Lonesome Ace Stringband (ON)
The Lonesome Ace Stringband is an old-time band with bluegrass chops that play some righteous folk and country music. There’s a depth of groove and sense of space not often heard in bluegrass today, a level of instrumental interplay and vocal blend uncommon in old-time, and an onstage rapport that transcends all of this. Three Canadians lost in the weird and wonderful traditional music of the American South, the band members, Chris Coole (banjo), John Showman (fiddle) and Max Heineman (bass), are each journeyman musicians and veterans of some of Canada’s top roots music acts (New Country Rehab, the David Francey Band, the Foggy Hogtown Boys, Fiver).
The band move freely between having a sound so powerful that it doesn’t seem like it should be coming from a trio to a sparseness and fragility that draws listeners in and refreshes the ear. All three members are compelling lead singers, each with his own vocal character and range. When those voices come together, the power of the harmonies is unshakable. It’s clear to anyone who’s heard them that the Lonesome Ace Stringband just don’t sound like any other band.
As of 2019, the Lonesome Ace Stringband have toured internationally, been engaged at some of the largest festivals in North America (Merlefest, Winnipeg Folk Festival, RockyGrass), and recorded three albums. In 2018, with the release of When the Sun Comes Up, the band showcased their songwriting and studio savvy, offering up a more progressive interpretation of old-time music and taking its sound to new level.