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The Sonic Collective: Sled Island Festival Series

Kelly Shaw on Experiencing Sled Island 2026

Darren Scott sits down with his good friend and fellow music lover Kelly Shaw to talk about experiencing Sled Island 2026 together. Kelly joined Darren for four days of shows, helping gather audio, photos and video while discovering artists, venues and sounds from across Calgary.

They talk about the highlights, surprises and unexpected discoveries of the festival, from ambient music in a church to hip hop at The Ship & Anchor, and what happens when you throw your carefully planned festival schedule out the window and simply follow the music.

And there was one performance that affected Kelly so deeply, it brought him to tears. 

It's a conversation about music, friendship, discovery and why Sled Island continues to be such a special part of Calgary's music community.Listen now and experience Sled Island through the eyes of two longtime music fans.

Kelly's Word Works

sled island fest 

it’s calgary’s best 

lifts your awe to the crest 

fest director and guest curator 

down to be your joy cultivator 

every year assures a new pulsator 

comedy, art and astounding tunes 

lineup so large the schedules in runes 

the best time of all your moons 

so many bands, shows and venues 

beg you forgo your sensible shoes 

gotta look cool at united pews 

treads and hipster cycles get you around 

any direction you’re wonder bound 

the community feel will astound 

patrons diverse, inclusive, all ages 

tribes of all stripes keen for stages 

everyone free from their cages 

artists and genres across the spectrum 

some will blast and some will hum 

either way your soul they’ll plumb 

so bring your curiosity it’s discovery 

enriching your performance art history 

sled’s goodness no longer a mystery 

sled island fest 

it’s calgary’s best 

my love confessed 

—— 

SLED FEST BEST 

Copyright: Kelly Shaw 

Photo Credit: Kelly Shaw - Kelly (Right) and Darren (Left) out Sledding

The theme music for The Sonic Collective is Dust by Les Gigantiques from Calgary. Our thanks to the band for letting us use and feature their music. Be sure to check them out. https://www.instagram.com/lesgigantiques/

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The Sonic Collective: Sled Island Festival Series

Ben & Basil Leon on Sled Island, Music & Community

Darren Scott talks with Dandy Brewing’s Ben Leon and his teenager Basil about their experiences at Sled Island 2026. Ben brings a unique perspective as a musician who played at the very first Sled Island, while Basil shares what it’s like experiencing the festival as a young music fan limited to all-ages shows.

But the highlight of the conversation comes when Basil tells a touching story about Calgary musician and percussionist Chris Dadge helping them on their own musical journey. It’s a beautiful reminder of the generosity, mentorship and community that makes Alberta’s music scene so special.

Listen now and discover another side of Sled Island.

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In this episode of The Sonic Collective, we take a deeper look at an artist we all knew by reputation but had never fully explored as we review Chris Stapleton’s 2015 debut album, Traveller.

We praise Stapleton’s powerful, emotionally expressive voice, songwriting background, and ability to blend traditional country with blues, rock, and soul, with particular attention to the album’s storytelling, authenticity, and Stapleton’s musical partnership with his wife, Morgane. We also reflect on his breakthrough performance with Justin Timberlake at the 2015 CMA Awards.

While some of us found the album somewhat slow or wished for more upbeat tracks, we all agreed that Traveller is a strong, heartfelt introduction to modern country music. The consensus is that its emotional honesty and stripped-back production make it especially appealing even to listeners who aren't normally country fans.

The episode closes with Scott Gregory announcing our next album review: Britney Spears’ 2007 album, Blackout.

