Hard Folk with Matt Gower

The Family Name (Ben & Jacob Matte) are a natural outgrowth from a musical family tree that finds its roots with the Everly Brothers, Smothers Brothers and Simon & Garfunkel, takes a bluegrass/newgrass detour along the way before branching out from the Milk Carton Kids to create their own unique, tight, familial sound. What really surprised me was that The Family Name basically started from scratch, learning how to sing and play guitar & mandolin together only 6 years ago. It was a fateful booking mix-up that forced them to take a deep dive and learn 3 hours worth of material, developing and honing their tight sound on the fly.The Family Name are featured along with Ethan Mitchell on the May 1st edition of CKCU Presents Friday Night FolkTickets are $15 in advance and $20 at the door. Tap this link to purchase yours. The Hard Folk podcast is available on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, Amazon etc. or visit https://tr.ee/RweJx2PNii

Suzanne Nuttall has only been a part of the Ottawa music scene for a few years, but as I said in today’s show it’s felt like she’s been entrenched in the community for much longer. Suzanne’s story is a great example for aspiring musicians to follow. She made the move to Ottawa from Toronto and put herself right out there, attending open stages and making connections with fellow musicians. And Suzanne made sure to include those connections in her album release show at Night Oat (750 Gladstone) on April 9th, featuring Libby & Cal, Dawn Sev, Slo’ Tom, Erin Okrainec and Patrick Shanks. Tickets are available to purchase here. The Hard Folk podcast is available on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, Amazon etc. or visit https://tr.ee/RweJx2PNii

About five years ago I sold Brian Gunther a Martin guitar. He was just settling into a more stable existence, which gave him the opportunity to begin his pathway towards writing and recording original music. Along with that Martin guitar, I was able to give Brian some advice and encouragement to get started and we’ve been writing back and forth to each other on Instagram we’ve since. We delved into finding a balance between work, family & music, how a love of progressive rock & metal led to his ethereal folk sound and writing in English vs writing in French. SHOW ALERT:This Saturday, March 28th I’ll be playing the John Allaire Show at Quinn’s Pub - 1070 Bank St from 3-5pm. Doors open at 2pm and admission is PWYC. The Hard Folk podcast is available on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, Amazon etc. or visit https://tr.ee/RweJx2PNii

This week I had the pleasure of interviewing Ethan Mitchell for the Hard Folk podcast. What really stood out to me was his voice. I’m not talking about his singing voice, although he does exude a certain vintage authenticity. What I mean is that it’s evident in Ethan’s songwriting that he knows who he is and doesn’t shy away from that. And really, that’s the most important lesson any aspiring songwriter can learn. It’s taken me years to develop my voice and the fact that Ethan has done this at such a relatively young age is truly impressive. Be authentic, be yourself - thats the key to achieving artistic success. We talked about how he discovered true creative freedom by giving up the expectation to make a living playing music professionally, being resourceful with the equipment he has on hand, applying what he learned while playing cello in university to guitar and using his humour as a tool to cope with bigger feelings and emotions. The Hard Folk podcast is available on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, Amazon etc. or follow this link.

Today I’m joined by Gareth Auden-Hole, better known as Jack Pine. We talked a lot about the history of his band Jack Pine and the Fire, we also discussed his more open songwriting process as a solo artist compared to the approach he brought to “The Fire”. Later on, we talked about his tour through western Ontario & Manitoba and the joy of playing more intimate venues in smaller towns. Jack Pine will be featured along with Lefty McRighty at CKCU Presents Friday Night Folk at Art House Cafe March 6th. Tickets are $15 in advance and $20 at the door. Visit thearthousecafe.ca or follow this link for tickets. The Hard Folk podcast is available on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, Amazon etc. or visit https://tr.ee/RweJx2PNii

Today I’m joined by Greg Beaudoin, better known as Lefty McRighty to folks in the Ottawa music scene. We talked a lot about mental health and the importance of therapy, especially for people in the arts community. We also talked about the dynamic between Greg and his wife Tracy, working closely together on their CKCU radio show Feelin’ Alright as well as in their duo Catbird.Lefty McRighty will be featured along with Jack Pine at CKCU Presents Friday Night Folk at Art House Cafe March 6th. Tickets are $15 in advance and $20 at the door. Visit thearthousecafe.ca or follow this link for tickets. The Hard Folk podcast is available on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, Amazon etc. or visit https://tr.ee/RweJx2PNii.

I’m joined by John Allaire to discuss the ever shifting triangle between artists, venues and audiences. After an initial run of success at Brews & Blues in Stittsville, attendance started tapering off, leading to a cancellation of John’s Thursday shows (note: The Allaire Show on Saturday afternoons at Quinn’s is still going strong). After recently posting a clip of my podcast where I discussed the “love triangle”, I thought it’d be good timing to get the perspective from a veteran of the Ottawa music scene who’s had a first hand view of the many changes in dynamic between the shifting love triangle between artists, venues and audiences.

