Home County 2025
Music and Art Festival Performer Lineup
BEDOUIN SOUNDCLASH
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Formed in 2001 and named after Israeli dub artist/producer Badawi’s 1996 release, Bedouin Soundclash’s debut album Root Fire (2001) received critical acclaim before sophomore album Sounding a Mosaic (2004) sent the band global, culminating in a series of sold-out shows and festival appearances around the world.
Their album featured the smash hit single “When The Night Feels My Song”, produced by punk-hardcore royalty Darryl Jenifer of Bad Brains, and the band went on to pick up their first JUNO Award in 2006 for Canada’s Best New Group, along with numerous accolades around Europe.
Their follow-up album Street Gospels (2007) earned a ‘Pop Album of the Year’ nomination and ‘Video of the Year’ nomination for the single “Walls Fall Down” at the 2008 JUNO’s as well as three Much Music Video Award nominations for their video for “Until We Burn in the Sun” in 2009.
Bedouin Soundclash released their fourth studio album Light the Horizon in 2010. Produced by King Britt, the album included the singles “Mountain Top”, “Elongo” and “Brutal Hearts” which featured French-Canadian singer-songwriter Coeur de Pirate.
Their fifth studio album MASS (2019) was co-produced by legendary Philadelphia House DJ King Britt, along with musical direction from Ben Ja`e of Preservation Hall, ‘MASS’ spans two communities, recorded at Marigny Studio’s in New Orleans with the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, and in Vancouver at St. James Church with the children of the St. James Music Academy.
While pulling from their old catalogue, the band journeyed further into New Orleans jazz, afro-pop, electronic and gospel, reflecting a creative rebirth influenced by the cities and musicians that surrounded them.
Bedouin Soundclash have toured all over the world and have shared the stage with the likes of No Doubt, Ben Harper, Damian Marley, The Roots, The Interrupters, Gogol Bordello, Bad Brains, and Thievery Corporation among many others.
OMBIIGIZI
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OMBIIGIZI – pronounced om-BEE-ga-ZAY, meaning this is noisy – is a collaboration between Zoon (Daniel Monkman) and Status/Non Status (Adam Sturgeon), Anishnaabe artists who explore their cultural histories through sound. Their music together is a rumination on family, a celebration and holistic cleansing, with a strong sense of unity and loving support. An amalgam of their Indigenous heritages and personal musical architectures, Daniel and Adam imbue their lyrics with their families’ storytelling, revealing truths and finding common ground amidst their differences. The debut album, entitled Sewn Back Together, is a fusion of individuality – a reflection on Adam and Daniel’s commitment to each other as collaborators and distinct members of community.
The first single, “Residential Military,” is guttural and unadorned: swirling art rock a la Murray Street era Sonic Youth that ambles from brash, kinetic verses, to bursts of radiant liquid melody in the choruses. “Birch bark canoe paddles onto the freeway / No turn signal, how to switch lanes?” A story of Adam’s desire to connect traditions in a modern world, the song responds to Canada’s current reckoning with its history of military industrial and residential school systems by introducing a concept that Adam describes as Indigenous Futurisms – “finding the past to picture a future which is not always so easy here and now.” Summoning life and creation in place of anguish, “Residential Military” is a clash of catharsis, and a resonant image of personal reconciliation, interpreted live and in the moment.
Putting aside the tonal nuances of their previous work as Zoon and Status / Non Status, OMBIIGIZI strips back the waves of distortion to reveal themselves, their voices, writing and improvising for the sake of the song. The family on Sewn Back Together includes Kevin Drew of Broken Social Scene on production and The Bathouse Studio’s Nyles Spencer engineering. Recorded there in fast and intentional sessions during the summer of 2021, Drew and Spencer helped steer this collision of divergent artists into some glorious sonic territory steeped in shoegaze, dream pop, anthemic rock, Chicago post-rock, and 2nd wave emo. While not always getting to play and perform alongside other members of their community, OMBIIGIZI is a coming together – Sewn Back Together is a resounding statement shaped by healing and the guidance of culture.
RAISED BY SWANS
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Raised By Swans (he/him) is the recording alias of Canadian songwriter, singer and multi-instrumentalist Eric Howden. Fiercely independent in all aspects of his music, spanning five full-length albums and two decades thus far, his haunting, contemplative songs have been described as evoking “both mournful and triumphant emotions” (Exclaim!), and have been featured in international film and television, including Academy Award and Palm d’Or nominated director Atom Egoyan’s Chloe (2010), starring Liam Neeson and Julianne Moore.
Raised By Swans Is The Name Of A Man, Volume 2: Run With The Silent Wildfires (2023), is the latest of five albums Howden has written, arranged, performed, produced and independently released as Raised By Swans; his past LPs are Codes and Secret Longing (2005), No Ghostless Place (2010), Öxnadalur (2014), and Raised By Swans Is The Name Of A Man, Volume 1 (2021). Over the eight years spent creating Volumes 1 and 2, he performed concerts in twelve countries, managed a tiny harbourside grocery shop in the most remote municipality in Iceland, and planted 10,000 baby birch trees in the hills of Öxnadalur (a valley in North Iceland), all by himself.
