https://www.alimccormick.ca/

Rolling her own smokes, chopping her own wood, and shining with the satisfaction of self-sufficiency, Ali embodies the world she writes about.

A mechanic of the heart, she tunes emotion into melody — shifting gears with rhythmic and lyrical precision across a finely honed collection of songs. Her distinctive phrasing carries echoes of country and blues, yet remains deeply rooted in the storytelling traditions of folk.

Known as the Lioness of Lanark, Ali hails from Watson’s Corners, a tiny bush community nestled in the Lanark Highlands of Ontario, Canada. Raised on an off-grid subsistence farm where creativity knew no limits, she developed a rare blend of artistic fearlessness, closeness to nature, and fierce independence that continues to define her music today. For more than a decade, Ali has toured and performed nationwide, honing her craft on stages across Canada and building a devoted following through the strength of her live performances.

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https://northtonestrings.ca/

This whole thing started with one question: Why was no one making guitar strings in Canada?

Canada has produced some of the most iconic musicians in the world. We have the artists, the venues, and a guitar culture that runs deep. But for as long as anyone can remember, every single set of strings played in this country has come from somewhere else. The longer we sat with that fact, the stranger it felt. And then it started feeling like something worth fixing.

NorthTone was founded by Al Henry and Amanda Diamond, a husband and wife team who came at this from two very different angles and ended up in exactly the same place.

Al has spent more than thirty years as a guitarist and gear obsessive. The kind of player who notices the difference between a fresh set and a dead one before he’s finished the opening riff. He’s chased tone through countless guitars, amps, and thousands of sets of strings. That experience and attention to detail is baked into everything NorthTone is building.

Amanda brings the vision and the voice. A creative entrepreneur and Canadian Army Veteran, she’s built businesses around storytelling, community, and the belief that the things we make should mean something. Her fingerprints are on everything that makes NorthTone more than just a string company. Together, they make a company that’s equal parts craft and character.

NorthTone is proud to be an Indigenous owned and veteran run company.

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https://patreesmusic.com/

Blending folk, Americana, and country influences, his music explores growth, relationships, and the stories we carry with us. With heartfelt storytelling and a warm acoustic sound, Pat creates songs rooted in real life — capturing the highs, lows, and turning points that make us who we are. His latest single, “Missing Piece,” was released on July 15, 2026.

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Johnny Dell doesn’t just write songs; he captures the echoes left behind on empty highways and in the corners of closing-time bars. After twenty years on the road, touring the world and releasing six records in the haunting Psychobilly scene, Dell has traded the speed and distortion for a different kind of intensity. His debut, Ghost Stories..., is a six-track journey through the whirlwind blur of a 1956 Coupe DeVille and the quiet regrets of the old dark age. A sound born from industrial roots and Appalachian Uplands dust, reflecting life spent navigating the distance between the noise of the stage and the grind of factory floors. Raw, authentic, and unrepentant, the music feels like a Polaroid left on a dashboard—pairing wide-screen desert energy with intimate, smoke-filled storytelling. With his hands firmly on the wheel of every performance, engineering and visuals, Dell explores the intersection of Folk, traditional Country, and modern desolation. From the driving grit of “El Muerto” to the hollowed-out ache of “Before Dawn,” this is a sound built on decades of road-worn perspective. Raise your glass for the ones who have lived on the wrong side of a gun, those still waiting for the whistle of a train in the middle of the night, and the “Guilty in the First Degree.” This first offering explores the haunted space between nowhere and eternity. Now… Turn it up, hit the road, and let the ghosts talk.

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https://thesaltcellarsband.com/

Their music blends Americana, Blues, Folk, Jazz and Pop into heartfelt, story-driven songs that tackle social justice, personal narratives, and truths. Whether on stage or in the studio, they invite listeners into a world of connection, resonance, and reflection. They perform regularly at Ontario venues as a duo and have also expanded to include multi-instrumental accompaniment when the venue suits. They were also Showcase Performers at the Folk Music Ontario conference in 2023. Rob Bersan’s guitar playing is a standout element of The Salt Cellars’ sound—expressive, rootsy, and warm, blending folk, blues, jazz, and Americana into one cohesive style. Virginia deCarle sings with passion, warmth, and intention. Her vocal tone is intimate and polished, her phrasing natural and emotive. Whether leading a song herself or harmonizing with Rob, her voice is the anchor of The Salt Cellars — grounding their fusion of Americana, folk, blues, and jazz in heartfelt storytelling and genuine connection. Blending captivating music with vivid storytelling and lighthearted banter, they consistently draw in audiences and deliver unforgettable live experiences.

If you would like to support my work here on Substack and my music (https://www.briantmusic.com), please click the Buy Me A Coffee logo above and donate. It is challenging to succeed in music and art, and your donation goes a long way toward helping me continue making it.

