CANADIAN BLUEGRASS BANDS ARE GOOD FOLK
HEADLINERS 2 0 2 5 O I B F P R O G R A M OKLAHOMA’ S INTERNATIONAL BLUEGRASS FESTIVAL
Slocan Ramblers
CANADIAN BLUEGRASS BANDS ARE GOOD FOLK
by ADAM MILLER
T
he Slocan Ramblers( featured on the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville TN, 2020 IBMA Momentum Band of the Year Award Winner & 2019 Juno Award Nominee) are Canada’ s bluegrass band to watch. With a reputation for energetic live shows and impeccable musicianship they have been winning over audiences from Merlefest to RockyGrass and everywhere in between. This is their first appearance at OIBF.
They ' re a bluegrass band, but they ' ve been garnering accolades as listener favorites on and from national Folk and Bluegrass programs and publications. Their busy touring schedule takes them across the US, Canada and Europe.
Perhaps one other reason the Slocan Ramblers sound differently from other bluegrass bands, aside from their accents, is the fact that they don’ t have a fiddle player.
“ We’ re arranging for mandolin, banjo, guitar and bass,” said Darryl.” We’ ve figured out what works and what doesn’ t. Usually two people playing the melody works. Three people is too much. You don’ t want to start every song off with a mandolin kick or a banjo kick. So sometimes a bass starting a song will help a lot. This album is not all bluegrass. There’ s a bunch of different grooves and tempos. I think we had a bit more freedom in that sense.”
On their new album Up the Hill and Through the Fog,
the all-star Canadian roots ensemble PHOTO channels by TOM DUNNING the past two years of loss into a surprisingly joyous collection of twelve songs intended to uplift and help make sense of the world. Bluegrass music is nothing short of catharsis for The Slocan Ramblers.
Though the past few years have brought the group accolades, that same momentum was abruptly halted by the pandemic’ s brutal impact on live music. Over the next year, bandmates Adrian Gross and Darryl Poulsen both lost close family members and their bassist decided to step back to spend more time at home. They channeled these tumultuous changes into some of their most honest and direct compositions yet.
Up the Hill and Through the Fog showcases the breadth of their varied influences while staying true to their roots in the rough and tumble bluegrass scene of Toronto’ s no-nonsense bars and dancehalls.
From Frank Evan’ s classic, dusty vocals, to John Hartford-inspired lyrical musings, it’ s all buttressed by impeccable musicianship, and emotionally raw songwriting from the three core members. This is roots music without pretension, art powerful enough to cut through the fog of the past two years and chart a more hopeful course forward.
The Slocan Ramblers are: Frank Evans: Banjo / Vocals, Adrian Gross: Mandolin, Darryl Poulsen: Guitar / Vocals and Charles James: Bass / Vocals
IBF
6 / OKLAHOMA’ S INTERNATIONAL BLUEGRASS FESTIVAL 2025