This week, JESSICA RHAYE – Foolish Heart Finally, I have the chance to share this wonderful conversation with Jessica Rhaye about her newest EP ‘Foolish Heart’ and the heart felt tender songwriting that created this magical set of songs. Beautifully produced and performed by her remarkable band ‘The Ramshackle Parade’. ‘Foolish Heart’ was released on March 20,2026 and it is deep honour to share this wonderful interview. Foolish Heart is a five-song EP that leans into love, reflection, and quiet vulnerability. Produced by longtime collaborator Dale Murray and recorded across Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Nashville, the songs move easily between country-folk warmth, confessional moments, and cinematic swells — including an incredible Laurel Canyon–inspired reimagining of KISS’s “I Was Made for Lovin’ You.” While each song on Foolish Heart stands on its own sonically, they are bound together by a shared emotional thread. These are love songs, but not only the romantic kind—some are tender, some restless, others quietly questioning. Jessica Rhaye is a Canadian independent singer-songwriter, performer, and visual graphic design artist with a 25-year career rooted in folk and Americana. She performs solo, with her folk trio Preeper Rhaye MacKay, and with her folk-rock band The Ramshackle Parade. My Heart Belongs to You. https://youtu.be/c42kkEx9bFw?si=uC4WJW0gtv-2Pspc https://www.jessicarhaye.com/ LISTEN TO THE MUSIC: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2uIq5kxXDHDEk6D7OzZa6C?si=BCR-hEwAR1KEcqPHq7yJyw This podcast is hosted by Canoe FM. https://backstage-pass.zencast.website/

This week, MARC JORDAN - authorized biography, ‘Rhythm of My Heart’. Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee Marc Jordan brings his remarkable story to life at Huntsville’s Algonquin Theatre on June 12,2026 with the launch of 'Rhythm of My Heart', his authorized biography. With a night full of songs and stories, the evening offers an intimate look into the five-decade career of a songwriter whose work has sold over 35 million units and shaped generations of pop and jazz. Known for his poetic lyricism, distinctive voice, and collaborations with artists like Rod Stewart and Bonnie Raitt, Jordan invites audiences into his creative world through stories, music, and reflection, making this a rare and personal event with one of Canada’s most enduring musical voices. Marc Jordan, the visionary Brooklyn-born, Toronto-raised singer-songwriter whose work has defined the landscape of popular music for over fifty years, today announces a multi-dimensional celebration of his storied career. With the release of his authorized biography, Rhythm of My Heart, a chart-topping audiophile collection, and an intimate series of live performances, Jordan continues to expand his legacy as one of the most essential voices in the musical canon. The biography offers a vivid window into Jordan’s unique creative process, including his "savant-like" ability to visualize music in three dimensions—a gift he cultivated while navigating profound dyslexia. The song serves as the heartbeat of a narrative that celebrates redemption through art and the unwavering dedication to the craft of songwriting. https://www.marcjordan.com/ LISTEN TO THE MUSIC: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2uIq5kxXDHDEk6D7OzZa6C?si=BCR-hEwAR1KEcqPHq7yJyw This podcast is hosted by Canoe FM. https://backstage-pass.zencast.website/

This week, DAVE GUNNING - Field Notes ‘Field Notes’ is one of those rare, memorable albums that comes along once every generation reflecting not only the urgency of the times, but reveals an artist in full force and flight, sharing the craft, precision and imaginative power beneath the song writing With his Ontario tour continuing, Dave Gunning joins Backstage Pass in a wide-ranging conversation about his phenomenal new album and writing songs in a modern turbulent world. With over two decades on the road and fifteen albums to his credit, Nova Scotia’s Dave Gunning has earned a reputation as one of Canada’s most engaging and respected folk singer-songwriters. A multiple East Coast Music Award and Canadian Folk Music Award winner, Gunning is celebrated for his warm stage presence, razor-sharp wit, and songs that honour everyday heroes while tackling hard truths. His music has long reflected his deep roots in Pictou County, where stories of working people, small-town struggles, and local pride shape his songwriting. Whether he’s shining a light on unsung community champions or confronting social and environmental issues close to home, Gunning brings an honesty and empathy to his work that have become his trademark. Over the years, Gunning has shared the stage with many folk greats, yet he continues to carve his own path, grounded in the values of community and craftsmanship. In June 2025, Gunning travelled to Point Lonsdale, Australia, to record his fifteenth studio album, Field Notes. Stripped-back and emotionally rich, the new collection returns to the heart of what he does best: telling stories that remind us who we are, where we come from, and what matters most. https://www.davegunning.com LISTEN TO THE MUSIC: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2uIq5kxXDHDEk6D7OzZa6C?si=BCR-hEwAR1KEcqPHq7yJyw This podcast is hosted by Canoe FM. https://backstage-pass.zencast.website/

