Introducing ABBY K. Our 1st artist at the 2020 RavenWood Virtual Music Festival, ABBY K. will be on stage @ 6:55 p.m. on Friday, August 21st, 2020.
Building on the spark that fired her passion for performing and combining her soulful vocals and guitar styling, ABBY K. writes with impactful vulnerability, reaching her audience on multiple levels. A 2019 Edmonton Music Award nominee, ABBY K. released her debut EP “Words That Came To Mind” in July 2018. The release featured three singles, including “Better On My Own” which reached #8 on the iTunes Top Selling Singer-Songwriter Singles Chart. “Better On My Own” also caught the attention of radio securing feature spins on radio stations in Alberta, BC and Ontario. After a summer of performing at festivals such as Wild Oats and Notes Music Festival, the Firefly Acoustic Music Festival, Vegreville Fair Kick Off and Alberta Culture Days, ABBY K. returned to the studio to work with producers Brandon Unis (Karl Wolf) and Brad Simons (Nuela Charles) on some new music. This collaboration lead to ABBY K.’s most recent release “Sounds Promising”. This new single has turned her spark into a flame for all to see and with help from radio stations across Canada, "Sounds Promising" has been reaching new audiences who are asking for more!
Visit ABBY K's website: www.abbykmusicofficial.com
Introducing the Dahlia & Alan Duo, who will perform together on stage @ 8:05 p.m. on Friday, August 21st, 2020.
A ‘little bit country and a whole lot of rock and roll’ describes award-winning powerhouse singer-songwriter Dahlia Wakefield. Like many artists from humble beginnings, Dahlia was raised in the small rural town of Maidstone, Saskatchewan; she left when rock ’n’ roll and the bright lights of the big city of Edmonton, Alberta beckoned. With the grit of Kelly Clarkson, the power of Carrie Underwood and the soulful vocals of Ann Wilson of Heart, Dahlia was excited to release her first single in a very long time called “You Don’t Get To Win” after an initial delay due to Covid-19.
Dahlia (PRON: DALE-yuh), also a vocal and beginner piano coach for the past ten years, is currently working on a brand new three-song country EP with producer Rob Hewes, who has also produced much of the “Dirt Road Angels” albums. Her first single off the EP is an upbeat country/rock tune called “You Don’t Get To Win”, which was released on June 20th to all digital streaming platforms. It was co-produced by Alan Tymofichuk, who also played guitar on the song and also included the other two members of her cover band “Dahlia & The Villains” Steve McGonigle on bass and Ben Samuels on drums. She wrote the song with her dear friend Bobbi-Jayne Stacey, who also lent her vocal talent on this song but unfortunately lost her battle with cancer on Mother’s Day. This was her story, and “You Don’t Get To Win” is dedicated to anyone battling cancer … but ultimately, is a tribute to Bobbi - a very strong woman who fought a valiant battle right to the very end.
A graduate of the Grant MacEwan Music program, Dahlia has been a finalist in several international songwriting competitions with her original songs and has released three solo albums and three singles “Let’s Talk About Love”, “All The Way To Heaven”, and “Unsatisfied”. She has also released three albums with the “Dirt Road Angels”, a country rock band she has been performing with for the past seven years. They have been nominated as ACMA Group and Fans Choice of the Year for the past five years in a row and have also had the opportunity to open for well known Canadian and U.S. country acts including Sammy Kershaw, Collin Raye, Aaron Tippin, Brett Kissell, Chad Brownlee, The Road Hammers, Kira Isabella, High Valley, Aaron Pritchett and more. They have also released several videos and nine singles to Canadian country radio, with their songs “Extra Dirty” and their latest single “Close To Home” hitting #1 on the Euro Chart.
