There is a light that never goes out — and it's the midnight sun, shining bright on Yellowknife's glorious summer celebration.
Folk on the Rocks runs from July 19 to 21, bringing artists from all over Canada to the Northwest Territories, as well as highlighting some of the best local talent the region has to offer.
The festival has been taking place in its current form since 1980, making it a staple of the high summer in the North. With passes on sale now, here are five must-see acts playing Folk on the Rocks this year.
Babe Corner
Vancouver combo Babe Corner emerged with a bang in early 2020, combining alt-rock crunch with '60s-style wall-of-sound pop on debut single "Cigarette." Since then, they've refined their sound, cleaning up their soundscapes while retaining their sense of grit and melody on 2023's debut album Crybaby.
Bedouin Soundclash
Bedouin Soundclash formed back in 2001, scoring an enduring hit with 2004's folk-reggae single "When the Night Feels My Song" from their album Sounding a Mosaic. They're touring the 20th anniversary of that album this summer, making their FotR headlining set a must-see.
Mo Kenney
East Coast staple (and Joel Plaskett ally) Mo Kenney conveys alt-country warmth — whether writing their own tender, self-searching, or masterfully covering other artists (as on 2021's Covers collection or a masterful 2014 version of Mardeen's "Telephones").
Miesha and the Spanks
Calgary garage duo Miesha and the Spanks have been kicking up a racket for a decade, something that earned them a deal with Vancouver's beloved label Mint Records for 2023's Unconditional Love in Hi-Fi. Expect swaggering garage hooks and bluesy riffs delivered with a snarl.
Skye Wallace
Skye Wallace's latest single is "Momentum" — which is the perfect word to describe both the catchy rock song's relentlessly driving beat, and the steady trajectory of Wallace's career in the past few years of similarly infectious releases.