ETA: In addition to this list, please check out all of the wonderful artists who’ve been added in the comments below!
Every time I bring up the idea of gender parity at festivals, some bright spark says ‘but there aren’t enough women performing music these days!!’ or ‘I don’t know where to look!’ or ‘I tried. but they were allllll busy!’
To save your selves from looking stupid in front of your colleagues in the music industry, here’s a short list of some women and gender non-conforming Canadian artists that you should be paying to play your festivals.
(We know that the larger agencies in Canada are basically useless with regards to women artists; they rep a handful, but generally don’t pay much attention to what women are doing in the music industry until they’re forced to. Bookers need to look beyond the artists that a major agency can suggest until these agencies decide to join us in the 21st century.)
Sometimes festivals with a very low percentage of women in their lineups tell us they’re trying to book more women; we’re here to tell them to try harder.
Artists, we’ve of course missed hundreds if not thousands of women – please chime in with a link to your work in the comments below!
alvvays, Land of Talk, Snowblink, Winona Wilde, Digging Roots, Eekwol, Anh Phung, Renders, Evangeline Gentle, Shakura S’Aida
Maylee Todd, Purity ring, Rose Cousins, Emily Burgess, Zaki Ibrahim, Dirty Dishes, Suzie Vinnick, Leela Gilday, Inez Jasper
Charlotte Day-Wilson, Sarah Harmer, Stars, Lowell, Dani Nash, Fefe Dobson, Ventanas, Dana Sipos, Susan Aglugark
Kathleen Edwards, Allison Brown, Weaves, The Beaches, SC Mira, kd lang, Flavia Nasciamento, LCon, IsKwé, Kinnie Starr
Julien Baker, Case/Lang/Viers, Beyries, Gathering Sparks, Repartee, Fiver, Elisapie Issaac, Leanne Goose,
Bernice, Haviah Mighty, Blunt Chunks, Michie Mee, Young Galaxy, The Jerry Cans, Joyful Joyful, Tara Williamson
Lido Pimienta, Duchess Says, Kristine Schmitt, The Luyas, Crystal Shawanda, Rae Spoon, Tracy Bone
Michelle McAdorey, Camille Delean, Julie Doiron, Ali Fontaine, Moscow Apartment, Korea Town Acid
Witch Prophet, Lindsay Beaver and the 24th Street Wailers, July Talk, Connie Caldor, Common Deer, Aerialists, Christa Couture
Kaia Kater, Irish Mythen, Tasha the Amazon, Samantha Martin and Delta Sugar, Sarah Jane Scouten, Amelia Curran, Cris Derkson
We’re also going to refer you to Witch Prophet for a great list of that she tweeted out and which was posted in NOW Magazine as ‘Witch Prophet lists 30 women leading the Toronto rap game.’
ARTISTS: If we’ve mis-gendered you, please let us know and we’ll correct it immediately.
http://charlottecornfield.com
The Kwerks! http://www.thekwerks.com
NEAVV
http://www.neavv.com
Long Branch
gilliannicola.com
brooklyndoran.com
pipersings.com
sarahbeatty.ca
theredhillvalleys.com
emilyrockarts.com
tovimusic.com
sarahmacdougall.com
kimbeggs.com
alysonm.ca
madisonolds.com
jayabremer.com
jasminenetsena.com
mirandacurrie.ca
miseensceneband.com
thedearhearts.net
BABY CAGES
http://www.babycages.com
http://www.coreygulkin.com
Also here’s a massive list of women/gnc folks making music in Quebec that is growing daily! https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/14wdr9N4dBQxO6SCphY6NaMCGX4VBL4d_ln-ftiEhTt8/edit#gid=0
http://www.rainehamilton.com Acoustic chamber folk with an otherworldly edge. That’s us!
