2022 Juno Award winning songwriter Maria Dunn draws deeply on the folk tradition of storytelling through song. Melding North American roots music with her Scottish-Irish heritage, she sings about the resilience and grace of “ordinary” people, past and present. Along with multimedia shows Packingtown, GWG: Piece by Piece, On The River (with Asani) and Troublemakers, developed in collaboration with Don Bouzek of Ground Zero Productions, Maria has seven independent CDs, including Gathering (2017 Juno Nominee, 2017 WCMA Nominee, 2016 Edmonton Music Prize Winner), Piece By Piece (2013 Canadian Folk Music Award Nominee), The Peddler (2009 CFMA Nominee), and 2004 people’s history of Alberta, We Were Good People. Her latest release Joyful Banner Blazing (2021) celebrates gratitude, solidarity, joy and the love that fires our actions to make the world a better place. (All albums produced by Shannon Johnson of Juno-winning band The McDades). Edmonton-based, Maria performs at folk festivals, theatres and conferences across Canada, Europe and USA.

Joe Jencks is an 25-year veteran of the international folk circuit, an award-winning songwriter, and celebrated vocalist based in Chicago. Merging conservatory training with his Irish roots and working-class upbringing, Joe delivers engaged musical narratives filled with heart, soul, groove and grit. Having penned several #1 Folksongs including the ever-relevant Lady of The Harbor, Jencks is also co-founder of the harmony trio, Brother Sun. From Festivals like Falcon Ridge, Kerrville, Mariposa, and Old Songs, to venues like Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall, Jencks has enthralled diverse audiences with his approachable style. Joe is noted for his unique merging of musical beauty, social consciousness, and spiritual exploration. Blending well-crafted instrumentals and vivid songwriting, Jencks serves it all up with a lyric baritone voice that has the edgy richness of a good sea-salt caramel.