Baltimore, MD post-rock quartet Horse Lords have recently relocated to Germany and guitarist Owen Gardner joins UMFM PD Michael Elves to talk about making their new album Demand To Be Taken To Heaven Alive! without all being in the same place ahead of the start of their North American tour with a performance at Winnipeg Folk Festival.

BC-based psychedelic-Cumbia band Empanadas Ilegales will be releasing Laboratorio Tropical later this summer but first they'll be sharing some of the new songs at Winnipeg Folk Festival. Ahead of that they joined UMFM PD Michael Elves for a conversation about their musical roots, following up 2025's Sancocho Trifasico and more.

Ahead of her appearance at the 2026 Winnipeg Folk Festival, UMFM PD Michael Elves speaks with Ken Pomeroy about two Johns, her roots in Oklahoma, the importance of emotion and storytelling, and her Rounder record Cruel Joke.

UMFM PD Michael Elves speaks with Charlie Wayne of UK art-rock act Black Country, New Road about the band's formation, line-up & musical shifts and more ahead of their appearance at the Winnipeg Folk Festival mainstage on Thursday July 9th.

UMFM PD Michael Elves talks to Winnipeg singer-songwriter Jacob Brodovsky who is set to release his sophomore album, Tell The Kids We Tried, the same day he plays Spruce Hollow at the Winnipeg Folk Festival.

UMFM PD Michael Elves speaks with indie-folk artist Cat Clyde ahead of her appearance at the Winnipeg Folk Festival and on the heels of releasing her acclaimed album Mud Blood Bone. 

Portland-based singer-songwriter Anna Tivel has drawn acclaim for her ability to capture beauty in the everyday and tell stories within her songs. She talks to UMFM PD Michael Elves about her beginnings as a fiddle player, why she recorded her latest Animal Poem live in the round and more ahead of her appearance at the Winnipeg Folk Festival.

Georgia's Brother Wallace comes to the Winnipeg Folk Festival, hot on the heels of releasing his debut record, Electric Love. He talks to UMFM PD Michael Elves about his history in church, touring with The Heavy and his work as a music teacher.

The 2026 Festival Express train leaves the station to take you out to Birds' Hill Park and introduce some of the performers at the 51st Winnipeg Folk Festival.

UMFM PD Michael Elves speaks with Kathleen Edwards who released her sixth album, Billionaire, in August 2025 and who makes her fourth appearance at the Folk Fest this July.

The 2026 Festival Express train leaves the station to take you out to Birds' Hill Park and introduce some of the performers at the 51st Winnipeg Folk Festival.

UMFM PD Michael Elves speaks with 'mando-maestro' Andrew Collins about how he came to the instrument after being a ski bum in his early years.

Beer For Breakfast's Broose Tulloch talks to Jaxon Haldane about the Young Performers mentorship program at the Winnipeg Folk Festival.

UMFM PD Michael Elves speaks to OMBIIGIZI's Daniel Monkman about his many musical pursuits and how he ends up working within OMBIIGIZI, his experience at last year's Winnipeg Folk Festival with Lee Ranaldo and Medicine Singers, working with Laraaji and Kevin Drew and much more.

American folksinger Willi Carlisle talks to UMFM's Michael Elves about his new album Winged Victory, learning to play and call square dances, busing to the Smithsonian to discover the roots of folk songs and more in advance of his appearance at the 2025 Winnipeg Folk Festival.

Longtime Camper Van Beethoven guitarist Greg Lisher talks about the band's formation, his own musical background, how time away and multiple musical pursuits helped the long-term strength of CVB and much more with UMFM PD Michael Elves in advance of the group's appearance at the Winnipeg Folk Festival.

Lake Street Dive's Rachael Price discusses how the band first formed, their two-decade plus career, her own origin story and pursuing a separate path with Rachael & Vilray in advance of Lake Street Dive's headlining appearance at the Winnipeg Folk Festival.

**Please note the stream /DL version of this episode does not feature the Rachael & Vilray selection as the record is under embargo until its release in August**

UMFM PD Michael Elves talks to multinational quartet Los Bitchos' Serra Patale about the group's formation, the inspirations for their instrumental music, working with Franz Ferdinand's Alex Kapranos and more in advance of their appearance at the Winnipeg Folk Festival.

UMFM PD Michael Elves talks to all three members of Australia's Folk Bitch Trio in advance of their transoceanic trek to play the Winnipeg Folk Festival. The trio discuss their formation and musical backgrounds, their forthcoming record on Jagjaguwar, and receiving praise from Phoebe Bridgers.

Slow Spirit's Natalie Bohrn and Eric Roberts reminisce about their own connections to the Winnipeg Folk Festival and talk about working on new music after the release of their third record, 2024's That's The Gods Talking in advance of their appearance at the WFF's 50th anniversary.