Skye Wallace
Linda McRae
Coco Love Alcorn
Carolyn Marks
Lola Parks
Mazy Mason (formerly Janet Panic)
Melissa Bandura
Cora Lajoie (Cora Flora)
Ria Mae
Jane Siberry
Billy Pettinger
merival.bandcamp.com
also:
https://thanyaiyer.bandcamp.com
https://russelllouder.bandcamp.com
https://faithhealer.bandcamp.com
https://hushpup.bandcamp.com
https://kaleidoscopehorse.bandcamp.com
https://janeblanchard.bandcamp.com
https://rachaelcardiello.bandcamp.com
https://mauno.bandcamp.com
https://helenadeland.bandcamp.com
https://basementrevolver.bandcamp.com
Oh Susanna
Erin Costelo
Lori Cullen
Kelly Prescott
Kellylee Evans
Shari Ulrich
Shawna Caspi
Andrea England
Annie Lou
April Verch
Anne Vriend
Andrea Ramolo
SATE, tanika Charles, Dione Taylor, Kristen violet may, Kayla Howran, Whitney rose, strangers on a plane, the savilles
Quantum Tangle
http://Www.quantumtangle.com
Greyson Gritt
http://Www.greygritt.com
More re: Long Branch
longbranchband.com
The band brings together a number of music vets, including Lisa Myers and Laura Pitkanen of Adaptor 45, D’Arcy Good of the Good Family, Don Pyle of Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet, and Sally Lee of Venus Cures All (and Myers’ all-girl punk group Chicken Milk).
https://exclaim.ca/music/article/members_of_shadowy_men_on_a_shadowy_planet_the_good_family_and_adaptor_45_announce_debut_album_as_long_branch
Queer, Indigenous, Asian
Kimmortal
Ansley Simpson
LAL
Most Loyal
Snowblink
Ace of Wands
Beams
Lunar Bloom
Chelsea McBride
Sarah McInnis
Annie Bonsignore
Mirian Kay
Sarah Neufeld
Ghost Caravan
Calla Kinglit
Colleen Dauncey
Crooked House Road
Andrea Ramolo, Sate, Kristin Sweetland, Jadea Kelly, Cindy Doire, Melanie Brulee, Sarah Burton, Skye Wallace, This Way North, Miss Quincy, Whitney Rose, Megan Bonnel, Dahmnait Doyle..,I could probably list over 100 personal female friends that don’t get represented nearly enough. Why is this still an issue?!!!
http://www.ohmydarling.ca/
https://rosalyndennett.com/
Cootes Paradise (gender balanced band)
Sparklesaurus, Thanya Iyer, Common Holly, Ada Lea, Malak, Alanna Sterling, Nyssa, Petra Glynt, Jessica Pearson and the East Wind, Trails, Lux, And The Kids (keyboardist is Canadian), Valois, Brave Shores, TV Rd., Lola Sixx, GGPeach, Doxx, Partner, Bambi Lou, The Peptides, Bella Cat, Taxi, Shirazi, Danielle Allard, Muzzy Legault, Scary Bear Soundtrack, Lucila Al Mar, Amanda Lowe, Novusolis
King Kimbit too!
And Basia Bulat who I just kind of assumed was on the main list but isn’t! She’s amazing.
Also Kashka!
JoJo Worthington
http://www.jojoworthington.com
You can add me to the list:
http://music.sandystubbert.com
Also from Kingston, Jenica Rayne:
http://jenicarayne.com/
The Good Lovelies, Treasa Levasseur, The Lifers, Jordan Alexander, Georgia Harmer, Lavender Bruisers, Deanna Petcoff, Madison Galloway, Bella Larsen, Charmie Deller, Mo Kenny, Hex. (Thank you for including us on the list. We are so amazed by the huge number of amazing women and gender non conforming musicians).
Annie Sumi & Luna Li! There are SOOOO many!
