Sarah Jane Scouten

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Canadian Folk Music Awards Nominee 2014: Traditional Album of the Year for "The Cape" & Traditional Singer of the Year

In 2014 Sarah Jane Scouten released her second full-length album The Cape, named after her childhood playground Cape Roger Curtis and a stormy seven-and-a-half minute long ballad by the same name. The record throws a wake for all the things we won’t have back again. You’ll find it in the shameless nostalgia for place, time, lost loved ones, frayed family ties and bonds too strong to break. A traditionalist at heart, on this album she once again shows her signature flair for the roots of roots music, ranging from Western-swing, honky-tonk, Cajun and Appalachian string band music and a hint of the Maritimes. With respect for these roots, she writes from her own perspective, rather than taking on a persona or copying a style, and only writes about what she knows profoundly. The album was recorded and produced by Juno-nominated producer Andrew Collins (The Foggy Hogtown Boys, The Creaking Tree String Quartet and Annielou) at Sytesound Studio in Toronto and was mastered by David Travers-Smith. With the string band sound at the core of the record, The Cape also features Aaron Goldstein on pedal steel (City and Colour, Daniel Romano), Treasa Levasseur on accordion (Corin Raymond and the Sundowners), Sly Juhas on drums and Sarah Jane’s sister and fellow Montreal songwriter, Anna Scouten lending her arresting blood-harmonies.

For this Rogue folk show, Bowen-Island native Sarah is bringing a brand new country band, The Honky Tonk Wingmen, including James McEleney on bass, Sly Juhas on drums and Ben Plotnick on fiddle. She'll be playing songs off of her two-time CFMA nominated record The Cape, as well as songs due to be released on vinyl next spring on Vancouver's Light Organ Records. She's also been digging into archives of western Canadian folk songs, taught to her by Alberta enthographer Mike Tod and BC's John Bartlett and Rika Ruebsaat. They're arranging traditional songs originating from the small towns they'll be performing in along the tour route, including two rough recordings made in her bedroom. Expect full band arrangements that breathe new life into songs that are next to forgotten.