Beer for Breakfast's Broose Tulloch talks to Winnipeg icon and Folk Fest fave, Begonia in advance of her return to Birds Hill Park.

Beer For Breakfast's Broose Tulloch talks to Melbourne Ska Orchestra's Nicky Bomba in advance of the MSO playing Winnipeg Folk Festival.

UMFM PD Michael Elves talks to Dengue Fever's Zac Holtzman about the group's origins, their decades long career and escaping to the desert to record their most recent album among other topics.

UMFM PD Michael Elves speaks to Rose City Band's Ripley Johnson about the group's latest album Sol Y Sombra in advance of their performance at the 2025 Winnipeg Folk Festival.

A cross-border collaboration between American artist Nina Nastasia and members of Alberta act The Cape May (Jeff MacLeod, Clinton St. John and Morgan Greenwood), Nastasia and MacLeod discuss how they initially met decades ago and what led to forming Jolie Laide.

Broose Tulloch of Beer For Breakfast talks to one-third of Blackie & The Rodeo Kings.

*This interview was recorded with Stephen Fearing while he was touring his most recent solo record.

Festival favourite (it's her picture on the Performer's Page link) Basia Bulat returns to Birds Hill Park on the heels of her latest album, Basia's Palace.
She speaks to UMFM PD Michael Elves about making the record, performance, parenthood and more.

Inuk singer-songwriter Elisapie earned a Polaris Prize shortlist spot for her The Ballad of the Runaway Girl in 2018, but her brand new record is drawing in new listeners with reworkings of classic rock and pop translated into Inuktitut. Elisapie will be playing the main stage at Winnipeg Folk Festival at 6pm on Friday July 12th.

Rosali Middleman just released her fourth record under the name Rosali, and it's her second with Omaha-based backing band David Nance Group. The whole crew will be at Birds Hill Park to perform from Bite Down, but before coming up, Middleman joins UMFM PD Michael Elves to discuss making the record, growing up in a large musical family, her various projects and much more.

Originally from Uganda and now calling Austin, Texas home, Jon Muq's story is a singular one and he shares it with UMFM PD Michael Elves in advance of his appearance at the 2024 Winnipeg Folk Festival. The pair discuss Michael Jackson, cruise lines, Muq's debut Flying Away and more.

Originally from the Texas panhandle and now calling Nashville home, singer-songwriter Mali Velasquez discusses relocating, moving from choir to singing solo and working on her debut album, I'm Green, with UMFM PD Michael Elves in advance of her appearance at the 2024 Winnipeg Folk Festival.

Montreal-based singer-songwriter Helena Deland was recently longlisted for the Polaris Prize for her latest album, Goodnight Summerland. She discusses making that album - a tribute to her mother - with UMFM PD Michael Elves.

Photo courtesy Lawrence Fafard.

UK collective Ibibio Sound Machine draw on singer / frontperson Eno Williams Nigerian heritage, and while their first four records were sung in the Ibibio language of her homeland, the group's latest album, Pull The Rope, finds Williams incorporating English lyrics for the first time. She discusses what led to this, the sound their producer brought to the mix and more with UMFM PD Michael Elves in advance of their Big Blue at Night appearance at the Winnipeg Folk Festival.

Raised in Wetaskiwin, nêhiyaw singer-songwriter Wyatt C. Louis now calls Moh'kinstsís / Calgary their home and recently released their debut album Chandler on Royal Mountain Records earlier this year. Louis speaks with UMFM PD Michael Elves on the heels of a very special National Indigenous Peoples Day for them, about what role place plays in their songwriting, working with other songwriters on co-writes, and more.

Photo courtesy Vanessa Heins.

While she now splits her time between Vancouver Island and Nashville, Winnipegger Ruth Moody has a special place in her heart for the Winnipeg Folk Festival. She talks about working on her new album Wanderer with UMFM PD Michael Elves, reflects on Folk Fests' past and what to expect when she kicks off the mainstage on Thursday July 11th.

Photo courtesy Jacqueline Justice.

Local bluegrass quintet The Stanley County Cut-Ups have a busy workshop schedule at the 2024 Winnipeg Folk Festival and will be part of the Grand Finale as well. Banjo / dobro player Tim Osmond discusses the group's formation, releasing a song on a postcard, playing workshops and more with UMFM PD Michael Elves.

Minneapolis singer-songwriter FINICK came to Birds Hill Park in 2023 as party of the Young Performers Program and will return to the Winnipeg Folk Festival this summer. After finishing school for the year, she came up to Winnipeg to record a live session and interview at UMFM with PD Michael Elves where she discussed making her debut record, Where Could We Go?, working on new material and her experience at last year's Folk Fest.

