Performances

The festival offers world-class music on daytime workshop-style stages, as well as an evening concert stage. Daytime workshops are a magical experience well known in the folk festival scene. Several musicians grace each stage and play music based on the theme of the workshop.

Workshop performances provide musicians with the opportunity to talk about their music, which makes it a truly intimate experience for the crowd. Most musicians and performers get a chance to play several of their own songs during each workshop. The talented musicians will often jam along with each other and create music that has never been heard before and may never be recreated again. It’s magic that you have to experience to fully understand.

Upcoming Festival Lineup (2025)

We’re pleased to announce the complete lineup for the Live from the Rock Folk Festival to be held in Pull-a-Log Park in Red Rock, Ontario on August 8 – 10, 2025. The artists performing at this year’s festival are listed below.

Click any photo to enlarge it; click the More info link to visit the artist’s website (in a new browser tab).

Adam Crossman

When you close your eyes and listen to Adam Crossman’s music, it’s hard to believe it’s just one man on stage with an acoustic guitar. Adam creates vivid soundscapes with only six strings, two hands, and an undeniable passion for his craft. Adam is an award-winning solo acoustic fingerstyle guitarist, having secured second place at the Canadian Guitar Festival Fingerstyle Competition. He has captivated audiences worldwide with his unique ability to create intricate melodies, tones and textures that feel like an entire orchestra emanating from his guitar.

Andrina Turenne

Andrina Turenne tells stories through song, delivered in the spirit of road trips, kitchen parties, and bonfire gatherings. Formerly of Juno-award-winning band Chic Gamine, Turenne released her first solo project, Bold as Logs in April 2023. The bilingual, spirited debut explores the wonders of nature, the histories of her homeland and the complexity of human relationships.

Accompanists

Bobby Dove

Bobby Dove is a Canadian singer-songwriter, who is quickly becoming a magnetic presence in the world of Country and Americana music. With a voice as powerful as their storytelling, this trans/non-binary troubadour pays tribute to the golden age of honky tonk, while crafting original, emotionally charged songs that “blend genres with the touch of a master” (Mary Gauthier). Currently based in rural Manitoba, Bobby Dove is preparing to release a new full-length album in the fall of 2025, including a cowrite/duet with Grammy winning songwriter, Jim Lauderdale.

David Essig

David Essig has been a mainstay of the Canadian Folk/Roots scene for over 50 years. He has performed at every major folk festival in Canada and appeared in concerts across North America, Europe, and Australia. David has released 23 original albums and published two books of fiction. David is revered as one of Canada’s finest narrative songwriters and as a brilliant acoustic guitarist.

Deacon Creek

Rooted in the prairies of Manitoba, Deacon Creek delivers a fresh take on roots, Americana & contemporary bluegrass. The combination of complex driving instrumentals and haunting melodic lyrics creates a new perspective on the marriage of folk and bluegrass. Deacon Creek’s original music is created by longtime musicians and soulmates Aisha Belle and Donovan Locken. Their thoughtful orchestration and dynamic harmonious vocals take the listener on a journey to new places. They released their debut album “Orchard Season” in the spring of 2017, and are currently crafting their newest album, to be released in the spring of 2024.

Performers

El Ceibo

Since 2019, El Ceibo has captivated audiences with their unique fusion of Argentinian folk and jazz. Featuring vocals, guitars, charango, and traditional percussion, this dynamic ensemble takes listeners on a musical journey through Argentina’s diverse landscapes. Their self-released EP, showcasing their distinctive style, led to radio features on CBC Radio 1 and Jazz FM, as well as performances at prestigious events like the Toronto Jazz Festival. El Ceibo’s repertoire blends original arrangements of folk classics and contemporary compositions, each imbued with personal stories and cultural experiences.

Performers

Honeypaw

Honeypaw’s vision is to explore the connection between Finnic and Baltic cultures to create rich and enchanting soundscapes. Since 2019, Interdisciplinary artists Jurgita Zvinklyte and Matti Palonen have been blending archival material and ancient Nordic instruments with modern rhythms and sound synthesis.