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The Salt Cellars are a Canadian singer-songwriter duo from Maynooth, Ontario. Founded in 2016 by Virginia deCarle (vocals, songwriting) and Rob Bersan (vocals, guitar, songwriting), their music blends Americana, Blues, Folk, Jazz and Pop into heartfelt, story-driven songs that tackle social justice, personal narratives, and truths. Whether on stage or in the studio, they invite listeners into a world of connection, resonance, and reflection. They perform regularly at Ontario venues as a duo and have also expanded to include multi-instrumental accompaniment when the venue suits. They were also Showcase Performers at the Folk Music Ontario conference in 2023. Rob Bersan’s guitar playing is a standout element of The Salt Cellars’ sound—expressive, rootsy, and warm, blending folk, blues, jazz, and Americana into one cohesive style. Virginia deCarle sings with passion, warmth, and intention. Her vocal tone is intimate and polished, her phrasing natural and emotive. Whether leading a song herself or harmonizing with Rob, her voice is the anchor of The Salt Cellars — grounding their fusion of Americana, folk, blues, and jazz in heartfelt storytelling and genuine connection. Blending captivating music with vivid storytelling and lighthearted banter, they consistently draw in audiences and deliver unforgettable live experiences.

If you would like to support my work here on Substack and my music (https://www.briantmusic.com), please click the Buy Me A Coffee logo above and donate. It is challenging to succeed in music and art, and your donation goes a long way toward helping me continue making it.

Brian Tremblay’s Lonesome Cowboy Podcast is a free publication. There’s no charge to subscribe. Thank you!

https://kevinashermusic.com/

Kevin Asher got his love of performing live by singing Charlie Pride and Beatles songs to the lunch crowd at his dad’s restaurant as a 5-year-old in small town Nova Scotia. This progressed to learning how to play drums and eventually guitar as a teen. Raised on a steady diet of classic rock, folk, country and jazz, Asher has developed a sound that is truly original. Kevin holds a BA in Music from St. Francis Xavier University.

After an 8 year stint in Korea teaching English, Asher moved to Ontario and lived the corporate life. It wasn’t until the end of his marriage where he got back in touch with his musical and rural roots and began to write music again. The music came fast and furious, writing about 100 songs in couple of years.

Through the course of the pandemic Asher kept a frantic pace, releasing his debut album; The Ol’ Rogue Saloon (produced and engineered by Kingston legend Tom Savage) and his latest - First Dawn which released in November 2022 and is available on the streaming platforms and limited edition vinyl. Asher’s latest single, ‘The Way I Feel’, a cover from the great Gordon Lightfoot was released in June 2023.

If you would like to support my work here on Substack and my music (https://www.briantmusic.com), please click the Buy Me A Coffee logo above and donate. It is challenging to succeed in music and art, and your donation goes a long way toward helping me continue making it.

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https://cctrubiak.ca/

Originally beginning his independent recording journey in Ottawa in 2010, Trubiak later returned to Manitoba, where he has spent more than a decade performing both as a solo artist and as a member of several long-standing regional bands.

A self-taught musician, registered SOCAN member, and active member of the Canadian Country Music Association, Trubiak has built a steadily growing presence within Canada’s independent country and folk landscape through a series of self-released albums rooted in honesty, memory, and lived experience. His work has earned both provincial and national recognition, including being named a Manitoba Emerging Artist and reaching the Top 5 in CBC’s Searchlight competition with his song “Raven.” His single “Outlaws Meditation” later entered the Top 40 of the Canadian Indie Country Countdown.

In 2026, Trubiak began gaining wider media attention surrounding the release of his fourth independent album, Jukebox in Exile, alongside multi-platform coverage from CBC and a growing wave of prairie and independent music press. Inspired in part by the wildfire evacuation affecting Flin Flon and surrounding northern communities, the album explores themes of displacement, resilience, distance, queer identity, and the emotional geography of northern life through the lens of classic country songwriting traditions.

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https://www.basilparkmusic.com/

Basil Park is a full time music teacher and he also writes and performs his original folk genre music. He also has a band, Honest Racket. They are indie-folk iconoclasts, mixing acoustic and electric sensibilities, folk instrumentation, up front percussion and upbeat introspective songwriting.

If you would like to support my work here on Substack and my music (https://www.briantmusic.com), please click the Buy Me A Coffee logo above and donate. It is challenging to succeed in music and art, and your donation goes a long way toward helping me continue making it.

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https://ronmills.bandzoogle.com/

Ron got his start in the Ottawa music scene touring the area with a traditional Celtic folk trio.

In 2017 Ron paid homage to his home by releasing his first album “Duff Road” and followed with his second offering “Sad News”. Hi writing tells stories drawing from country, folk and blues. Humorous and heartbreaking his lyrics have been compared to Stan Rogers and John Prine

In the summer of 2025 Ron took his songs to the discerning ears of the Eastern Canada crowd. Playing music Festivals to Song Circles and pubs gathering friends and fans along the way.

If you would like to support my work here on Substack and my music (https://www.briantmusic.com), please click the Buy Me A Coffee logo and donate. It is challenging to succeed in music and art, and your donation goes a long way toward helping me continue making it.

Brian Tremblay’s Lonesome Cowboy Podcast is a free publication. There’s no charge to subscribe. Thank you!