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Fronted by partners Alex Millaire and Kaitlin Milroy, Ottawa-based Moonfruits are makers of art-folk bilingue. In a forest of banjo, guitar, kalimba and glockenspiel, their voices burrow and soar. Here is a reverie, tender and powerful, beckoning listeners to elevate the stuff of everyday life.

Stingray Rising Star Award, SOCAN Award and Trille Or winners, Moonfruits have toured Canada coast to coast and are making their first forays into the US and EU, moving audiences with a live show that mixes French and English organically, playfully, intentionally. Their début full-length Ste-Quequepart (2017) \saint-kehk-pahr or Saint Somewhere\ is an elaborate small town fiction that explores the faces of gentrification, isolation and community.

What grows in the forest of Moonfruits’ imagination is a songcraft that is elastic and never fails to transport. Moonfruits have toured extensively as a duo and performed accompanied by double bass, drums, keys and chamber instruments. Whether as a larger ensemble or with naught but their log and lamp, changes of scenery inspire Moonfruits, for they are as at home in your living room as they are in a concert hall.

Notable past performances include the Philadelphia Folk Festival, Ottawa Bluesfest, Folk Fest sur le canal, NAC Fourth Stage, Place des Arts, CityFolk, Festival of Small Halls Ontario, La Nuit sur l’Étang, Blue Skies Music Festival, FrancoFEST de Hamilton (with members of the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra), Festival du Voyageur, Quality Block Party, Victoria Bicycle Music Festival and the first simultaneous bilingual CBC/Radio-Canada broadcast.

* The Trille Or awards celebrate excellence in French Canadian Music. In 2019, Moonfruits was nominated in the group, roots group, and singer-songwriter categories. Their Ste-Quequepart album design team, O’lee Graphiste and Gabrielle Dubois, won in the graphic design category.

“… their ability to convey authentic emotion transcends any form of linguistic barrier” — Ommie Jane, Ottawa Showbox

“… that’s what Moonfruits do. They take you somewhere, tell you a story … and then it stays with you. It follows you, lives inside you, and reminds you about the fact that music is about telling our stories … Moonfruits is music best experienced in the presence of loved ones.” — Maria Helena Pacelli, Apt613

Tragedy Ann is a forward-looking folk duo.

Braiding organic vocal harmonies with organ, accordion, singing saw, and guitars, Tragedy Ann’s arrangements are as delicate as they are driving. Their concerts emanate “…the honesty and enthusiasm of people who can’t help but create and perform.” (Jon Farmer, Georgian Bay Roots).

With their latest album “Heirlooms” (May 2022), Liv Cazzola and Braden Phelan issue a call for deeper connection with each other and with the natural world. The answer to this call is reflected both in the collaborative creation process and the meaningful ways in which “Heirlooms” is being shared. Setting these intentions rooted them and provided the insight needed to nourish the project and create something lasting.

Tragedy Ann has performed in Europe, the United States, and across Canada at such venues as the National Arts Centre, Celtic Connections, Haliburton Folk Society, Egersund Visefestival, Blue Skies Music Festival, Clonakilty International Guitar Festival, Summerfolk Music and Crafts Festival, and Hillside Festival.

“Oh my gosh, you are all so rad, you sound great,” That is how American singer-songwriter Sharon Van Etten described The Kates. Formed with a mission to highlight the need for more women in music, exciting five-piece The Kates, from West Cork, are due to release their upcoming debut EP Pictures Here Of Dreams at CIGF this September.

Stanley Super 800 are a four-piece indie-rock band from Cork. The band formed in 2003 and toured all over Ireland, the UK and Europe until 2010. During that time, they released 4 records including ‘Louder & Clearer’ which was nominated for a Choice Music Prize, for Irish Album of the year in 2007.

Since 2010, the 4 members have all been busy working on other musical projects but have decided to dust down the gear and reform for the Clonakilty International Guitar Festival, where SS800 featured in the lineup for the inaugural festival back in 2005.

Méabh Ní Bheaglaoich (accordion,vocals), Nicole Ní Dhubhshláine (concertina, flute), Niamh Varian-Barry (fiddle, viola, vocals), and Kyle Macaulay (guitar, bouzouki), came together in early 2023 to form Cuas, a collective that performs and celebrates the wild and diverse musical traditions of West Kerry. Inspired by the emotive songs and the vibrant dance traditions of the area, the group puts the intrinsic link between listener and performer at the heart of the performance.

Steve Ryan is a songwriter, guitar player and educator.  A founding member of Giveamanakick and currently of Windings, Steve has also collaborated with the Rusangano Family, Denise Chaila and Naive Ted among many others. Steve is currently Course Director of the MA Songwriting in the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance, University of Limerick.

the next new low

everything is nearly always falling apart when the next new low play, but somehow the well-crafted songs save us and we all leave with a comfortable glow.
the next new low refers to the journey from a terminal diagnosis to its inevitable end. alot of the songs directly reference this journey and its aftermath but don’t be misled, the music is a celebration of life, with humor, pathos and wit abound.

the next new low have been busy recording in 2024 and played National Concert Hall as part of the Metronome series and appear on RTE’s Music from Ireland series.

“They’ve got the precision of Vulfpeck, the coolness of Parliament  and the energy of James Brown” HotPress Magazine 

Grooveline: one of Ireland’s most dynamic and exciting upcoming bands. The 6 piece  style bending band rooted in funk blend (High energy Funk, Groove, hip-hop, Rock ,Jazz and trad) to make a completely refreshing sound that is “unlike anything in the Irish music scene “ (Rua media)

This captivating sound comes together with their raw and explosive energy to create an “exhilarating live show” (HotPress) and with the ability to “encapsulate the crowd into an immersive bubble of ultimate fun” (TradFest).

Grooveline are becoming one Dublins most electric and saught after acts. Since December 2022  they have sold out headline shows in Whelans, the workman’s club and the Róisín dubh, the Grand Social, Supported Kíla in the National Stadium. Won Dublin battle of the bands, played at Whelans Ones to watch and played at the St Patrick’s day Festival Dublin, went on a festival tour around Ireland and headlined Dublin culture night in temple bar. 

Sam Clague (guitar), Ultan Lavery (organ) and Jim Christy (drums) explore some classic organ trio repertoire and a selection of jazz, blues and boogaloo tunes from a funkier time.