Jack Pine

Jack Pine (Ottawa singer/songwriter/producer Gareth Auden-Hole) takes his name from the tree whose seeds may only be sown by the intense heat of a raging forest fire. He and his band released their first album, Jack Pine and The Fire, in 2011. It presented a rollicking alternative folk/country sound that breathed new life in to traditional American folk music. Their second album, Left To Our Own Devices, was nominated for a 2018 Canadian Folk Music Award. In 2015, Jack released his solo EP Lone Wolf, a delightfully raw, live-off-the-floor recording that makes full use of the ambient acoustics of the stone chapel in which it was recorded. Jack will be performing solo at this year’s LFTR festival.

Jessica Pearson & The East Wind

Like sirens calling from an ancient shore, the haunting three-part harmonies of Jessica Pearson & The East Wind will bind you in a timeless folkloric spell. Alchemizing roots, classic country, Americana and Celtic soundscapes, the trio spin tales of outlaw heroics, matriarchal power, resistance and resilience, and the unrelenting beauty of becoming who you are. With a “Song of the Year” win in 2021, a nomination for “Performer of the Year” at Folk Music Ontario Awards 2024, and an upcoming two-part album produced by JUNO-winner Hill Kourkoutis featuring an all-women team, JPEW is rising up to offer a powerful musical battle cry against the status quo.

Accompanists

Jing Xia

Jing Xia is a professional guzheng artist and ethnomusicologist based in Newfoundland, Canada. Born and raised in Hunan, China, Xia began her musical journey at the age of six, mastering the guzheng and eventually earning degrees in Music Performance (B.A.), Arts Management (M.A.), and Ethnomusicology (Ph.D.). Her recent accolades include the 2023 East Coast Music Award for “Roots/Traditional Recording of the Year” and the 2023 MusicNL Award for “Album of the Year” for her solo album The Numinous Journey. She was also named the 2023 MusicNL “Solo Artist of the Year” and 2022 MusicNL “Rising Star of the Year”.

Kate Weekes

Kate Weekes is a songwriter and multi-instrumentalist based in the Gatineau Hills of Quebec. Her fourth album, Better Days Ahead dives deep into the liminal space created by lockdowns and cancelled plans to unearth a stirring, picturesque collection of original songs ranging from Appalachian-influenced ballads to anthemic folk-pop to whimsical instrumental waltzes, buoyed by clawhammer banjo and fingerstyle guitar. Kate’s upcoming album, Rideau Roots is set to be released in the fall of 2025. The Canada Council for the Arts project maps the route by canoe through eastern Ontario while exploring the settler narrative of the Rideau Canal.

Accompanists

Kelly Bado

Weaving in influences from her African heritage, la chanson française, and American gospel, Kelly Bado’s songwriting reflects the beauty of the languages and rhythms encountered in her personal journey from Abidjan to Winnipeg. Her striking vocals and uplifting melodies have earned her numerous awards. In 2021 she won Francophone and Global Artist of the Year at the WCMAs, and the Art and Culture Award at the Black and Proud Gala in 2024. Kelly has shared stages with Alessia Cara, Serena Ryder, Walk Off the Earth and Angelique Kidjo. She was a favourite in La Voix Quebec, winning the People’s Choice award, and endorsed by Sir Paul McCartney after hearing Kelly’s duet of “Let It Be” on the show.

Accompanists

King Cardiac

Genre-bending ensemble King Cardiac features singer-songwriter and guitarist Gabriel DeSantis uniting with Toronto heavyweights Paul Metcalfe, Sam Petite, Tom Richards, Lowell Whitty and Alan Zemaitis to explore matters that rule the heart with a unique blend of R&B Folk. Their debut album Bloodlines was engineered and co-produced by Don Kerr (Bahamas, Ron Sexsmith) and mastered by Grammy nominee and Juno and Polaris Prize winner Philip Shaw Bova (Feist, LidoPimienta, Andy Shauf). Bloodlines offers cinematic vignettes of DeSantis’ time living overseas on a narrowboat on the London canals and his adventures touring his solo set throughout Europe.