Dahlia has been performing in various bands with talented guitarist/singer Alan Tymofichuk for the past 20 years. They started out together in the trio “The X-Factor” with Al Dobish in 2000 for 10 years, then as a duo act called “The Dahlia & Alan Duo” and more recently as a trio with Stacey Springall in “Three’s Co.” as well as “Dirt Road Angels (aka DRA)” and cover band “Dahlia & The Villains” throughout Alberta for the past several years and having a blast doing so (except during Covid Times). However, rock band “Heart” is Dahlia’s favourite band, and her latest pet project is “Brigade”– Edmonton’s Heart Tribute Band, with their debut in October 2018 to packed venues. Dahlia also enjoys singing solo at various retirement homes throughout Alberta. She finds it really rewarding to see seniors appreciate her singing - it really touches her heart.
Music has been and always will be Dahlia’s passion. Music is her life - it’s who she is. She’s in it for the long haul and looks forward to a lifetime of making music!
Ken Stead already has a firm foothold in the Canadian roots community, having graced the grassy stages and sessions of Edmonton Folk Fest, Canmore Folk Fest, and North Country Fair, as well as rowdier venues like Main Stage Big Valley Jamboree, the Calgary Stampede Coke Stage and Wild Mountain Festival. Whether playing solo, or with his 5 piece band, Ken Stead makes every room feel like home. A generous demeanor, a delicate wit, and an empathetic understanding of audiences of all shapes, his performances are as true and honest as the songs themselves.
Ken is known for silencing a room to a whisper, but with his new release, Civil War, he proves capable of starting an uproar. With more volume, comes more space to make heartfelt moments rattle through your chest. Guitars, bass and drums punctuate charged lyricism and lived experience. It’s full and dynamic roots rock, with an emphasis on connecting with an audience, born from Stead’s keen musical interest in both folk and hip hop.
Performing on stage on Friday, August 21st, 2020, Ken is excited to be part of the 2020 RavenWood Virtual Music Festival.
My name is Quinn River. I am 16 years old and live on a horse ranch near Winfield , Alberta. I love horses and riding and am a rodeo competitor. My other passion is music... and I'm working toward becoming a Singer/Songwriter. My perforRead all amance in the 2020 RavenWood Virtual Music Festival will be a debut of two of my original songs, both of which will be on the six song EP that I am releasing in September 2020. am so excited to be a part of this festival and share my music with you all!
Read all about Lindsey Walker here: https://lindseywalkermusic.com/about
From the young age of 5, inspired by his mother, I realized a passion for music. Starting in a small church in Wingham, Ontario, Canada, I sang solos and over the years performed with my family in Christian Music Festivals in Ontario, Canada. At the age of 19, I realized a dream to become a police officer and was hired on with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Deployed across Canada, I was posted to a western province providing policing services to southern, northern and now central Alberta, Canada. I gained experience in the police dog program for 6.5 years, first responder policing for 13, and gained a specialty as a Tactical Flight Officer on a police helicopter since 2016 responding to some calls that gained international attention. The years of the job proved exciting, rewarding, while highly stressful. Becoming a father changed me in so many ways for the best, however in some circumstances numerous traumatic events especially the ones involving children took a mental and emotional toll over the years. In my eyes, those children became my children who were suffering. The totality of the weight of the job combined with a failed marriage became the catalyst needed to revert back to a natural medicine he had all along to cope and that was music. Writing my first ever song, "Never Meant to Be", was the start of an amazing healing journey. Committed to growth I connected and started working with a band, Hometown Stereo recording amazing projects meanwhile on the sidelines has been focusing on a solo career. Along this road, I crossed paths with some amazing musicians, Chad Melchert, Chris Bryne, David PEDERSON Johnny Gasparic to name a few who have been in my corner who have helped develop the country rock singer songwriter in front of you today. Playing guitar singing and recording with Hometown Stereo, I have had exposure to some amazing experiences opening for Tom Cochrane, Beaumont Blues and Roots, venues in Edmonton, Alberta and while actively working on a secondary future solo music career. To date I have been self funded dedicated to all music projects and also developing my skills in video and music editing. Releasing three singles this year, "Never Meant to Be", "The Distance", and "For You" I am on track to have an album completion by the end of 2020. I look forward to continuing to grow while sharing my story with you.
Stirling John
Read all about Ann Vriend here: http://www.annvriend.com/bio.html
