Homegrown Talent: local acts you’ll fall in love with
Kyle Pullan
Kyle is a Canmore local who has been a part of the music community since 2013. Choosing bright melodies and percussion on the acoustic guitar as his domain, Kyle has enjoyed bringing the world of instrumental Fingerstyle Guitar to the Bow Valley. Treating his acoustic guitar as a 1-man band, Kyle has released 4 instrumental albums and won the Banff Battle of The Bands in 2017 as the first solo act to do so, opening the competition to more solo artists. He also performs with his band ¡BAWANG!
Kyle is accompanying two world-renowned guitarists Calum Graham and Antoine Dufour for A Night of Fingerstyle Acoustic Guitar on Feb. 6.
Heather Jean Jordan
Heather is a Manitoba farm-girl who trained as an opera singer and classical pianist before moving to Banff and finding her home in folk music and the ukulele. A multi-instrumentalist and multi-disciplinary creator, her work is centred on storytelling and humanity’s relationships with the natural world, incorporating elements of wonder, whimsy, and a strong sense of social justice. Mainly known as a singer-songwriter, her genre stretching work extends to dance, theatre, and poetry. Heather gained national recognition for her work ringing bells at St. George-in-the-Pines Anglican Church in Banff through the pandemic.
Catch Heather perform live on March 19 as part of the new local trio The Three Sisters, alongside fellow singer-songwriters and multi-instrumentalists Irene Poole and Ji Won Baxter.
Ji Won Baxter
A classically trained violinist, Ji Won has taken her experience in the concert hall and has woven the lyrical overtones of the Western classical tradition with grooves and edges of the Folk Revival era in her newly minted singing career. In her writings, she draws from human connection and cross-class political tension in our world affairs. In her performances, she seeks warmth and comfort between musical spaces, audiences and music, where love and appreciation for art can supersede aesthetics or corporatism.
Witness Ji Won’s fresh talent as part of The Three Sisters performance on March 19.
Zebra
Zebra is Canmore’s funk-rock powerhouse. The band’s diversity is its strength - covering 4 generations between its 5 members. Joe Ernewein (saxophone) was raised on classic vinyl, Mike Kragt (bass) and Matt Meuller (drums) get some extra low end from cassette tapes in the 80’s, while Jake Posacki (guitar), Jake Steif (trumpet) were rocking discmans on the way to school and were eventually spoiled with the onset of free digital music floating forever in the clouds. Despite these generational differences, the band connects through their common passion for strong groove and music that moves.
Get your groove on to Zebra’s funky rhythms live at artsPlace, April 25.
Irene Poole
A singer-songwriter and actor from Banff, Irene has captivated audiences around the Bow Valley and beyond with her heartfelt lyrics and angelic melodies. Her indie-folk songs often take inspiration from the natural world around her. Irene has many performances under her belt. Through acting, singing, and playing her ukulele, she aims to be a storyteller in everything she does. Her debut album, The Mountains and The Sea, recorded with JUNO-award-winning producer John D.S. Adams, is out now.
Irene will grace the artsPlace stage with her serene vocals at two upcoming shows; as part of The Three Sisters on March 19, and during the Women of the Bow Valley musical showcase, June 14.
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Women of the Bow Valley event welcomes more homegrown talent. Especially for this evening, the artists will be forming new collaborations to showcase their favourite songs from newly released music. Meet some of them here.
Ellen Braun
Starting from her perch on a tree in the Glebe, Ellen has firmly established herself on the indie folk music scene as a solo act and with her bandmate Joseph Shea as part of Trundled, both locally and nationally. What Bow Valley locals know about her is that she has a giant heart, and she’s not afraid to show it on stage and in her music.
Her song “Inchoate” cracked the top 100 in CBC’s 2018 Searchlight competition. She has also won hearts with her single “Okay” , recorded and produced at the Banff Centre, which served as a local "feel good" anthem during the pandemic.
We’re lucky to host Ellen twice on stage this spring; first as a solo act on April 26 – when she kicks off her brand new album tour - and again as part of an intimate evening showcasing local female talent on June 14.
Nurdjana
Nurdjana's sound has been described as delicate, yet soulful and jazzy. Born and raised in the Netherlands, she’s been immersed in music ever since she was little and tagged along with her father Rob de Rijcke to his performances. Rob was a singer-songwriter and guitarist and when Nurdjana started singing, it was only natural to start making music together. She is a true advocate of her father’s music and after taking a break from singing when he passed away, she is back full force in her Rocky Mountain home; determined to put her dad’s songs back in the spotlight.
See Nurdjana perform live alongside a host of Bow Valley's female artists on June 14.
Mari Rosehill
Canmore-born and raised, Mari is a predominately Indie Folk artist, with moments of Alternative Rock, and is often compared to a young Joni Mitchell. Her vocal range and poignant lyrics swiftly engage, and her honest storytelling will keep you captivated. Mari’s songs centre around enlightenment, love and her journey with mental health and sobriety. She released her first EP “A Little Unhinged, A Little Bit Weird” in October 2022 and in December that same year, she was awarded the Emerging Artist Bursary through the Town of Canmore.
Mari will join the Bow Valley's Women showcase, June 14.
