Artists

Whether they’re rocking stadiums, making a beeline for the discotheque, or gathering around the campfire, the implicit message of Arkells is always the same: everyone is welcome!

Arkells have never wavered in their mission to be the band that soundtracks your greatest nights and supports you in your darkest hours. That spirit is reflected in an ever-evolving sound—fusing the anthemic power of alt-rock, the passion of vintage soul, the intimacy of singer-songwriter music, the urbane edge of 21st-century indie, and the futurist aesthetics of modern R&B.

Heavily rotated on radio and record-holders of the JUNO Award for “Group of the Year,” Arkells have infiltrating all corners of pop culture: from global sports telecasts and video games to the stages of Coachella and Bonnaroo.

But the band’s longevity is ultimately a function of their commitment to never coasting and always living in the moment. The first rule of rock‘n’roll is to play every show like it’s your last—but as Arkells prove night after night, it’s just as important to hold onto the unbridled energy and enthusiasm of your first.

Dallas Smith has a track record of noteworthy success - from front man of Platinum-selling rock band Default to three consecutive CCMA Entertainer of the Year awards.

Across his storied career, the bona fide hitmaker has amassed 21 Gold-certified singles, nine Platinum-certified singles, and four Gold-certified albums with more than 640 million global streams and two million album equivalents to date. Adding yet another milestone, Smith made his Grand Ole Opry debut last summer.

Smith’s first full-length project with Big Loud Records, self-titled album Dallas Smith, was produced by longtime collaborator Joey Moi and features writing credits from HARDY, Cole Swindell, GRAMMY-nominated songwriter Ashley Gorley and ERNEST, and GRAMMY-winning songwriter Hillary Lindsey.

Cameron Whitcomb is an artist unafraid to confront his most uncomfortable truths. After leaving home at 17 to work on a pipeline, the BC native discovered his passion for singing and soon devoted himself to music. His 2024 debut EP Quitter introduced a raw, candid blend of country and folk shaped by his journey through addiction. The release quickly gained traction, helping the 22-year-old rack up over 500 million global streams, headline tours across North America and Europe, and earn 2025 Artist to Watch honours from Spotify and Amazon Music—all before releasing a full-length album.

His debut album The Hard Way, created with producer Jack Riley (Knox, Grace VanderWaal), confronts personal struggles with equal parts grit, sensitivity, and vivid storytelling.

The album features the chart-climbing singles “Medusa” and “Quitter” (nominated for Single of the Year at the 2025 Canadian Country Music Awards), each drawing millions of weekly streams globally. With 15 tracks spanning stripped-back folk, rough-edged country, and punk-leaning pop, The Hard Way offers an unfiltered look into Whitcomb’s inner world.

Platinum-selling indie trio Wild Rivers are known for introspective lyrics and genre-blending melodies that convey wisdom beyond their years. That sensibility carries through their last album Better Now, a companion to Never Better, both released in 2024.

Recorded in Joshua Tree with Gabe Wax, the albums showcase the band’s rich harmonies and lush instrumentals, reflecting growth as they navigate the complex realities of life in their twenties.

Khalid Yassein and Devan Glover first met at Queen’s University in Kingston, beginning as an acoustic singer-songwriter project before adding multi-instrumentalist Andrew Oliver, whom Khalid calls their “Swiss army knife.”

Blending pop, rock, indie, and folk, Wild Rivers have released three acclaimed albums since their 2016 debut, were nominated for Breakthrough Group of the Year at the 2023 JUNO Awards, and saw their single “Thinking ’Bout Love” go Gold in the U.S. and Australia and Platinum in Canada.

For over 30 years, Joel Plaskett has proven himself a spinning wheel of reinvention. The Nova Scotia songwriter’s eclectic body of work reveals a playful spirit, always transforming and expanding.

While continuing to celebrate East Coast traditions, Joel’s appetite for new sonic horizons is an integral part of his work. His discography includes heavy riff epics, like Thrush Hermit’s Clayton Park; low-fi solo records like La De Da; lean, loose and lyrical rock on Truthfully, Truthfully; and a father-and-son nod to folk traditions with Solidarity. Then pushing the envelope further: the Emergency’s romantic epic concept album Ashtray Rock; the songwriting challenge Scrappy Happiness; and Three and 44, Joel’s multi-record ventures exploring love, loss, and existential investigation.

For his latest release, One Real Reveal (2024), Plaskett strips his songwriting down to its raw materials, allowing everything in—all the human touches the tape could pick up—and letting (almost) everything out.

Jason Blaine was born to sing, write, play guitar and entertain. His love for country music has taken him to the forefront of the Canadian music scene where he has remained for over a decade. With hits like “They Don’t Make ‘Em Like That Anymore”, “Country Side”, “Dance With My Daughter” and his most recent ”The Road That Raised You Up,” Blaine has also become a respected craftsman of hits for others, including Chris Jansen, Parmalee, Brantley Gilbert, Scotty McCreery, and Madeline Merlo.

Originally from Pembroke, Ontario, Blaine moved to Nashville in 2006 with his wife Amy and their three-month-old baby girl. He burst onto the scene in a big way in 2007 with his first #1 hit single “Rock In My Boot” which led to multiple CCMA nominations and paved the way for a string of hit singles and major festival stages across the nation such as Big Valley Jamboree, Boots & Hearts, Dauphin Country Fest.

Jason resides in Hendersonville, Tennessee with his wife and four children balancing music and family life.

Friendship and rock ’n’ roll come naturally to Yukon Blonde—Jeffrey Innes, Brandon Scott, Graham Jones, and James Younger. While their sound feels classic, the band has never leaned on nostalgia or rock mythology. Instead, they deliver sincere guitar music rooted in the present.

Their new album Friendship & Rock ’n’ Roll pairs bold riffs with bright energy. Even when the lyrics touch on heartbreak or defeat, the songs carry an underlying optimism. Tracks like “Keep On Breaking My Heart” balance melancholy with playful charm, echoing the spirit of Tom Petty’s golden era.

The band gathered in summer 2024 to trade ideas and tighten arrangements before recording at Innes’ studio in Vancouver. The direction was inspired by their Shuggie tour, when broken gear and missing synths led them to perform as a stripped-down four-piece. That spirit carried into the studio. “It was probably the easiest and most fun record we’ve ever made,” says Innes.

After years together, Yukon Blonde remain grounded in the bond that started it all—friendship, and the joy of playing rock ’n’ roll.

Softcult is an indie-rock duo comprised of twin siblings Mercedes Arn-Horn (She/Her, Vocals/Guitar) and Phoenix Arn-Horn (They/Them, Vocals/Drums) from Kitchener, Ontario.

Seamlessly combining grunge, shoegaze, dreampop, and punk into their “music with a message,” Softcult has inspired a new Riot Grrrl movement for the digital age. PRO: feminism, social activism, creative freedom, self-empowerment, gender neutrality. ANTI: sexism, racism, homophobia, trans-phobia, patriarchy.

Softcult are quickly gaining fans by building a safe and inclusive music community and gathering industry supporters with their DIY approach: They write, record and produce all of their music, and direct and edit their music videos, as well as doing all artwork and photography and hand-crafting a monthly zine.