In Contemporary World – Roots music:
1. RAKKATAK – Anita Kattakar & Oriana Barbato
2. Melissa Laveaux
3. Autorickshaw
4. Ventanas
5. Eliana Cuevas
6. Kiran Ahluwalia
7. ROAM
8. Ventanas
Tannis Slimmon (http://www.tannis.ca)
Annie Sumi
Katherine Wheatley
Laura Bird
Amber McLean
Jude Vadala
Sue Smith
Shannon Kingsbury
Tricia Brubacher
Boreal (www.borealsongs.ca)
The Ondine Chorus
Gwen Swick
Liz Solo
https://lizsolo.com/liz-solos-music/
Colleen Power
http://www.colleenpower.com
Family Video
https://familyvideo.bandcamp.com/album/maybe-this-summer
The Sauce
https://thesauce2.bandcamp.com/releases
TrixXxie
https://trixxxie.bandcamp.com/releases
See also this amazing list from Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/sblackmore/posts/10156400921914391
Lorraine Klaasen
Ruth Mathiang
Blandine
Memory Makuri
Liziwe Mahashe
Mimi Zenebe
Tiruedel Zenebe
Netsanet Melesse
Ammoye
Tonya P
Jane Bunnett
Anne Lederman
Shelley Coopersmith
Doreen Forrester
Eve Goldberg
Cecile Doo-Kingué
Anne Janelle
Bella Cat
Jill Zmud
Melissa McClelland
Amanda Rheaume
Leaf Rapids / Keri Latimer
Lights
Emm Gryner
Emma-Lee
Karen Kosowski
Donna Grantis
Ruth B
Angelique Francis
My project Bird City – http://facebook.com/jennybirdcity
And we’ve got tons more here in Guelph including
Nicolette & The Nobodies
Steph Yates/Esther Grey
Alanna Gurr & The Greatest State
Bonnie Trash
Jessy Bell Smith
Eiyn Sof (based out of Waterloo)
I would say “Joyful Joyful” and Rae Spoon would fall under “gender non-conforming” but they are two of my very favourites and absolutely should be included in this list in terms of non-dudes being featured, so thank you for that :)
Are “So Young” or “Jennifer Castle” or “Kim Barlow” on this list? I might have missed them, but they should be on here.
I can probably think of dozens more.
I’m always looking for gigs in Canada.
Tracylynnmusic.com
The Young Novelists
http://theyoungnovelists.com
So many amazing artists in this thread!
So many great names mentioned above- might be repeating here but Sue Foley, Terra Lightfoot, Jadea Kelly, Sweet Alibi, Suzie Vinnick, Rita Chiarelli, Samantha Martin, Kim Doolittle, Jenie Thai, Melissa Payne, Kayla Howran, Hillary Dumoulin, Kirsten Addis, Lindsay Barr, Sarah Falzackerly, Anna Ruddick, Amanda Resume, Romi Mayes, Brooke Wylie, Theresa Malenfant, Shirley Jackson, Sol James, the whole Women’s Blues Revue band and any musician ever involved with it. Ahhhh I could write all day and missed so many.
Madeleine Roger (www.madeleineroger.com)
Some others that I don’t think I’ve seen in the list yet:
– Carly Dow
– Cara Luft
– The Small Glories
– Tragedy Ann
– The Lifers
– The Wailin Jennys
– The O’ Pears
– Jenny Ritter
– Kayla Luky
– Ruth Moody
Great list!
http://www.alimccormick.com
More for the list…
Julie Corrigan
Britt Meierhofer
Jennifer Holub
Catriona Sturton
Rhythm and Cello
Qristina Brooke – http://www.qristinabrooke.com
Born on Canada’s West Coast, with its signature embrace of experimentation and improvisation, fiddler & singer Qristina Brooke (aka Qristina Bachand) was always encouraged to find her own ‘voice’. She grew up exploring various musical traditions; all of which inevitably influenced her distinctive sound. She plays a mix of inspired original compositions and traditional Irish, Old-Time American and French Canadian tunes; creating music that is at once moving and uplifting. Simply put: Qristina’s music is heartfelt and soulful and may just tug at your heartstrings.
As one-half of the award-winning Canadian Celtic Roots duo ‘Qristina & Quinn Bachand’, Qristina has performed across Canada, the US and Europe at major folk and Celtic festivals. The duo has garnered a mantle-packing collection of awards and recognition including Top Traditional Group and Top Duo at the Irish Music Awards
Known for her expressive fiddling and smooth, heartfelt vocals, Qristina is a charismatic performer clearly at ease on the stage. Her fiddle skills shine with beautiful tone and passionate delivery and her honey sweet vocals caress the soul. Her contagious energy and love of Folk and Celtic music is always at the forefront as she captivates her audiences with moving, intimate performances. While still mindful of its origins, Qristina has the ability to add elements that bring traditional music beyond its roots and into the 21st century.
Originally from Victoria, BC, Qristina was living in Limerick, Ireland, for the past two years while she earned her MA in Traditional Irish Music Performance, but has since relocated to Montreal, QC. She has recently launched her solo fiddle project, her debut album, Linger, released April 2018.