Alain Dupuis and The Sonic Collective

Album Scores (Out of 5)

Combined Score
Recommend: 4.5
Influence: 3.5
Overall: 4

Darren's Score
Recommend: 4.5
Influence: 4
Overall: 4

Scott C's Score
Recommend: 4
Influence: 2.5
Overall: 3.5

Scott G's Score
Recommend: 4
Influence: 3.5
Overall: 4.5

Alain's Score
Recommend: 4
Influence: 3.5
Overall: 4

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Sonic Collective Album Pick (June 2026): David Byrne & Brian Eno — My Life in the Bush of Ghosts (1981)

The Sonic Collective hosts Alain, Scott Gregory, Darren, and Scott Coates discuss Scott Coates June 2026 album pick, David Byrne and Brian Eno’s 1981 collaboration My Life in the Bush of Ghosts, chosen after Scott got tickets for a David Byrne concert and wanted to explore beyond Talking Heads hits. They frame the record as an early blueprint for modern sampling and loop-based production, built from funk grooves layered with found audio like radio voices, sermons, and other global influences, created with labor-intensive tape techniques and with attention to sample licensing (including removed tracks). While acknowledging its innovation, historical importance, and influence on later hip hop/electronic production, they largely find it challenging and not very enjoyable to listen to, scoring it low overall. 

00:00 Welcome to Sonic Collective
00:57 June Pick Reveal
02:04 Album Context and Setup
03:04 Alan Reaction and Critique
08:20 Scott G Context and Favorites
17:22 Darren Historical Perspective
22:47 Scott Coates Final Take
25:38 Scores and Ratings
33:47 Next Month Pick Traveler
36:10 Theme Music and Sign Off

Overall Scores:

Recommend: 2.1
Influenced: 2.1
Overall:  1.9

Scott Coates
Recommend: 1
Influenced: 1
Overall: 1

Darren Scott
Recommend: 2
Influenced: 4
Overall: 2

Scott Gregory
Recommend: 4
Influenced: 2
Overall: 3 

Alain Dupuis
Recommend: 1.5 
Influenced: 1.5
Overall: 1.5

The theme music for The Sonic Collective is Dust by Les Gigantiques from Calgary. Our thanks to the band for letting us use and feature their music. Be sure to check them out. https://www.instagram.com/lesgigantiques/

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Sled Island: The Festival That Changed Calgary Music | The Sonic Collective

Darren Scott of The Sonic Collective introduces a solo Sled Island 2026 segment. He frames Sled Island in Calgary as an affordable, volunteer-driven, multi-venue “festival of discovery” that prioritizes community, diversity, and intimate live experiences over headliners, algorithms, and phone-first “Instagram moments.” The episode traces Sled’s origins in 2007 under Zak Pashak, its evolution beyond indie rock (including a 2017 Flying Lotus curation), and its resilience after the 2013 Calgary floods, while spotlighting local voices: Conrad Montana of Les Gigantiques, Cartel Madras (discovered at Sled and signed to Sub Pop), K-Riz, Brock Geiger, and Sun Glaciers. Darren highlights venues, local sponsors, CJSW, and argues Sled’s impact is cultural—building connections, collaborations, and changing perceptions of Calgary. If you want to understand what Sled is all about and hear the story from local Calgary artists, then you came to the right place.

00:00 Welcome to Sonic Collective
00:41 Darren Goes Solo
01:08 Why Music Matters
02:33 Sled Island Vibes
04:31 Calgary Music Community
07:23 What Is Sled Island
09:08 Calgary Before Sled
12:13 Conrad Montana Memories
18:12 Festival of Discovery
21:03 Cartel Madras Breakthrough
31:29 Calgary Grows Up
34:38 K-Riz and the Family
40:59 Artists Watching Artists
41:32 K-Riz New Album Plans
42:54 Human Scale Festival
44:39 Venues And Local Sponsors
47:23 Serendipity And Safety
50:16 Volunteers And Traditions
52:18 Brock Geiger Interview
01:00:28 Creativity Without Boundaries
01:02:54 Sun Glaciers On Scene
01:08:22 2013 Flood Turning Point
01:10:54 Why Sled Matters Now
01:15:39 Final Takeaways And Thanks