Photo courtesy Adriana Mathiason.

The Messthetics were formed by Fugazi members Brendan Canty and Joe Lally alongside guitarist Anthony Pirog. Blending post-rock, jazz and more into a heady brew, the trio enlisted the talents of saxophonist James Brandon Lewis for their latest album on the venerable Impulse! imprint. UMFM PD Michael Elves speaks to Pirog about having a sound that allows them to play a diverse range of festivals, why they moved beyond recording as a trio and many more topics in advance of their appearance at Big Blue at Night during the 2024 Winnipeg Folk Festival.

Singer-songwriter Leith Ross is an Ottawa transplant who now calls Winnipeg their home. Speaking with UMFM PD Michael Elves, Ross discusses moving cities as well as from the internet to the studio with their debut record To Learn, reflections on playing the 2022 Winnipeg Folk Festival and more in advance of their return to Birds Hill Park for 2024.

Photo courtesy Adam Kelly.

While they're both from Oregon, Casey Jane Reece-Kaigler and Camille Wind Weatherford met and formed The Lostines in New Orleans. Their debut record, Meet The Lostines is an introduction to the pair who split and shared songwriting duties and who discuss their influences and making the record with friends in their adopted city.

Photo courtesy Kait De Angelis.

No stranger to the Winnipeg Folk Festival as she's been attending since she was in the womb, Madeleine Roger discusses making her new album with Bonny Light Horseman's Josh Kaufman and why she looked outside the city and her circle to make the record.

Photo courtesy Laina Brown.

Known for his experimental rock outfit, Ghostkeeper, Alberta artist Shane Ghostkeeper's most recent release is Songs For My People, a country album. On this episode of Festival Express he talks about growing up in the genre and finally making something for the aunties and uncles in his life, what his songwriting process is like and more with UMFM's Michael Elves before his appearance at the Winnipeg Folk Festival.

Photo courtesy Heather Saitz.

Touring on the strength of her brand new record, Strange Medicine, Montreal's Kaia Kater discusses making that record after learning new compositional skills developed taking film-score courses in the pandemic, enlisting friends and idols to join her and more topics with UMFM's Michael Elves in advance of her appearance at the Winnipeg Folk Festival.

Photo courtesy Janice Reid.

Born on the edges of Mexico City, multicultural band BuenRostro create a diverse range of sounds - drawn from their membership - into a danceable and infectious blend. Singer Lupita Buenrostro joins UMFM's Michael Elves to talk about what role place, climate and activism play in their music prior to performing at the Winnipeg Folk Festival.

Legendary singer-songwriter Loudon Wainwright III released Lifetime Achievement in his seventies, after a half-century of music making. He reflects on that album and more with UMFM's Michael Elves in advance of his appearance at the Winnipeg Folk Festival.

While he got his start playing in punk act Single Mothers when he was in university, Evan Redsky has since gone out on his own and made his name as a singer-songwriter with the release of 2022's Oblivion, the follow-up to his debut EP, Danny Wolfe.

Redsky spoke to UMFM's Michael Elves about finding his own voice and more in advance of playing the Winnipeg Folk Festival.

Evan Pang - who records under the name Aysanabee - released Watin in 2022 to tremendous critical acclaim. Recently longlisted for the Polaris Music Prize, Pang talks about making the album with UMFM's Michael Elves before his appearance at the Winnipeg Folk Festival.

Beer For Breakfast's Broose Tulloch talks to Dylan MacDonald, who's been performing under the Field Guide moniker since the release of his Full Time EP and whose most recent album is a "Tape Redux" version of his self-titled album.

Beer For Breakfast's Broose Tulloch talks to Toronto's Julian Taylor about the soul-folk sound he has crafted over decades of music making and on multiple albums including the award-nominated The Ridge.

Milwaukee, WI blues artist Carl "Buffalo" Nichols discusses how he transitioned from the likes of Limp Bizkit riffs to Charley Patton samples for his forthcoming album The Fatalist and why he's trying to free the blues from being stuck in amber with UMFM PD Michael Elves.

Pastoral MIDI's Alex Braun talks to "Southern Gothic" blues singer Adia Victoria in advance of her appearance at the 2023 Winnipeg Folk Festival.

Irish singer-song­writer Susan O’Neill — who has recorded a col­lab­o­ra­tive album with Mick Flan­nery called 'In The Game' and her own solo EP Now You See It talks to UMFM PD Michael Elves in advance of her appear­ance at the Win­nipeg Folk Fes­ti­val.

Planet Mainstage host John Prentice has unearthed a classic interview Kinsey Pozen of Winnipeg klezmer act Finjan - who have been regulars on his Saturday afternoon program over the years and who last spoke prior to a show at the West End Cultural Centre.