Leucrocuta : https://leucrocuta.bandcamp.com/releases
experimental synth pop
Fast Romantics (Kirty, Lisa Lorenz), Raven Shields, Jessica Mitchell, Lindi Ortega, Frigs (Bria Salmena), Madison Violet, Twin Kennedy, Averages (Taylor Holden), Trish Robb, Trent Severn, Alejandro Rivera
I think John means Alejandra Ribera…
Hidden Roots Collective- https://www.hiddenrootscollective.com/
Rose-Erin Stokes https://www.roseerinstokes.com/
Annie Sumi- http://anniesumi.com/
Abigail Lapell- https://www.abigaillapell.com/
Ursidae- http://ursidaemusic.com/
BEYRIES- https://www.beyriesmusic.com/
Georgian Bay- https://www.georgianbayband.com/
Moonfruits- https://www.moonfruits.ca/
Meghan Blanchard- http://meaghanblanchard.com/
Isabel Fryszberg- Isabel and The Uncommons http://www.isabel-music.com/
Collette Savard
Rebecca Campbell
Lenka Lichtenberg
Lights
Caveboy
Kim Harris
Hello Delaware
Port Cities
Fortunate Ones
The Dears
Gabrielle Papillon
Hannah Georgas
Ellevator
KINLEY
Grimes
Lowell
Metric
Emily Haines
NEFE
Rosie & The Riveters
Sarah Slean
Tegan and Sara
Too attached!
And Rayannah!
Shakura S’Aids
Jenie Thai
Saraah Jane Scouten
Cat and the Queen
Sylvia Tyson
Charlotte Cornfield
Ariana Gillis
In the lineups below are quite a few women who were not on your list.
Here’s our headliners for next season at Calgary’s Nickelodeon Music Club:
Sept 29 Trent Severn (3 women)
Oct 27 Laura Love
Nov 10 Lennie Gallant
Nov 24 Laila Biali (tbc)
Jan 12 Dan Bern
Jan 26 The Young Novelists (lead singer Laura Spink)
Feb 9 John Reischman and the Jaybirds (lead singer Trisha Gagnon)
Feb 23 Gunning and Cormier
Mar 9 Coco Love Alcorn
Mar 23 Carlos del Junco
Apr 6 Madison Violet (2 women)
Our 17-18 season that is just wrapping up:
Sept 30 Lynn Miles
Milkwood Dreamers (lead singer Marti Smith)
Oct 14 Connie Kaldor
The Eisenhauers (lead singer Sheree Plett Eisenhauer)
Oct 28 Union Duke
Magnolia Buckskin (4 women)
Nov 11 Adrian Nation
Lynne Hanson
Nov 25 Lizzy Hoyt
Tim Isberg
Jan 13 Danny Michel
Erin Kay
Jan 27 Tequila Mockingbird Orchestra
Daniel Champagne
Feb 10 Irish Mythen
Cori Brewster
Feb 24 Valdy
Carter Felker
Mar 10 Sultans of String
Benjamin Dakota Rogers
Mar 24 Qristina and Quinn Bachand
Amelie Patterson
Apr 7 Jack Semple
Maddie Storvold
cheers, Vic
Vic Bell
Artistic Director
Nickelodeon Music Club
http://www.thenick.ca
Moscow Apartment
Whitehorse (gender balanced)
The Jerry Cans (gender balanced)
Claire Coupland
Young Novelists (gender balanced)
Blue Moon Marquee (gender balanced)
Angie Gunn
Michie Mee
Susan Aglukark
Miranda Mulholland
Belle Starr (Miranda, Kendel Carson, Srphanie Cadman)
Roxanne Potvin
Riit
Sweet Alibi
Sersena Ryder
Maya Killtron, Leah Canali, La-Na Gabriel, HotKid, Lauren Falls, Citizen Jane, Me & Her Cellos, Brielle Goheen (Polaris nominee) Les Petit Nouveau
<3
http://Www.sabrinaweeks.com
http://www.monowhales.com
http://www.lavenderchildmusic.com
http://www.commandsisters.com
http://www.andimusic.com
http://www.sarahcripps.com
http://www.daninashmusic.ca
Citizen Jane
http://citizenjanemusic.com
Brenna MacCrimmon
Maryem Tollar
Turkwaz
Doula
Al Qahwa Ensemble
Naghmeh Farahmand
Kathryn Rose
Andrea Koziol
Leah Salomaa
Roula Said
Jayne Brown
Sophia Grigoriadis
Tiffany Ayalik
Kiran Ahluwalia
Yvette Tollar
Saffron!