This week, KAELEY JADE - ‘The Great Unknown’ Alternative-folk singer-songwriter Kaeley Jade crafts full-hearted songs that dig deep. Growing up on the outskirts of North America’s most northern metropolis, the Edmonton-based Métis artist has been sculpted by icy winter winds and sweeping prairie skies. Whether through gently textured acoustic ballads or rip-roaring full-band cuts, Canadian Folk Music Award-winner Kaeley Jade’s powerful voice captures life’s most challenging moments with sincerity and precision. Her cinematic forthcoming album, The Great Unknown, invites listeners to release what no longer serves them and celebrate the beauty found within the ever-shifting tides of experience. https://kaeleyjade.com YouTube | Kaeley Jade | Includes live performance videos and official music videos: https://www.youtube.com/c/KaeleyJade Facebook | @kaeleyjademusic https://www.facebook.com/kaeleyjademusic Instagram | @kaeley_jade https://www.instagram.com/kaeley_jade/ TikTok | @kaeley_jade https://www.tiktok.com/@kaeley_jade?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc Spotify https://open.spotify.com/artist/0uHvg2Vc2T0NrCvSkbSb2t Bandcamp https://kaeleyjade.bandcamp.com/ LISTEN TO THE MUSIC: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2uIq5kxXDHDEk6D7OzZa6C?si=BCR-hEwAR1KEcqPHq7yJyw This podcast is hosted by Canoe FM. https://backstage-pass.zencast.website/

This week, JENN GRANT - Queen of the Strait Her 2026 album, Queen of the Strait (2026), is her most personal work yet. Co-produced with Joshua Van Tassel and longtime collaborator Daniel Ledwell, it is a modern-day classic of country and Americana, elevated by Jenn’s unmistakable pop-infused charm. The title draws its name from the MV Abegweit passenger ferry - Abegweit being an anglicized version of the Mi’kmaw word Epekwitk, meaning “cradled by the waves” - which carried Jenn and her brother as children between two parents after a tumultuous separation. That crossing becomes both a literal and metaphorical passage in her work, weaving together the Canadian landscapes of her childhood and universal stories into a profound reflection of the human condition; exploring life’s deepest thresholds: childhood wonder, love, abuse, aging, childbearing, loss, survival, and resilience. To celebrate the album, Grant has created a groundbreaking live tour ‘Cradled by the Waves’ - The Live Experience, which will take place across Canada, beginning in Charlottetown, PEI, on March 5th. This tour will transform the album into a stunning multimedia performance blending music, film, theatre, and dance. With Queen of the Strait, Grant affirms her place as one of Canada’s most compelling storytellers - an artist whose songs feel both timeless and urgently present, carrying us across waters both real and imagined. https://www.jenngrant.com/ LISTEN TO THE MUSIC: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2uIq5kxXDHDEk6D7OzZa6C?si=BCR-hEwAR1KEcqPHq7yJyw This podcast is hosted by Canoe FM. https://backstage-pass.zencast.website/

