Road to Home County 50
May 31 – Road to Home County Concert
Artists: SHEBAD & 646yf4t
Time: 2 PM – 5 PM
Location: London Brewing Co-op, 521 Burbrook Place, London, Ontario
Admission: Free
The Road to Home County 50 concert series continues on May 31 with performances by SHEBAD & 646yf4t. Hosted at London Brewing Co-op as part of its Sunday AfterTunes programming, this free afternoon concert brings together two distinctive artists connected to Canada’s evolving folk and roots music scene.
Featured Artists – May 31
SHEBAD
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SHEBAD is the creative spirit of visual artist and vocalist Claire Voy and multi-instrumentalist Ciccio Spagnolo. Hailing from Guelph, Ontario, Canada, their music plays on the exploratory realm of Indie-Soul, characterized by jazz-influenced melodies, danceable basslines, and transcendent layered vocals. Their sound is a synthesis of influences like Stevie Wonder, Hiatus Kaiyote, Amy Winehouse, Daft Punk, and Erykah Badu, making the music compelling and curious with lyrics from the heart. CBC’s Laila Biali aptly describes their sound as “Music that exists in a sonic world of its own”.
The band released their debut album Music is the Answer on Nov. 1st, 2024 to extremely positive feedback including a 9/10 album rating from music critic Giggens, making Spotify’s Best of Fresh Finds Canada 2024 and claiming the 19th slot on RANGE’s top 50 Canadian Albums of 2024, as well as praise from CBC’s Tom Power, Laila Biali, Rohit Joseph and more. The album’s lead single ‘Black Walnut’ made Anthony Fantano’s ‘The Needle Drop’s best songs of the week’ and charted #5 on TOKIO HOT 100 for two-weeks straight leading to them taking 88th in J-WAVE’s Top 100 songs of 2024.
Performing live, SHEBAD takes the stage in a 5-piece arrangement with Ciccio Spagnolo (Bass/Keys/Flute), Claire Voy (Vox/Guitar/Synth), Emil White (Keys/Bass/Sax/Vox), Bella Tian (Keys/Synth/Vox), and Emmitt Leacock (Drums/MC). The variation between danceable and emotive songs creates a dynamic and memorable experience for listeners, making SHEBAD a lovely surprise for folk, jazz, funk, and groove listeners alike. The band has performed direct support slots for their idols, including Kamasi Washington, Thievery Corporation, Anomalie, and The Free Label. They’ve played live-to-air across Canada on CBC, showcased their unique sound on Audiotree Live, and left their mark on festivals such as Rochester International Jazz Festival, Toronto International Jazz Festival, Mariposa, Hillside, Sunfest, and more. SHEBAD kicks off 2026 with a joint release featuring Canadian talents King Cruff and Anomalie, followed by several significant festival appearances leading up to their sophomore album.
Managed by Amit Mehta of Good Company Productions, represented by Kyle Noone of Royal Artist Group alongside Snarky Puppy, Couch, and Polyrhythmics, and supported by Cam Litchmore of Take Aim Media on PR, SHEBAD is defining their pathway as a uniquely Canadian voice in a genre-diverse world of music shared by their fans and fans-to-be.
646yf4t (Zachary Simmonds)
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Oshawa-born creator Zachary Simmonds operates at the intersection of raw talent and sonic alchemy. Born into a musical family, Zach spent years cultivating a signature style that bends genres while maintaining emotional precision — a duality that's made him one of Canada's most compelling emerging forces.
His collaborative work reveals a chameleonic range: from the vulnerable pen behind his brother, Daniel Caesar's Valentina (Never Enough, 2024) to the left-field production on Dylan Sinclair's LEMON TREES, each project showcases his ability to enhance an artist's vision while imprinting his own distinct signature.
But it's 646yf4t where Zach's vision hits hardest. His debut EP, Growing Pains (Sincerely Yours, 2025), announced him as a singular voice — stream-of-consciousness storytelling over genre-bending soundscapes, moving between alt-R&B, punk-rock, and something entirely his own. Lead single "Jersey" earned a Spotify Fresh Finds R&B cover, while "Brainwash" moved with effortless precision: unadorned lyricism floating over production that cracks the code between raw and refined. He closed out the year with a feature on Daniel Caesar's Son of Spergy (Republic), appearing alongside Bon Iver, Sampha, and Blood Orange on the Billboard 200 Top 10 album.
2026 marks his first steps on stage — making his live debut supporting Chris LaRocca at Longboat Hall before taking the Danforth Music Hall stage alongside Strings From Paris.
"The best music happens when you stop chasing and start confronting," Simmonds reflects. That truth-seeking approach informs everything he touches. Break every rule. Pass the lessons forward.
Upcoming Road to Home County Shows
The Road to Home County concert series features monthly performances at London Brewing Co-op in London, Ontario. Each event takes place during the venue’s popular Sunday AfterTunes programming and is free to attend.
Additional artists and posters will be announced as the series continues.
June 28
Ada Lea
What is Road to Home County?
Road to Home County is a live music concert series presented by the Home County Folk League in partnership with London Brewing Co-op.
Created to celebrate the upcoming Home County Music & Art Festival, the series showcases artists from across Ontario and Quebec in an intimate community setting.
Supported by the London Community Foundation and the Paul Seed Fund, Road to Home County highlights both emerging and established performers whose music reflects the traditions and evolving sounds of Canadian folk and roots music.