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=-HggdAE1XM0
http://www.heatherjean.ca
Gillian Nicola (Hamilton)
Brooklyn Doran (Toronto)
Caren (Toronto)
Piper Hayes (Hamilton)
Katherine Fischer (London)
Lydia Persaud (Toronto)
The O’Pears (Toronto)
Lunar Bloom (Toronto)
Oh Lea (Moncton)
Brittany McQuinn (Fredericton)
Reilly Scott (Kenora)
Lindsay Thomson (Ottawa)
Sparklesaurus (Ottawa)
Merival (Toronto)
Abigail Lapell (Toronto)
Hello Delaware (Halifax)
Ghost Caravan (Toronto)
Jessica Speziale (Toronto)
The Willows, The O’Pears, Girl Pow-r, Bllisk, Suba Sankaran
Hannah Shira Naiman http://Www.hannahshiranaiman.com
Beams! http://www.beamstheband.com
Ace of Wands! http://www.aceofwandsband.com
The Fern Tips! https://soundcloud.com/theferntips
Jennifer Castle
The Weather Station
Christine Bougie
Felicity Williams
Ronley Teper
Lina Allemano
Isla Craig
Rebecca Hennesey
Vivienne Wilder
Anhai
Laura Barrett
Emily Mover
Lucie Idlout
Christine Duncan
Nancy Dutra
Civil Wray
The Jessica Stuart Few
Lily Frost
Melanie Peterson
Rakkatak
Joy Thompson
Ronley Teper, Iman and the Wasted Lalas, Kristi Lane Sinclair, Tamara Williamson, SATE, Sarah Kirkpatrick of CATL, Zeynip Ozbilen, Ozgo Ozman of Minor Empire, Les Poules a Colin, Raha Javanfar, Ruth Mathiang, Aviva Chernick, Eliana Cuevas, Aline Morales, Sabrina Soares, Joni Nehrita Rodney, Ndidi Onakwuly
Thank you for this!!
Fluffy Little Cowboys
http://fluffylittlecowboys.com/
Angel Forrest, Jadea Kelly, Kirsten Jones, Carole Pope, Irene Torres, Lori Yates, ..so many excellent artists have been already mentioned the list goes on and on I’d love to just rename everyone …seriously get and listen to these women Emily Burgess, Lindsay Beaver, Laila Biali, Suzie Vinnick, Arianna Gillis!!!! Beautiful.
Veronica Johnny (solo) and The Johnnys (lead singer/cofounder)
Amanda Rheaume http://www.amandarheaume.com
Aviva Chernick
Maryem Tollar
Brenna Macrimmon
Yvette Tollar
Sienna Dahlen
Felicity Williams
Tova Kardonne
Soozi Schlanger
Kinneret Sagee
Lenka Lichtenberg
Bernice
Jessica Stuart
Shannon Butcher
Rita di Ghent
Molly Johnson
I could go on…
Amanda Martinez
Eliana Cuevas
Lisa Patterson
Kiran Ahluwalia
Suba Sankaran
Some additions I haven’t seen in the comments already:
Alyssa Wright (shameless self-promotion)
Karla Adolphe
Heather Dale
Ember Swift
Laura Smith
Sarah MacDougall
Allison Lupton
Ashley Condon
Dear Rouge, Mother Mother, Begonia, Shred Kelly, Hey Ocean… Just to add a few!