This week, THE BURRITO BROTHERS / The Magic Time Machine of Love “The idea will keep going. It’s not like it’s dead. Whether I do it or anybody else does, it’s got to keep going.” Gram Parsons 1972 Chis P James in converstation about the new album from The Burrito Brothers,The Magic Time Machine of Love, which was released in November through Think Like a Key Music. How can music that sounds so completely new and inventive sound so familiar at the same time? Well… it does. That’s The Burrito Brothers for you! The legacy and experiences that inform the wonderful music of today’s BBs is so rich, so fertile, and so far-reaching that it sounds like an old friend even as your ears are treated to something quite unlike anything you’ve heard before. It’s an amazing alchemy. But being amazing is standard practice for The Burrito Brothers. Ever since two Byrds left the “Sweetheart of the Rodeo” mothership nearly 60 years ago, The Burrito Brothers have been ever evolving and putting out wonderful albums. The musicians in today’s group, Chris P James, Tony Paoletta, Peter Young and Steve Allen, have performed and recorded numerous notable previous works of their own and with countless other artists. This is a fully realized, forward-looking group of masterful musicians and vocalists. Essentially, this current lineup of Burritos has been carrying the ball, Gram’s baby, for more than a decade now. This cool album not only features the current lineup but has wonderful guest appearances from Gram Parsons himself, as well as Al Perkins, Ian Dunlop, Jon Corneal, Michael Curtis, Bob Hatter and others. The circle is complete. https://www.theburritobrothers.net/ LISTEN TO THE MUSIC: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2uIq5kxXDHDEk6D7OzZa6C?si=BCR-hEwAR1KEcqPHq7yJyw This podcast is hosted by Canoe FM. https://backstage-pass.zencast.website/

GRAVEN - Geographics Releasing two singles a week throughout February 2026 on Bandcamp, Graven has finally released his newest stellar album. Thoughtful and inventive, as always, Graven captures the mood of the times with this exception set of songs. ‘Geographics’ was sonically birthed in 6 days in Halifax, NS at Ocean Floor Recording with Matty McKechnie (Graven), Melissa Payne, Charles Austin, Jamie Kronick, Jordan Murphy and Franc Lopes. The album has a real travel theme to it, and spans across many real geographic locations, but it's also sort of a statement on the world at large today and a bit of a map of Matty's sometimes chaotic mind. It was an album that congealed quickly but it took a ton of time to form the cinematic shape and colour of these songs in the editing room. I've never had another vocalist on any Graven material so to see Melissa step up to the plate and hit melodic homers almost every time was a beautiful thing. She added so much to this record and I'm forever grateful. GRAVEN (Matty McKechnie) is an independent folk-rock singer-songwriter from Ottawa, Canada. An innovative Nepean-born songmaker with a key focus on cultivating joy and wonder in Canadian geography, Matty (Graven) is a wiley wordsmith whose passion is to create a highly accepting and inclusive community of music lovers. FIND GRAVEN ON BANCAMP. https://www.graven.ca https://graven.bandcamp.com/album/geographics https://www.facebook.com/gravencanada LISTEN TO THE MUSIC: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2uIq5kxXDHDEk6D7OzZa6C?si=BCR-hEwAR1KEcqPHq7yJyw This podcast is hosted by Canoe FM. https://backstage-pass.zencast.website/

This week, STEVE JENSEN – mrSTEVE and friends From the opening track to its beautiful closing, Steve Jensen’s 2026 album, ‘mrSTEVE and friends’, is a gentle reminder of all that is good and loving in this tumultuous world. The gifted British Columbia songwriter has crafted a set of songs that in lyric and melody, span genres and musical approaches with an airy hopefulness and enthusiasm reminiscent of a time when music was meant for dancing in the streets and lifting our hearts and voices high in good faith and enduring acceptance. Guitarist and songwriter, Steve Jensen released his third full length studio album in early 2026. Backstage Pass took the opportunity to talk to the journeyman musician about its creation and his current situation as a working musician in the Vancouver / Burnaby area. Steve talked about the musicians who helped bring the songs alive including the guests and friends who made the album possible. Notable for some inspiring music, ‘mrSTEVE and friends’ is filled with delightful performances, witty and truly catchy tunes that pay homage to his influences but also showcase his continued grace and power as a pop-rock song master. A man of wry humour and social conscience, Jensen cover themes of home, love, attraction and appreciation for each other, channelled through anthemic and deeply personal reflections. A must have album for 2026. Featured: All Around the World/ City Girl Steve Jensen Productions. https://stevejensenmusic.com/ https://www.facebook.com/steve.jensen.441960 https://www.youtube.com/@stevejensenmusic6380 LISTEN TO THE MUSIC: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2uIq5kxXDHDEk6D7OzZa6C?si=BCR-hEwAR1KEcqPHq7yJyw This podcast is hosted by Canoe FM. https://backstage-pass.zencast.website/