Currently based in London, Ontario, Raised By Swans will be touring in Europe in the fall of 2025. His latest single, “locket from a wreck”, was released on May 7th, 2024.
PACANOMAD
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Hailing from the city of London, Ontario, Pacanomad has captured many with their soul-stirring sound and magnetic performances since 2012. Friends came together with a shared love of music and dream to create; the result, a rich tapestry of sound that combines elements of soul, jazz, and psychedelic rock.
Pacanomad is comprised of lead singer and songwriter Chantel Rivard, guitarist Nick Cifaldi, bassist Dave Ball, and drummer Zack Stewart. Chantel’s haunting vocals and introspective lyrics serve as a perfect vehicle for Dave's driving bass lines, Zack's energetic beats, and Nick's soulful guitar solos. Together, they create an ethereal and raw sound that is all their own.
Their lyrics explore themes of love, loss, and self-discovery, often incorporating personal experiences and social commentary. They have released 2 full-length albums, the most recent being their self-titled album (Sept. 2025).
Their recent single “Sleeps” tells the story of personal loss when you don’t get a chance to say goodbye and has garnered attention around the world. They have played with bands such as Begonia, The Julian Taylor Band, Fast Romantics, Chic Gamine, Ivory Hours, and The Blue Stones and their song “I Lost You” is featured in 2025 Canadian film “Alterations” by director Jen Romnes.
NEW CUMBERLAND
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Featuring inventive solo work, driving rhythms and three-part vocal harmonies, New Cumberland’s musical integrity and joy in playing together resonates in every performance.
The resumes for the various individuals in New Cumberland include bluegrass stints with the Dixie Flyers, Rural Retreat and Cumberland Wail - as well as wide ranging experiences outside bluegrass in rock and folk music.
Proficient in the straight-ahead driving bluegrass of Bill Monroe and Jimmy Martin, New Cumberland also stretches the genre in directions taken by The Seldom Scene, John Hartford and Jerry Garcia’s Old and in the Way. Songs from non-bluegrass artists such as the Grateful Dead, Neil Young, The Stones and Willie P. Bennett are also liable to appear on a New Cumberland set list.
Past shows include several Home County Festival appearances along with appearances at the Tottenham Bluegrass Festival, the Canterbury Folk Festival and London’s Aeolian Hall to name just a few.
Members:
Tom Burns – guitar and vocals
Blair Heddle – mandolin, dobro, guitar and vocals
Paul Hurdle – banjo and vocals
Tom Rutledge – string bass
Joining them for most shows (including this one at Home County):
Darrin Schott – fiddle and mandolin
“Refreshingly tuneful, New Cumberland has everything I love about roots music; seamless harmonies, timeless tunes, and a whole lot of things with strings!”
— Allison Brown, former host of CHRW’s “For The Folk” 94.9 FM London.
“Bluegrass masters…”
— James Reaney, London Free Press
THE MARRIEDS
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Two-time Forest City London Music Award Winners (Folk/Roots), Canadian Folk Music Award Nominees (Vocal Group of the Year), Toronto Independent Music Award Nominees (Folk/Roots & Best Music Video), and the 2019 winners of Folk Music Ontario’s “Songs From The Heart” competition in the Roots Category, The Marrieds are known for their folk-pop-roots sound filled with clever lyrics and sweet harmonies. They have shared the stage with luminaries including Kathleen Edwards, Rose Cousins, Bahamas, The Trews, Danny Michel, Lennie Gallant, Ian Thomas, Tommy Cash, Fluke Holland, and many others. With four studio albums under their belts, The Marrieds perform for audiences across Canada, winning praise for their songwriting, performances, and charm.
SISTER RAY
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At some point you confront the fact that you’ve evolved into the person you’ll be forever. On “Believer,” the sophomore effort by Sister Ray (they/them), the expansive folk project led by Toronto-based singer-songwriter Ella Coyes, they evaluate what it means to hold your center while continually reappraising how to make sense of the world.
Conjuring the barbed alternative folk and sweeping Americana of Tom Waits, Smog, and Lucinda Williams, the album unfurls and claws towards greater emotional precision. Patient, heaving guitar lines defer generous space to shimmering keys and steady percussion, all held together by Coyes’ unmistakable voice.
Recorded in Brooklyn, New York, Coyes worked with frequent collaborator and producer Jon Nellen (Big Thief, Nick Hakim), as well as Marc Ribot (Tom Waits), Paul Spring (Holy Hive, Fleet Foxes, El Michaels Affair), and Isaiah Barr (Dev Hynes, David Byrne) to experiment with a new process: pushing themselves to cut a song a day with minimal revisions to let the seams show.
Exploring a form of songcraft inspired by the meditative power of repetition, instrumental synchronicity, and the many ways emotions can hang heavy in a song, they foreclosed on the option to second guess themselves. Instead, they created an outlet for all the contemplations that sit on the tongue and behind the teeth. What emerged was a collection of tracks, both luminous, lived-in — imbued with a stirring confidence and designed to stare down a private form of truth. Throughout, they confront the unnerving parts of our psyche where rage, envy, and anguish take up residence.