CoCo ‘Cognac’ Brown
http://www.soundcloud.com/coco-cognac-brown
LOOM: loommusic.bandcamp.com
girlongirl (Toronto, ON) Alternative, Melodic Rock
http://www.gong.bandcamp.com
Polky Village Band
Blisk
Original light rocker based in Toronto, Canada
Emma Cook http://www.emmacookmusic.com
Chloe Albert
Lydia Persaud
Abigail Lapel
Megan Nash
Anne-Marie Williot, Chez Willi, Trois Chats (all in Winnipeg)
Alana Yorke
Christina Martin
Jenn Grant
Colleen Brown
The Weather Station
Catherine MacLellan
Like A Motorcycle
Hillsburn
Gabrielle Papillon
The Lifers
Meaghan Blanchard
Ashley Condon
Ria Mae
Jully Black
Coco Love Alcorn
Alysha Brilla
Hannah Georgas
Kim Harris
Sorrey
(And me! Rachel Beck)
NO JOY
https://nojoy.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/nojoymusic/
Diyet
Heather Rankin
Rosie & the Riviters
Maggie & Cassie
Sarah Hagen
Tomato/Tomato
Amelia Curran
Cynthia MacLeod
Amanda Rheaume
Youtube.com/mishalmusic
Her Kitab
Russel Louder (gender neutral)
Nicole Christian
http://Www.nicolechristian.org
Check out the lineup for our Earth Day Festival in St. Catharines Sunday April 22.
10 – Sandra Kroeker
10:45 – Katey Gatta
12:15 – Frances Locs
12:45 – Raphael Keelan
1:15 – Paradigm Shifters
2:00 – Melanie Peterson
Georgette Fry
http://www.georgettefry.ca
Miss Emily
http://www.themissemily.com
Paddy Tutty http://prairiedruid.net
Tara Holloway
Mel Monaco
Lovecoast (Female Fronted)
Syren and The Waves
Shylo Sharity
Sammi Morelli
Natasha Alexandra – NLX
Chersea
Emily Chambers
She Hangs Brightly (female Fronted)
Sophia Danai
Jordana Talsky
https://www.jordanatalsky.com
Veronica McNamee
https://www.facebook.com/veromcnamee/
hard rock band:
http://www.secondpassband.com
https://www.facebook.com/secondpassband/
Jazz/bossa/world:
https://www.reverbnation.com/veronicamcnamee/songs
Kim June Johnson (kimjunejohnson.com)
PK Tessmann (pktessmann.ca)
Melissa Bandura
Genevieve Rainey
Fawn Fritzen
http://fawnfritzen.com
Blues, jazz, and gospel in four languages from the Yukon. :)
Fawn Fritzen
http://fawnfritzen.com
Blues, jazz, and gospel in four languages from the Yukon. ;)
Sarah Smith
Mimi O’Bonsawin
http://www.sarahsmithmusic.com/
http://www.mimi.ca/
Solhounds
http://www.solhounds.com
Heavy Metal Grunge with gritty, powerhouse vocals coming from a the lungs of a little lady: more badass than any dude
all from Vancouver:
kele fleming
Sarah Wheeler
Silent Martin
Lara Kroeker
blue dirt girl
Lisa Butel and Brent Cross
Katie Stelmanis
This is a mindblowing list! Bandwagon time:
I have a folk/pop solo project under Colleen Brown http://www.colleenbrownmusic.com/listen
And a pop/rock band called Major Love http://www.majorloveband.com
Other faves from western Canada:
Faith Healer
Amy van Keeken
Kimberley MacGregor
Vissia
Bad Buddy
Eva Foote
Billie Zizi
Cayley Thomas
Le Plaisir
LINDSAY MISINER – A Nova Scotian Musician currently living in Niaraga Region – http://www.lindsaymisiner.com
Niagara Region ***
Cat Bernardi, too!
http://www.catbernardimusic.com
Les Poules à Colin (4 out of 5 are female), Kim Beggs solo singer songwriter, and possibly with band mates, (both already submitted in folk), and Christine and Ingrid Jensen (jazz – latest band now coming up with Helen Sung from USA – 3 of 5), Marianne Trudel (jazz), Wesli band (2 women out of 7 in all),
Zigue (1 of each), Anna et Jane McGarrigle Racontent: Entre la Jeunesse et la sagesse (3 of 3), Jeanne Rochette (in duo, 1 of each); Joel Miller with Sienna Dahlen (varies); Annabelle Chvostek, Bill Garrett and Sue Lothrop, Bobby Dove and more
Next: finding sound engineers, recording engineers, record producers, videographers, video and film producers, and Festival ADs and producers who are women
http://www.nikikennedy.ca