Mo Kenney (NS)
Even considering her young age, at 22 Mo Kenney is far from being a novice songwriter. Her writing began in her early teens, and by the age of 14 she had already done some recording at a small studio in Bedford, Nova Scotia. Influenced early-on by bands such as Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd, Kenney had a turning point in her musical evolution when she taught herself the finger-picking style on acoustic guitar. Soon enough she gained the admiration and support of industry veterans such as Joel Plaskett, who went on to produce, co-write, and play on her self-titled debut. Having classic and alt-rock influences brings a freshness to her style, and for an artist who confessed to once having crippling stage fright, she has developed a warm ease and a dynamic presence as a performer.