“Magic” is a resolute and joyous Valentine to the self, adorned with victorious horns to match; “Believer” cranks the tension on a golden-toned yearning for salvation in the face of skepticism; elsewhere, “Wings” captures the playful and bewildering contradiction of slowed-down POV roller coasters, of longing to fly and also remain tethered.
From learning how to extend grace to family and map the terrains of relational unravellings, to reshaping the body into a refuge, Believer is a striking testament to the countless ways we can redefine how to stick the landing
Born and raised in the Alberta prairies of Sturgeon County, and now based in Toronto, the 25-year-old artist earned widespread attention with their acclaimed debut effort, Communion and follow up EP, Teeth. Backed by ginla’s Joe Manzoli and Jon Nellen, both of whom previously played with Adrianne Lenker and Lorely Rodriguez (Empress Of), the record was an unvarnished portrait of heartbreak, and the mundane realizations of how the experiences that comprise your past instruct how you move through the world. The album was longlisted for the 2022 Polaris Prize, and across both releases they have been featured in Pitchfork, Audiotree, Paste, NPR, The Guardian, Line of Best Fit and more, along with tours supporting Hurray For The Riff Raff, and appearances at Pitchfork Festival in Paris and London, Primavera Weekender.
If the tracks on “Communion” were fueled with an intentional sense of urgency, for their songwriting to serve as a vehicle for excavating revelations in motion, “Believer” yearns in a different direction. It rings with certainty that self-assurance is cultivated through the cracks of discomfort.
FRASER TEEPLE
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Shaped by two decades of work as a climbing arborist, Fraser Teeple approaches music like a tradesman: he respects the strong tradition he stands within, and works carefully and with dedication to master the skill of telling a story, creating an image, or crafting a melody.
His economy and sensitivity as a songwriter are driven home with a textured voice that can cut through an east-end dive bar or soulfully creak out a heartbreaker to a still concert hall.
He has apprenticed in bars, coffee shops, and music venues across Canada and Europe — and has become a soundtrack for driving down a dirt road, renovating a house, and burning driftwood on a northern beach.
His latest album, We Built a Fire, sees Fraser collaborate with producer Matthew Johnston to create a record that is at once ethereal and rooted, dirty and clean. Something that feels built in the tradition of songwriters like Bonnie Raitt and Bruce Springsteen, but sounds completely like itself: northern, soulful, gritty, rural, well-traveled, honest, desperate, hurt, generous, hopeful, warm.
LEANNE MAYER
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Leanne Mayer is a retro soul-pop artist from London, Ontario, celebrated for her powerful vocals, vintage-inspired grooves, and disarmingly honest songwriting. With her signature 8-string ukulele in hand, she fuses the warmth of classic soul with indie folk and pop, delivering songs that are both emotionally raw and cheekily clever.
Her work has earned her critical acclaim, including the Forest City London Music Award for Contemporary Singer/Songwriter in 2019, along with annual nominations since. National exposure on CBC Radio helped grow her dedicated following, further fueled by her intimate and timeless performances.
Leanne’s music draws comparisons to artists like Amy Winehouse and Alanis Morissette, inviting listeners into a lush world of storytelling through heartfelt melodies and genre-blurring arrangements. After releasing several singles between 2020 and 2023—including live-off-the-floor recordings—she is currently crafting her highly anticipated full-length album, slated for anticipated release in 2026.
With a signature sound that bridges soulful ballads and toe-tapping pop, Leanne Mayer is a standout voice in Canada’s indie music scene, continuing to captivate audiences with her authenticity and timeless energy.
The Sounds of Home County
Home County is proud to present a lineup that blends well-loved folk and roots traditions with bold new sounds. Our stage features artists who bring stories to life through original music, acoustic instrumentation, and dynamic live performances that celebrate creativity and community.
Discover Emerging Canadian Musicians and Touring Artists
Whether you're discovering your next favourite act or catching a seasoned performer, Home County is known for spotlighting both established names and emerging talent. Most of our lineup is Canadian, but we’re thrilled to welcome international voices that enrich our musical landscape.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
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Yes! All scheduled performances at Home County are free and open to the public, thanks to the support of our sponsors, funders, and community partners. Donations are also welcome.
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We focus on folk, roots, and emerging genres, from traditional acoustic sets to contemporary sounds with a strong storytelling spirit. There’s always something for both long-time fans and new listeners.
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Some do! Many artists appear multiple times throughout the weekend on different stages. The full schedule, including performance times, will be posted closer to the festival dates.
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You can usually find artist merch available near the performance stages or in designated merchandise tents. It’s a great way to support the performers directly.
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Yes, we aim to make the festival as accessible as possible. Performance areas are located in Victoria Park, which has paved paths and accessible entry points. If you have specific questions about accessibility, feel free to contact us.
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Yes! Artists can apply through our performer application page. Please note that applying does not guarantee a performance slot, as most of the lineup is curated by our Artistic Advisors.