Each event offers audiences the chance to:
Discover new Canadian folk and roots artists
Experience live music in a smaller, community-focused venue
Connect with the Home County Folk League outside the festival weekend
Build excitement for the upcoming Home County Music & Art Festival
With free admission and a welcoming atmosphere, Road to Home County brings the spirit of the festival to London throughout the spring and summer months.
Past Road to Home County Shows
Explore highlights from previous Road to Home County concerts that helped launch the series.
Conor Gains
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Selling out shows at local venues since he was 13 and even catching the attention of the late Les Paul who invited him to play on stage at the famous Iridium Jazz Club in NYC, are the exact moments that just seem to find Conor Gains.
Now, with thousands of shows around the globe under his belt, including the prestigious Montreal Jazz Festival, Rock The Park (London), Massey Hall and many more. the award-winning artist from Cambridge, Ontario has caught his stride with his debut EP Three, co-produced with Mike Wise (Ellie Goulding, James Blunt) and out now via Wax Records. Now with millions of streams across platforms, 2 songs landed in the top 25 alt rock radio and lots of love from the American Sirius blues & rock radio stations. Gains released his latest full length self produced record Good Time Buddies in May of 2025 and is ready to take his tried and tested stories of life on the road and music from the heart to listeners from coast to coast.
Over the years Conor has shared stage and opened for acts such as;
Marc Ford (Black Crowes), Kaleo, Glorious Sons, Big Wreck, Feist, Colin Linden, Daniel Lanois and many more.
Already creating a massive buzz across Canada and the US, it is clear that there was a lane ready and waiting, for an artist like Conor Gains. As real and raw as it gets, Conor is the true definition of a road warrior, playing close to 200 shows a year. Now with a team behind him, the right music, and the right moment - this singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist (pedal steel anyone!?) and producer is quickly becoming known as Canada’s next big thing. Authentic, organic, and out-of-the-box, Conor Gains has no desire to follow the pack. This is definitely a journey you will want to follow.
Alex Cooper
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Alex Cooper is a Canadian singer-songwriter whose music blends elements of folk, indie, and acoustic storytelling. Known for thoughtful lyrics and expressive vocals, Cooper’s songs explore themes of personal growth, relationships, and everyday experiences.
Performing both solo and in collaborative settings, Alex Cooper brings an intimate and engaging presence to the stage. Her performances highlight the emotional connection between artist and audience that is at the heart of the folk and singer-songwriter tradition.
Nia Nadurata
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25-year old indie pop sensation Nia Nadurata began her musical journey in 2021. Since then, she has collaborated with artists such as Russ, Preston Pablo, Valley and more, made her solo debut in 2023 and has amassed over 5 million streams to date. In 2025, Nia released her debut EP Still Living With My Parents alongside hit single “Souvenirs”. With more music to share, Nia is here to light the way for a new generation of artists.
love_theperson
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love_theperson is a singer/songwriter and musician who has been playing music and writing songs since the age of 13. love embraces a fluid, exploratory approach to sound that reflects their wide-ranging musical tastes. They have been influenced by artists such as Hayley Williams, Jazmine Sullivan, Mary Mary, Alanis Morissette, Pinegrove, and many more. love’s music is available on all streaming platforms under the name "fiker," with their song(s) "heavyhand" and “Lovers Quarrel” by Keyon Lowquan, which they feature on, now released. With every new song, love continues to lean into curiosity, honesty, and the joy of musical exploration.
Paul & Trevor Mills
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Paul Mills was born weeks before the end of the Second World War. He almost became a chemical engineer, and even lays claim to formulating lemon fresh Joy. However, the world became a better place when he ran away and joined the CBC in the seventies-heyday of respectable budgets. Over the course of those early years, he enabled the founding of the Winnipeg Folk Festival, flew across the Arctic Circle with Anne Murray, created a weekly folk music radio show hosted by Sylvia Tyson, produced all but one of Stan Rogers’ records, fathered Trevor, and then exposed him to the persistent culture of folk music.
For Paul is a picker, and one of the finest from back in the day. Yet, he approaches music as a producer, always looking for and finding the tasteful ways to make the song – whatever song – just, better. That approach informed Trevor’s early musical influences. Mills the younger grew to be an intuitive bass player and songwriter himself, touring across Canada with the likes of Digging Roots, Nathan Rogers and Aengus Finnan.
Trevor found his own balance between science and the arts. After graduating as an engineer, specializing in quantum physics, he found a career as a software developer. Coding is something he could do from the back of the tour van while driving across Canada for days at a time. He is more settled into home life these days, finding time around work for music with friends and family in Barrie, Ontario.
Paul is still going strong. Although he has retired from his work as a record producer, he’s performing more solo shows these days than he has in years. In 2017, he was named as a Member of the Order of Canada for his years of exemplary contributions to the music industry and in 2021 he was inducted into the London Music Hall of Fame.
Lost Property
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Lost Property is the music of London musicians Toby Milton and Laika Berdey. After recording a solo album in 2020, Toby recruited Laika to sing backups in the 2025 EP “Inner Child”. Laika has since joined Lost Property as a permanent member. Inner Child was released on streaming and CD in February 2025.
Discover More Home County Artists
Road to Home County highlights the diverse artists connected to the Home County community while introducing audiences to new voices in Canadian folk, roots, and singer-songwriter music.
As the series continues, this page will be updated with:
Upcoming show posters
Artist announcements
Performer bios
Photos and highlights from past events
Check back regularly to see who will be performing next on the Road to Home County.