Photo Credit: Kelly Shaw - Clipping performing at The Palace with Cartel Madras

The theme music for The Sonic Collective is Dust by Les Gigantiques from Calgary. Our thanks to the band for letting us use and feature their music. Be sure to check them out. https://www.instagram.com/lesgigantiques/

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Conrad Montana (Les Gigantiques) on Sled Island, Calgary’s Music Scene & a 20-Year-Old Album Finally Released

Darren Scott of The Sonic Collective continues the Sled Island series with a conversation featuring Conrad Sawatzky (Conrad Montana of Les Gigantiques), a longtime Calgary musician who has been active in bands including Anxious Poets, the Shinolas, Cripple Creek Fairies, and The Deadly Skulls. Conrad shares his musical beginnings, his role in local preservation efforts like the Rat’s Nest Recording Society, and his early connection to Sled Island through Zach Peshack and Pop Montreal. He recalls standout Sled memories (Guided by Voices, Television, Yo La Tengo, and more), highlights Calgary venues supporting live music (Loophole, Blocks, Palomino), and discusses what makes Sled unique, including its diversity and discovery-focused playlists. The episode also covers Les Gigantiques’ newly released album—recorded 20 years ago, rediscovered by Trap One Records—now streaming, with vinyl coming in August and a release show August 23 at Blocks.

https://www.instagram.com/lesgigantiques/

00:00 Show Intro
01:08 Sled Island Series Setup
02:13 Guest Conrad Montana
04:12 How We Met
04:48 Conrad Music Origins
07:12 Preserving Calgary Tapes
09:08 First Sled Island Connection
10:50 Favorite Sled Memories
12:53 Calgary Venues Today
14:43 Day In The Life
17:03 What Makes Sled Unique
20:17 Les Gigantiques Album Story
22:32 Sound And Stage Energy
24:44 Tour Plans And Sled 2026
26:15 Local Band Shoutouts
28:24 Advice For New Musicians
29:34 Show Plug And Farewell
30:57 Host Wrap Up
32:44 Subscribe And Closing Credits

The theme music for The Sonic Collective is Dust by Les Gigantiques from Calgary. Our thanks to the band for letting us use and feature their music. Be sure to check them out. https://www.instagram.com/lesgigantiques/

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Cartel Madras on Sled Island, Sub Pop & Their New Era - The Sonic Collective Interview

Darren Scott of The Sonic Collective continues the Sled Island interview series with Cartel Madras, the Calgary-raised, Chennai-born sister duo Eboshi and Contra, discussing their roots, early hip hop influences, and rapid rise from SoundCloud demos to their 2018 debut show and a standout Sled Island performance that led to being noticed by Ishmael Butler and ultimately signing with Sub Pop Records. They reflect on Calgary venues and Alberta’s broader music scene, share artists they’ve discovered at Sled Island, and describe the festival’s unique audience, community, and role in creating career-changing opportunities. The duo previews their return with the new single “Evident 2 Me,” leading into a new chapter and a debut full-length album planned for 2027, plus upcoming festival and tour appearances.

Evident 2 Me Releasing June 18. Pre-save here: https://music.subpop.com/cartelmadrasandjide_evident2me

https://www.instagram.com/cartel.madras
http://www.youtube.com/@cartelmadras

Cartel Madras Bio

Beckoning you down narrow hallways and into smoke-filled, bass-pumping rooms, Cartel Madras returns with a new world and a new sound. After four years of experimenting, traversing, and creating since their 2021 EP, The Serpent & The Tiger, sisters Eboshi and Contra emerge from the smoke of a shattered global era with vengeance on their mind and adventure laid out before them. 

Building off their signature experimental electronic hip-hop foundation, the duo expands their sonic domain, summoning listeners onto the blazing hot tarmac of their motherland and into a seductive world, they call you to the beach, the streets, and the uncertainty of this timeline through a new sound. Radical, racy, and raucous as ever, Cartel Madras continue to unfold an uncharted epoch entirely their own.

