Folk Roots Radio Episode 386: Evan & John and New Releases

Indie folk duo Evan & John from Sarnia, Ontario have a sound that’s influenced by both Simon & Garfunkel and The Milk Carton Kids and focuses on tight, complex harmonies, wrapped in a beautiful duelling acoustic guitar accompaniment. They join us in the studio on Episode 386 of Folk Roots Radio for a chat about their music and three live songs. We also check out new music from Annie Lou, Dana Sipos, Kellie Loder, Welli Horne, Lewis West DeAdder, Thomas Stajcer, Sons Of Rhythm, Gordie Tentrees with Jaxon Haldane and Norm Brunet. Check out the full playlist below.

Interview

Evan Dawe and John Pilat started making music together in 2017. In January 2018, they released an EP entitled “Little Songs”. They have since re-recorded the E.P. and have now re-released it as “Early June”. They have also separately released a digital single, “House By The Sea”.

Evan & John will be playing the 2018 edition of Pelee Island’s folk festival, The Island Unplugged which takes place during the weekend of August 4-6 2018. For more information, visit evanandjohn.bandcamp.com.

Show Notes

Notes about some of the new music on our radar that made it into Episode 386 of Folk Roots Radio.

Newfoundland’s Kellie Loder has just released her third album “Benefit Of The Doubt” (2017, Self) which features Kellie on piano, guitar, with support from a musical who’s who from St John’s. Kellie Loder co-produced eight of the 10 original songs on the album allowing her to feel more connected to this project than any before.

“To some degree all these songs came relatively easy because I knew what I wanted to say. I feel like I am writing songs all the time. I have about a million little ideas recorded on my iPhone. But the process is never the same way twice. I can overhear something when I am out. Or I can wake up and just start singing into my phone”.

Kellie Loder is touring Newfoundland, Alberta and Ontario this summer. For more information visit kellieloder.com.

Canadian fingerstyle guitarist and singer-songwriter Lewis West DeAdder has just released his eleventh album “The Traveler”. On this episode we play the east coast flavoured instrumental “Salty Dog”.

Gordie Tentrees and Jaxon Haldane have released “Grit” (2018, Greywood Records), their first album as a duo, and after sharing the stage for 548 shows in 11 countries. Fittingly its a live album, recorded at five shows in Alberta during the fall of 2017. The album features two Haldane/Tentrees co-writes “Armand, Junior”, their version of the Fred Eaglesmith/ Tentrees song “Craft Beards & Man Buns” and a Tommy Womack/Will Kimbrough cover “I Don’t Have a Gun” alongside live versions of some Gordie Tentrees solo songs, and the song we played on this episode, Jaxon Haldane taking the lead with his version of the Willie P Bennett classic “Willie’s Diamond Joe”.

Sons Of Rhythm are a Toronto based blues band featuring Mick Maratta (vocals, bass), Mike Carbone (drums) and Federico Luiu (lead guitar). On this episode we play “My Time Is Gonna Come” from their self-titled debut EP which also features keyboards from Anthony Brancati, and vocals from Joey Landreth and Lydia Persaud.

Thomas Stajcer, house engineer at Joel Plaskett’s New Scotland Yard studio in Dartmouth NS has stepped into the limelight in his own right with his country roots debut album “Will I Learn To Love Again?” (2018, Self).

And finally, a song I’ve been looking forward to playing on the radio. “Angel” is a song by Welli Horne I first heard during the winter months at the monthly Dale’s Friday Coffee House in Leamington ON. I absolutely fell in love with it, and just knew that he had to record it. Angel was recorded by John Law in Wheatley ON with backing vocals from Francine Honey. Welli’s fingerstyle playing and plaintive almost spoken word delivery just gives me goosebumps everytime I listen to it. I hope you enjoy it too.

“While visiting Bay Roberts NL a few years ago the evening conversation came round to the Titanic and the many locals lost at sea. The next day one of the children who had overheard the conversation asked as we passed the community cemetery, “What happened to those people?” I told her they were Angels in God’s hands. “Ok,” she said and we moved on. Last year at the Leamington Songwriters group we were asked to consider a song about a special incident with a child. “Angel” developed from that child’s question. I played it in BC on a May visit and related the story. My B.C. friends commented on the universality of the song as so many lives have been lost on the west coast and on the waters of the world. It was suggested that those lost on the Edmond Fitzgerald might also “…fly about at night, peeking in windows bright to see their loved ones left behind….”

That’s all we have time for, this time around. Thanks to all the artists who share their music with us, and thank you for listening. We have a lot of great music and interviews to bring you on future shows. I hope you’ll join us!

Listen

You can listen to this episode again on Soundcloud by following the link below. You can also listen to episodes of Folk Roots Radio, on demand, via iTunes, Stitcher and Tune-in Radio. (Click on the highlighted link to reach your chosen platform.)

Playlist

Nicolas & The Iceni (Theme)
Lucy She Rises (Demo)
Roll Right (Pre-release, self)

Annie Lou
You’ll Be An Angel (Sail Away Ladies)
End Zone (2018, Self) CDN

Dana Sipos
Lean Times
Trick Of The Light (2018, Roaring Girl Records) CDN

Kellie Loder
Hate Loves Hate
Benefit Of The Doubt (2017, Self) CDN

Welli Horne
Angel
(single) (2018, Self) CDN

Lewis West DeAdder
Salty Dog
The Traveler (2018, Self) CDN

Evan & John
South Coast Highway (Live)

Interview: Evan & John live in the Folk Roots Radio studio.

Evan & John
Turncoat (Live)

Evan & John
Early June (Live)

Thomas Stajcer
Any Old Road
Will I Learn To Love Again? (2018, Self) CDN

Sons Of Rhythm
My Time Is Gonna Come
Sons Of Rhythm [EP] (2018, Self) CDN

Gordie Tentrees, Jaxon Haldane
Willie’s Diamond Joe
Grit (2018, Greywood Records) CDN

Norm Brunet
I WIll
It Don’t Get Better Than This (2017, Self) CDN