Today on Hard Folk, I’m joined by Colin Prentice. We talked about the upcoming single his band Baby Richman will be releasing in March, giving Oasis a second chance, having all of the band’s recordings (on a hard drive) stolen from their car during recording session and most importantly how much Algonquin College’s Music Industry Arts program impacted his career as a musician. Visit https://ottawamic.com/news/miamatters to sign the petition to keep the MIA program at Algonquin College running!The Hard Folk podcast is available on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, Amazon etc. or visit https://tr.ee/RweJx2PNii

Today I’m joined by author John Stubbingsto talk about his book The Devil Is In It: A History of the Acoustic Guitar. We chatted about how John’s love for guitars took him from guitar player to collector and eventually an author, chronicling the instrument’s journey from its origins in Europe to its evolution in the USA.

On today’s episode of Hard Folk, Graven (aka Matty McKechnie) and I have a lot in common to the point where I’ve been mistaken for him a few times. We’re both Ottawa based singer songwriters & podcasters, we’re both releasing new albums this year (Graven’s latest is called “Geographics”), we’re both devoted dads and I was pleasantly surprised to find out that he’s as big of a baseball nut as I am. We also discussed how challenging Ottawa’s music scene can be for performers. We zeroed in a couple of factors, but it’s a city whose formula is hard to crack. It’s kind of a teetering triangle between venues, artists and music fans that despite our best efforts can’t always connect. Be sure to connect with the first single off Graven’s album “Geographics” on Jan. 26th. Visit graven.ca to give it a listen.

Anne Marie Brugger eats, sleeps and breathes folk music. You can hear her as one of the regular rotation hosts on CKCU’s show Canadian Spaces and she also created the Femme Vox concert series which shines a light on (mostly local) female singer-songwriters. Over the years Anne Marie has been a stalwart for community radio, starting at CHUO with her show Hop the Fence, before eventually taking on the role as acting director of CKCU. She’s also been a strong advocate for Ottawa’s underrated music scene working with the Grassroots Festival and as a part of the board of directors with the Ottawa Music Industry Coalition. And on a personal note, she has worked closely with me to help promote the Friday Night Folk Concert Series. Femme Vox @ GCTC feat. Amanda Rhéaume, KellyLee Evans, Tara Holloway, Malia RogersSun. Jan. 18th, 7pmTickets available at GCTC.ca

On today’s episode of the Hard Folk podcast, I’m joined Jordan Holman aka Kentucky. Kentucky goes where the music takes him. Throughout his musical journey, Jordan has found himself in Toronto, New York and London before coming to the realization that he was going to die soon if he didn’t stop doing drugs. Now on the other side of his addiction, Jordan found himself based in the tiny, picturesque town of Almonte, Ontario where he does the work: writing songs (and a book!), recording and producing in his home studio. Kentucky will be performing January 9th at CKCU Presents Friday Night Folk at Art House Cafe (555 Somerset St W) w/ Matt Gower & Loch Nisse Monster. Tickets available for purchase here.

Loch Nisse Monster has a vision. Also known as Nisse Anonby, she has her hand in many different aspects of the Ottawa music scene. She’s organized shows and festivals, worked behind the scenes with Folk Music Ontario conference, co-hosts the Thursday Morning Blend on CKCU, reports regularly on the music scene through her social media pages and most importantly is a prolific singer-songwriter. U Unlike her Scottish cryptid counterpart, Loch Nisse Monster is anything but elusive, playing shows all around Ottawa. She’ll be performing at the next edition of CKCU Presents Friday Night Folk January 9th at Art House Cafe (555 Somerset St W) w/ Matt Gower & Kentucky. Tickets available for purchase here.

On today’s episode of Hard Folk, I chat with Brian Tremblay. Taking inspiration from the likes of Steve Earle and Townes Van Zandt, Brian has embraced his “outsider status”. It’s more than living far away from larger music hubs in Sault Ste Marie; Brian advocates for fair compensation for fellow musicians, hosts a podcast to amplify the voices of his musical peers and carries this integrity into how he lives his life as an independent artist.

Today I chat with Doug Hempstead (aka Area Resident). Even before he says it near the end of this episode, Doug’s love for music jumps out of the speakers and hits you square in the face. We talked about his latest album “Protonopia” and took a deep dive into how he literally constructs a song. From borrowing drum tracks to making up syllables & lyrics to fit the melody Doug’s method is a fascinating case study in thinking outside the boundaries of traditional song structures.Area Resident plays at Live! On Elgin Sunday with Church of Trees and Suzanne Nuttall Sunday Dec. 7th at 7pm. Tickets available here.

