New Music from Different Folk

New Brunswick folk quartet set to launch debut recording with release shows planned for Fredericton and Saint John.

Matt Carter

For the better part of a decade now, Different Folk have been performing traditional and contemporary folk music for audiences throughout the province. Formed in 2009 by well-known New Brunswick fiddler Katherine Moller together with her husband Kim (vocals and bodhran) and fellow folk enthusiast Will Toner (vocals and guitar), the group made their live debut with a performance on Campobello Island that same year. Bassist Don LeBlanc would later join the lineup to round out the group’s harmony-driven, folk-forward sound.

In the weeks ahead, Different Folk will be celebrating the release of their first recorded album. Different Folk – LIVE features 13 tracks captured during performances in Fredericton over the past couple of years.

Proud purveyors of the Maritime Kitchen Party tradition, Different Folk – LIVE pairs old time fiddle favourites with songs by Great Big Sea, Bob Dylan and even Elton John, drawing together the wide range of influences that have shaped each member of the group’s musical tastes. The album, possibly the first recording to include both Crocodile Rock and Rocky Road to Dublin, is reminiscent of those house parties where instruments get passed around and folks take turns belting out their favorite songs, but with one exception – the playing is tight and the harmonies are locked in.