Michael Elves speaks with Charlie Wayne of UK art-rock act Black Country, New Road about the band's formation, line-up & musical shifts and more ahead of their appearance at the Winnipeg Folk Festival mainstage on Thursday July 9th.

Ahead of her appearance at the 2026 Winnipeg Folk Festival, UMFM PD Michael Elves speaks with Ken Pomeroy about two Johns, her roots in Oklahoma, the importance of emotion and storytelling, and her Rounder record Cruel Joke .

UMFM PD Michael Elves speaks with indie-folk artist Cat Clyde ahead of her appearance at the Winnipeg Folk Festival and on the heels of releasing her acclaimed album Mud Blood Bone . 

UMFM PD Michael Elves talks to Winnipeg singer-songwriter Jacob Brodovsky who is set to release his sophomore album, Tell The Kids We Tried , the same day he plays Spruce Hollow at the Winnipeg Folk Festival.

Georgia's Brother Wallace comes to the Winnipeg Folk Festival, hot on the heels of releasing his debut record, Electric Love. He talks to UMFM PD Michael Elves about his history in church, touring with The Heavy and his work as a music teacher.

Portland-based singer-songwriter Anna Tivel has drawn acclaim for her ability to capture beauty in the everyday and tell stories within her songs. She talks to UMFM PD Michael Elves about her beginnings as a fiddle player, why she recorded her latest Animal Poem live in the round and more ahead of her appearance at the Winnipeg Folk Festival.

The 2026 Festival Express train leaves the station to take you out to Birds' Hill Park and introduce some of the performers at the 51st Winnipeg Folk Festival. UMFM PD Michael Elves speaks with 'mando-maestro' Andrew Collins about how he came to the instrument after being a ski bum in his early years.

The 2026 Festival Express train leaves the station to take you out to Birds' Hill Park and introduce some of the performers at the 51st Winnipeg Folk Festival. UMFM PD Michael Elves speaks with Kathleen Edwards who released her sixth album, Billionaire , in August 2025 and who makes her fourth appearance at the Folk Fest this July.

American folksinger Willi Carlisle talks to UMFM's Michael Elves about his new album Winged Victory , learning to play and call square dances, busing to the Smithsonian to discover the roots of folk songs and more in advance of his appearance at the 2025 Winnipeg Folk Festival .

UMFM PD Michael Elves speaks to OMBIIGIZI 's Daniel Monkman about his many musical pursuits and how he ends up working within OMBIIGIZI, his experience at last year's Winnipeg Folk Festival with Lee Ranaldo and Medicine Singers, working with Laraaji and Kevin Drew and much more.

Beer For Breakfast's Broose Tulloch talks to Jaxon Haldane about the Young Performers mentorship program at the Winnipeg Folk Festival.

Lake Street Dive 's Rachael Price discusses how the band first formed, their two-decade plus career, her own origin story and pursuing a separate path with Rachael & Vilray in advance of Lake Street Dive's headlining appearance at the Winnipeg Folk Festival . **Please note the stream /DL version of this episode does not feature the Rachael & Vilray selection as the record is under embargo...

Longtime Camper Van Beethoven guitarist Greg Lisher talks about the band's formation, his own musical background, how time away and multiple musical pursuits helped the long-term strength of CVB and much more with UMFM PD Michael Elves in advance of the group's appearance at the Winnipeg Folk Festival .

UMFM PD Michael Elves talks to all three members of Australia's Folk Bitch Trio in advance of their transoceanic trek to play the Winnipeg Folk Festival . The trio discuss their formation and musical backgrounds, their forthcoming record on Jagjaguwar, and receiving praise from Phoebe Bridgers.

UMFM PD Michael Elves talks to multinational quartet Los Bitchos ' Serra Patale about the group's formation, the inspirations for their instrumental music, working with Franz Ferdinand's Alex Kapranos and more in advance of their appearance at the Winnipeg Folk Festival .

Beer for Breakfast's Broose Tulloch talks to Winnipeg icon and Folk Fest fave, Begonia in advance of her return to Birds Hill Park.

Slow Spirit's Natalie Bohrn and Eric Roberts reminisce about their own connections to the Winnipeg Folk Festival and talk about working on new music after the release of their third record, 2024's That's The Gods Talking in advance of their appearance at the WFF's 50th anniversary.

Beer For Breakfast's Broose Tulloch talks to Melbourne Ska Orchestra's Nicky Bomba in advance of the MSO playing Winnipeg Folk Festival .

UMFM PD Michael Elves talks to Dengue Fever 's Zac Holtzman about the group's origins, their decades long career and escaping to the desert to record their most recent album among other topics.

UMFM PD Michael Elves speaks to Rose City Band's Ripley Johnson about the group's latest album Sol Y Sombra in advance of their performance at the 2025 Winnipeg Folk Festival.

A cross-border collaboration between American artist Nina Nastasia and members of Alberta act The Cape May (Jeff MacLeod, Clinton St. John and Morgan Greenwood), Nastasia and MacLeod discuss how they initially met decades ago and what led to forming Jolie Laide.

Broose Tulloch of Beer For Breakfast talks to one-third of Blackie & The Rodeo Kings. *This interview was recorded with Stephen Fearing while he was touring his most recent solo record.

Festival favourite (it's her picture on the Performer's Page link ) Basia Bulat returns to Birds Hill Park on the heels of her latest album, Basia's Palace . She speaks to UMFM PD Michael Elves about making the record, performance, parenthood and more.