This week, BOB D'EITH – ‘A Career in Music: 10 Steps to Success’ “You make your own luck” Bob D'Eith Highly accomplished musician, lawyer, author and consultant, Bob D’Eith shares details and foundational advice from his book, ‘A Career in Music: 10 Steps to Success’, a master class in developing a solid, universal approach to achieving success in real terms in every changing and evolving music business. With insightful lessons from songwriting to social media presence, Bob outlines a path to establishing and maintaining a viable, sustainable and life long career as a working musician. Bob D'Eith has worked in the music industry for 30 years as a lawyer, musician, author and consultant. He was appointed King's Counsel in 2021. Bob was the CEO of Music BC, the trade organization for the BC music industry for 14 years. He was the co-creator of the award-winning PEAK Performance Project. Bob was also the executive chair of the 2009 Vancouver JUNO Awards Host Committee. As a musician, Bob started his career in Rymes with Orange and is celebrating 25 years with the group Mythos. Bob has been nominated for two JUNO Awards. Bob is the author of A Career in Music: 10 Steps to Success (text book) and The Displaced (novel). Bob was a member of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia representing Maple Ridge - Mission from 2017-2024 serving as Parliamentary Secretary for Arts and Film. He served as the Chair of the Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services, and sat on Treasury Board (cabinet committee) and the Legislative Review Committee (cabinet committee). https://www.adagiomedia.ca https://www.bobdeith.com https://www.facebook.com/adagiomedia?pnref=lhc LISTEN TO THE MUSIC: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2uIq5kxXDHDEk6D7OzZa6C?si=BCR-hEwAR1KEcqPHq7yJyw This podcast is hosted by Canoe FM. https://backstage-pass.zencast.website/

This week, WILLIAM 'GRIT’ LASKIN - THE STRADIVARI FORMULA GRIT LASKIN – making the book As a luthier (maker of stringed musical instruments) for more than half a century I was aware of Stradivari and knew that despite him being a violin maker he also made some mandolins, a harp and some guitars. (There are currently 5 known Strad guitars still around, although only 1 is playable). That anomaly stuck in my head and made me wonder why Strad made guitars. My next thought was to imagine why that happened. The answer to that question began with “What If?” What if the most celebrated violin maker in history (yes, his instruments are considered superior to any other) really did have a secret that enabled his instruments to be better than those being built by his contemporaries such and Amati and Guarneri. And, what if someone close to him felt the need to hide that secret somewhere his competitors would never find it. Jump forward to our modern era and we find people who believe the secret exists, have been hunting for it for decades. One of them wants the secret to be revealed; the other desperately needs it to stay hidden. Into this volatile conflict we find some Canadian guitar makers, tasked with repairing one of the Strad guitars in prep for a major exhibition, who stumble across something unexpected. That discovery ultimately sends our protagonists to London, Paris, Cremona, Sardinia, Phoenix, Ottawa, Toronto, as they dodge violence and try to uncover the mystery. As the author, I loved having the chance to make luthiers (my people!) the heroes. And I also loved having the chance to show the collegiality that exists between luthiers around the world (it’s true!) https://williamlaskin.com/ LISTEN TO THE MUSIC: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2uIq5kxXDHDEk6D7OzZa6C?si=BCR-hEwAR1KEcqPHq7yJyw This podcast is hosted by Canoe FM. https://backstage-pass.zencast.website/