Born in Chennai, Tamil Nadu and raised in Alberta, Cartel Madras crafts a cultural syncretism of house, trap, punk, industrial electronics, and razor-sharp rap. Known for explosive live performances that channel the energy of underground queer and punk scenes, the duo have built a reputation for music that is confrontational, playful, cinematic, and impossible to pin down. After being scouted during their 2018 Sled Island performance, they signed to Sub Pop Records and have since released three acclaimed EPs alongside a growing body of striking visual work directed and produced through their own multidisciplinary practice.

Cartel Madras have shared stages with artists including M.I.A., JPEGMAFIA, Jack Harlow, Wu-Tang Clan, clipping., Mac DeMarco, and toured with Sudan Archives. In 2023, they returned to India to open for M.I.A.. Alongside their music career, Eboshi and Contra have expanded their artistic universe into film, installation, and visual storytelling through their production house FOREIGNERZ, creating immersive worlds that blur the boundaries between music, cinema, fashion, and contemporary art.

Their full-length studio album is set for release on Sub Pop Records & Royal Mountain Records in 2027.

00:00 Show Intro
00:42 Cold Open Track
01:12 Sled Island Series Setup
03:46 Origins and Influences
05:50 First Shows and Breakthrough
08:26 Discovered at Sled Island
11:00 Sub Pop Signing Story
14:00 Calgary Venues and Scene
15:47 Sled Island Discoveries
18:01 Festival Crowd and Etiquette
22:13 New Era and Upcoming Music
23:33 Shows and Tour Plans
25:05 Local Artist Recommendations
26:38 Final Thoughts and Farewell
28:03 Outro and Credits

Photo Credit: Michaela Neuman @Equidem

The theme music for The Sonic Collective is Dust by Les Gigantiques from Calgary. Our thanks to the band for letting us use and feature their music. Be sure to check them out. https://www.instagram.com/lesgigantiques/

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Sun Glaciers’ Evan Resnik on Sled Island, Calgary’s Music Scene & New Album “Spiritual Content” | The Sonic Collective

The Sonic Collective hosts Darren Scott in a Sled Island interview with Evan Resnik of Calgary band Sun Glaciers, discussing the group’s origins from early basement jams to evolving into a steady lineup, their early acceptance into Sled Island in 2016, and Resnik’s influences from grunge and classic rock to post-punk and eclectic artists. Resnik reflects on discovering Calgary’s scene through Chad VanGaalen while living in France, describes Calgary as a diverse “melting pot” of genres, and explains what makes Sled Island unique, including its curation, guest curators, and energized crowds. They cover Sun Glaciers’ fourth album, “Spiritual Content” (released late March), its more stripped-down live-ready approach, the “Only Love” video shot at a house on Mission Road, upcoming festival dates like Dandy Fest, and local venue shout-outs including Palomino, The Legion, Dickens, and Ship & Anchor.

https://www.instagram.com/sunglaciers/
https://www.sunglaciers.com/

00:00 Show Intro
01:06 Sled Island Series
01:31 Meet Evan Resnick
02:47 Band Origin Story
04:51 Calgary Roots
05:18 Early Influences
06:20 Finding The Scene
07:28 Calgary Sound Today
08:41 Discovering Sled Island
09:27 Festival Connections
10:51 Playing Sled Crowds
11:45 What Makes Sled Unique
12:41 New Album Spiritual Content
13:48 Only Love Video
14:53 Upcoming Shows
15:17 Venues That Support Music
16:30 Diversity And Inclusion
17:01 Must See Sled Acts
18:18 Final Plug And Thanks
19:20 Host Wrap Up
20:58 Subscribe And Credits
21:27 Signing Off

Photo Credit: Sebastian Buzzalino

The theme music for The Sonic Collective is Dust by Les Gigantiques from Calgary. Our thanks to the band for letting us use and feature their music. Be sure to check them out. https://www.instagram.com/lesgigantiques/

