Brock Zeman

Brock Zeman may only be twenty-five years old, but already he’s released three previous albums with his signature roots style, and been praised by critics for the maturity of his vocals, the depth of his storytelling and his impressive live performances – which he shares with audiences widely and regularly, across North America and Europe.

His fourth album, Welcome Home Ivy Jane, produced by Keith Glass of Prairie Oyster fame, along with Zeman and Steve Foley at Audio Valley, cements Zeman’s talent as a songwriter who balances the grit of everyday life with a lyrical heart. Sung in his deep, rich and twangy vocals and backed by a first rate band, Zeman is, as one reviewer has said, “certainly a rising star” (Atlantic Seabreeze).

Zeman’s vocals often illicit immediate comparisons to Americana greats; Country Music News has said that Zeman has “a voice that begs to be compared to Steve Earle” while Rootshighway claims that “Brock Zeman should have been born in Austin Texas.” But it is Zeman’s songwriting that makes the comparisons to the great singer-songwriters stick.

This spectacular duet covers the full spectrum, paying tribute to some of rock and country’s most celebrated artists, as well as maintaining the integrity with our own blend of upand-coming hillbilly favorites.

Slip on your dancing shoes and enjoy a full evening’s entertainment as two of southwestern Ontario’s most captivating performers deliver an Unforgettable, Unstoppable presentation

Sarah Mathieson – in addition to lending her lovely voice and multi-instrumental talents to the team, Sarah also has been writing and performing with local Toronto sensations, “Drive-in Massacre” and “the Blackouts”.

Jefferson Sheppard – there is hardly a moment when this natural entertainer isn’t singing at the top of his resounding voice or softly plucking out a tune on the guitar. Formerly the stand-up bassist of London’s rockabilly heroes, “The Matadors”, as well as St. Thomas’s own fab 4 “Trole”, Jefferson brings the experience of almost 2000 stage performances to the plate.

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Vile Richard is comprised of singer/songwriters Olaf Alders and Andrew Vanhorn, joined by a quirky collective of musical friends and neighbours. Alders and Vanhorn have been seen and heard across Eastern Canada, performing live on TV and radio from Hamilton to Halifax. Notable venues include Toronto’s CityTV, ATV/CTV in Atlantic Canada and Ottawa’s “The New RO”. Overseas radio play includes BBC Radio 2′s Bob Harris Country and Bryan Burnett’s Brand New Country on BBC Scotland. The band has also written and performed music for indie film and stage productions as well as performing improvised pieces for live theatre at Second City.

“The new songs continue in VR’s tradition of intellectually driven, quirky folk songs that can be simultaneously cute and bittersweet, fraught with literary allusion and sung with sentimentality” VIEW magazine

Tom Savage

Tom Savage writes songs that make people stand up and take notice. Tales of love and loss lay the groundwork for many of his compositions, but Savage is not afraid to tackle social and political issues in his writing as well.” What I try to do when I’m writing a song is to leave it open-ended enough for the audience to interpret in their own way, but at the same time, get my point across on some level.”

Musically, Savage draws from a diverse range of influences. His early days covering Neil Young songs in the band Too Far Gone, and twanging out the Rockabilly sounds of Elvis Presley and Gene Vincent in The Cronies, have left an undeniable imprint on Savage’s style. “As an artist, I believe that my style is the cumulative result of everything I’ve ever heard or played.”

Savage’s singing style has drawn comparisons to a wide variety of artists such as Bruce Springsteen, Fred Eaglesmith, Warren Zevon, Steve Earle, etc.

Tom Savage has recorded two albums, Day-To-Day Truths (1999) and Brand Of Sympathy (2001), and has just released his latest effort, Never Shed No Tears.

Vile Richard is comprised of singer/songwriters Olaf Alders and Andrew Vanhorn, joined by a quirky collective of musical friends and neighbours. Alders and Vanhorn have been seen and heard across Eastern Canada, performing live on TV and radio from Hamilton to Halifax.

Having met as Humanities students at McMaster University, Alders and Vanhorn soon started performing regularly at venues around the Hamilton, Ontario area. Vile Richard started off by releasing, “Lucky Me”, a rock album which owes a great debt to Matthew Sweet, Elliot Smith and the Lemonheads. The band then toured Eastern Canada opening for Mike Trebilcock (Killjoys) in support of the album.