On today’s Hard Folk, I reconnect with Karson McKeown. In what seems like a lifetime ago, Karson and I worked together at the Ottawa Folklore Centre. After the store closed, Karson dived deep into teaching fiddle and performing live, which helped pay his way through the architecture program at Algonquin College. Eventually, after a one-off gig on PEI, Karson was offered a teaching job and made the move back home. Along the way, he started the band Inn Echo who have gone on to great success, touring all over Canada and earning a Juno nomination. Inn Echo will be performing live (to a sold out crowd) at the NAC’s 4th Stage on Dec. 5th.

Today on Hard Folk, I interview acclaimed author and professor at Berklee College of Music Pat Pattison. We took a deep dive on songwriting and I did my best to get out of the way and listen to one of the biggest influences on modern songwriters. We talked about how Pat made the surprisingly smooth transition from teaching philosophy & logic to teaching songwriting, the importance of object writing, the how English is a complex language to write in and so much more.

Today’s episode of Hard Folk features singer-songwriter Kalle Mattson. He’s got his hands full as one half of the duo Summersets, releasing “Move Back Home” earlier this fall as well as teaching songwriting at Carleton University. We talked about finding his way through the ever-evolving music industry, how social media has influenced the craft of songwriting, how & when to use the wealth of tools that he’s amassed with his own songwriting, Jeff Tweedy, the myth that is writer’s block and we squeeze a tiny bit of golf talk in too.

Today on Hard Folk, I’m joined by Libby & Cal. We talked about their songwriting process, Sad Girl Cafe, the stress, hassle & paperwork involved in crossing the US Border to play music and took a bit of a deep dive into the world of autoharps. Libby & Cal will be playing the 2nd CKCU Presents Friday Night Folk on Friday November 14th at Art House Cafe (555 Somerset St W) with James Leclaire. Visit thearthouse.ca for tickets.

Today on Hard Folk, I’m joined by Ottawa singer-songwriter James Leclaire. We talked about James’ many evolutions: evolving from punk bands to a solo artists, retiring from a career in animation to making music his full-time gig. We also laud the versatility and artistic influence of Steve Earle and the importance of self-reliance and self-confidence in the music industry. James Leclaire will be playing the 2nd CKCU Presents Friday Night Folk on Friday November 14th at Art House Cafe (555 Somerset St W) with Libby & Cal. Visit thearthouse.ca for tickets.

Today on Hard Folk, I’m joined by Toronto Star reporter Abby O’Brien. Abby’s regular beat is in crime reporting, however a recent article about her first experience performing at an open mic caught my eye. In the article Abby talks about jumping out of her comfort zone and overcoming her fear of failure. What she didn’t expect was being welcomed into a vibrant community that includes the likes of artists, DIYers and urban gardeners.

Curtis Jones joins the podcast to chronicle his journey from making home recordings to having kids and in the past year performing live for the first time as a solo artist. Side Door Access Presents: Curtis Jones w/ special guests Matt Gower and Vic (from Victor Complex)Meow! That’s Hot519 Bank StFriday Oct. 3rd, 8pm$15 advance / $20 doorTickets available here.

Ottawa folksinger Birdie Whyte joins the Friday Night Folkcast to talk prostest songs and to promote her fundraiser for the Ottawa Food Bank: All Together Now - Area Players Sing Songs of Protest, at the Dominion Tavern on Friday Sept. 26th @ 9pm.

Matt welcomes folk duo Bon Echo aka Tim Loten & Emma Houlahan. They talk about the similarities and differences between the Canadian and UK folk scenes, recording at Abbey Road Studios, adapting the themes and stylings of opera to folk music and the darkness that haunts old time music. CKCU Presents Friday Night Folk featuring Krystal Jessup and Bon Echo, hosted by Matt GowerFriday Sept. 5th, 8pmTickets: $15 advance/$20 door, available now.

Self-professed travel junkie, singer/songwriter Krystal Jessup blends her nomadic storytelling with emotive vocals to create a uniquely soulful collection of contemporary folk songs.Listen to Krystal’s album Throwing Pennies on Apple, Spotify and wherever you get your music. Host Matt Gower and Krystal chat about her approach to songwriting, teaching herself guitar while isolated in Thailand at the very beginning of the COVID pandemic, Townes Van Zandt and using vulnerability as her secret songwriting weapon. CKCU Presents Friday Night Folk featuring Krystal Jessup and Bon Echo, hosted by Matt GowerFriday Sept. 5th, 8pmTickets: $15 advance/$20 door, available now.