Leah Holtom

Award-winning folk singer/songwriter Leah Holtom grew up in Brampton, Ontario, and now thrives in Toronto’s vibrant music scene. Blending the best of folk and country, Leah shares a fresh expression of storytelling with a unique take on traditional instrumentation. Her tender yet soaring vocals, paired with acoustic guitars, fiddle and pedal steel, captivate audiences on a heartfelt journey. In 2024, Leah was awarded the Colleen Peterson Songwriting Award from the Ontario Arts Council for her debut single, “Face The Day.” Her rich sound and endearing voice are further showcased on her debut EP, “Patchwork.”

Madeleine Roger

Madeleine Roger is a renowned singer-songwriter from Winnipeg, Canada. While skillfully accompanying herself on acoustic guitar, it is her artistry as a songwriter that can silence a room, uniting her lyrical mastery with a crystalline voice that lingers long after the last note. Her latest album “Nerve” was produced by Josh Kaufman (Bonny Light Horseman, Hiss Golden Messenger, Anais Mitchell) and is a deeply personal body of work examining every nook and cranny of love and loss, while finding a curious peace in spite of it all. “These are devastating songs – beautiful music from Winnipeg’s Madeleine Roger” – Tom Power, Q on CBC

Miranda Currie

Miranda Currie is a northern Indigenous artist living and working among the Dene people in Sombe K’e, more widely known as Yellowknife, Northwest Territories. She walks in two worlds, with one foot in her Swampy Cree heritage and the other foot in her Euro-Canadian ancestry. In 2022, Miranda was awarded Indigenous Artist of Excellence by NWT Music, and her debut solo album Up in the Air was nominated for Aboriginal Songwriter of the Year by the CFMA’s in 2015. In addition to being a musician, Currie is a filmmaker, educator and author of four children’s books. Her mission is to create authentic northern indigenous music, film and books that are accessible to all children and families.

OK Naledi

OK Naledi is a high energy, Queer, Afro-Fusion music group that features traditional sub-Saharan clean guitar lines, classic deep bass and movement-inspiring beats. OK Naledi’s compelling lyricism and catchy melodies showcase them as an exciting, up and coming group to keep tabs on in the Canadian music landscape.

Performers

Pintail

Pintail is a tight-knit four-piece bluegrass band from Thunder Bay, Ontario. Their sound is a blend of traditional bluegrass, infused with elements of classic country and a touch of jazz. Pintail’s goal is to honour the past bluegrass masters while pushing the boundaries of the genre. The band consists of Kyle Shushack (guitar and vocals), Ben Bohémier (mandolin and vocals), Dan Campbell (banjo) and Jennifer Swistun (bass and vocals). All of these musicians have performed for over a decade across Canada as well as in the United States.

Small Town Bad

Tasmine Jane & Mitch Tones have collided on their paths of backroad ballads and smokey saloon sounds to create a a hard twang that brings the acoustic roots of the great white north to blend with a taste of southern outlaw swank. Through a Canadian-Roots renaissance form of storytelling, alongside powerful harmonies with a raw, live sound, Small Town Bad delivers a unique & compelling performance sure to leave you enthralled long after the curtains are drawn!

Accompanists

Stuart MacLean & Nick Warren

Nick Warren & Stuart MacLean are a country/folk duo from northern Ontario that have been picking together for the past year. Both have individual records in the works, set to come out soon.

More info: Stuart MacLean – Nick Warren

The Vaudevillian

Ontario, Canada based, award-winning jugband ragtime blues duo The Vaudevillian includes washboard, resonator guitar, banjo, harmonica and musical spoons to get the crowd going. This ragtime blues duo brings you dancing numbers from the prohibition period! Thank goodness PROHIBITION IS OVER!