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Brock Geiger on Sled Island 2026, Calgary’s Music Community & His Debut Album “Some Nights” | The Sonic Collective

In this Sonic Collective Sled Island series episode, host Darren Scott interviews Calgary-based songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, producer, and audio engineer Brock Geiger ahead of Sled Island 2026. Brock shares how he started playing music in Calgary, learned touring and studio life through bands like The Dudes and Reuben and the Dark, and built his production practice into Studio B. He discusses making his debut solo album, Some Nights, beginning during COVID in his home studio and later expanding it at Sound City in Los Angeles with notable players. Brock reflects on Sled Island’s impact, memorable early festival experiences, what makes the festival’s audiences unique, and how it supports Calgary’s independent scene. He also previews current projects, his Sled Island 2026 sets, recommended local venues, and advice for emerging artists.

Upcoming Performances 2026: 

June 17 - Dickens (Sled Island)
June 20 - Dandy Brewing (Sled Island)
July 25 - Calgary Folk Festival (as RALEIGH)

https://www.brockgeiger.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brock__geiger/

00:00 Show Intro
01:03 Sled Island Series Setup
02:33 Brock Geiger Background
02:44 Calgary Roots Early Bands
04:16 Touring Session Work
05:37 Recording Producing Obsession
07:56 Studio B Launch
09:00 Solo Album Some Nights
10:09 Sound City Upgrade Sessions
12:06 Sled Island First Memories
14:34 Playing Sled Island Community
15:36 Festival Impact On Calgary
17:51 Sled Audience Energy
20:53 Networking Through Festival
21:59 Current Projects LP Two
23:01 Sled Island Shows Schedule
23:54 Best Calgary Venues
25:19 Must See Acts This Year
25:58 Where To Find Brock
26:33 Advice For Musicians
28:26 Wrap Up And Credits

Brock Geiger Photo Credit: Sebastian Buzzalino

The theme music for The Sonic Collective is Dust by Les Gigantiques from Calgary. Our thanks to the band for letting us use and feature their music. Be sure to check them out. https://www.instagram.com/lesgigantiques/

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K-Riz on Sled Island 2026, Calgary Hip Hop, and One Way Ticket to Heaven | The Sonic Collective

In this Sonic Collective Sled Island series episode, host Darren Scott interviews Western Canadian artist K-Riz ahead of Sled Island 2026, discussing his journey from Edmonton and Toronto, his genre-blending sound (hip hop, R&B, pop, jazz, reggae), and his reputation for powerful live shows with K-Riz and the Family. K-Riz shares how he first connected with Calgary’s scene, his early Sled Island experience opening for Thundercat at the Palace Theatre, artists he’s discovered there, and how the festival helps build community and broaden hip hop audiences—especially through more artists performing with live bands. He also highlights key Calgary venues, his work as an educator at the National Music Centre, and details an upcoming album, Heaven, recorded at NMC, plus upcoming Sled Island and Stampede performances.

June 18th Sled Island @ The Ship & Anchor
Stampede Coke stage July 10th

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/krizmusic/

00:00 Show Intro
01:07 Sled Island Series Setup
02:32 Meeting K-Rizz
03:25 Origins and Early Career
04:49 Edmonton to Calgary Move
05:50 First Sled Island Memories
06:22 Festival Discoveries
07:45 Hip Hop at Sled Island
09:23 Calgary Scene and Venues
12:28 Community and Collaboration
15:39 New Album and NMC Work
19:04 Upcoming Shows and Where to Listen
20:27 Sled Island Picks and Wrap
22:38 Closing Thanks and Sign Off

The theme music for The Sonic Collective is Dust by Les Gigantiques from Calgary. Our thanks to the band for letting us use and feature their music. Be sure to check them out. https://www.instagram.com/lesgigantiques/

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