Andrina Turenne - who won a Juno with her group Chic Gamine - released her debut solo album Bold As Logs earlier this year. On this episode of Festival Express she discusses the making of that record, why it took her decades of music making to go it alone, and what place the Winnipeg Folk Festival holds in her heart with UMFM PD Michael Elves.

Country phenom Charley Crockett has released a torrent of music in the past decade despite also logging a tremendous number of miles with an unceasing tour schedule that lands him at Birds Hill Park. He phones in from the midst of a tour to talk to UMFM PD Michael Elves and talks learning to hold an audience's attention while working street corners and his time riding the rails.

Photo courtesy Michael Smith.

Planet Mainstage's John Prentice looks at the Winnipeg Folk Festival line-up with the person who put it all together, Artistic Director Chris Frayer.

While she shares a name with Canadian folk/roots royalty, singer-songwriter Georgia Harmer has carved out a space and made a name for herself as a thoughtful and emotive artist in her own right with the release of Stay In Touch. Harmer speaks to UMFM's Michael Elves before playing the Winnipeg Folk Festival on Friday July 7th and Sunday July 9th.

Photo courtesy Gemma Warren.

Pastoral MIDI host Alex Braun talks to Icelandic singer-songwriter Arny Margret whose 2022 record, they only talk about the weather, was a stunningly realized debut. Margret plays twice on Friday July 7th at the Winnipeg Folk Festival.

Ayo Leilani - who has recorded three albums under the Witch Prophet moniker - talks with UMFM PD Michael Elves about how she got the name, and the creative process behind her most recent record, Gateway Experience, which was recently Longlisted for the Polaris Music Prize. Witch Prophet plays Big Blue @ Night on Friday July 7th.

Photo courtesy Francesca Nocera.

Country singer-songwriter Mariel Buckley took a roundabout route to writing and performing songs. She discussed this path, the influence her brother had, what working in a record shop brought to her writing and more with UMFM PD Michael Elves.

Photo courtesy Sebastian Buzzalino.

Polaris-prize winning artist Pierre Kwenders talks about writing and singing in multiple languages, crafting the Jose Louis and the Paradox of Love album and more with UMFM Program Director Michael Elves.

Photo courtesy Daniele Fummo.

Singer-songwriter Eric D. Johnson has been performing under the Fruit Bats moniker since 1997 and has released ten albums since 2001, the most recent of which is 2023's A River Running To Your Heart. Johnson joins UMFM Program Director Michael Elves to discuss his decades-long career and how his experience as part of Bonny Light Horseman changed his songwriting.

Photo Courtesy of Chantal Anderson

While paying tribute to the New Orleans' roots of brass bands, Chicago's LowDown Brass Band weave in the diverse sonic textures of their home city and their individual members. With a record due out Fall of 2023, Winnipeg Folk Festival audiences will get a chance to hear some new material live before its released.

Acclaimed singer-songwriter Charlotte Cornfield keeps adding to her impressive body of work, the most recent of which is Could Have Done Anything. She discusses the making of that album and more with UMFM's Michael Elves.

Photo courtesy Brittany Carmichael.

To kick off the 2023 edition of Festival Express, we talk to the man whose performance will start the entire Winnipeg Folk Festival. William Prince plays the Mainstage at 6:30 PM on Thursday July 6th (as well as several workshops) and he'll be featuring selections from his latest album, Stand in the Joy. He discusses making that record, and more, with UMFM Program Director Michael Elves.

Drawing acclaim for her two EPs and album Athena released on venerable LA label Stones Throw, Sudan Archives is set to release her sophomore album later this year. She discussed moving to LA and becoming part of the Low End Theory scene, what drew her to beatmaking and the creation of Natural Brown Prom Queen with UMFM's Michael Elves in advance of playing the 2022 Winnipeg Folk Festival.

Multiple-time Polaris Prize nominee The Weather Station has released two incredible records in the past two years, Ignorance and How Is It That I Should Look At The Stars, and on this episode Tamara Lindeman discusses seeing them as two halves of a whole project.

**Please note that unfortunately The Weather Station has had to cancel their appearance at the Winnipeg Folk Festival.

Artist Bobby Dove learned their love of 40s and 50s country at the heels of an older generation playing Hillbilly nights in their hometown of Montreal, but have since relocated to Manitoba in the wake of releasing Hopeless Romantic. Bobby Dove discusses influences, place-making, songwriting and more in advance of their performance at the 2022 Winnipeg Folk Festival.

Montreal-based Japanese psych rock band TEKE:TEKE bring their dynamic sound and explosive live act to the 2022 Winnipeg Folk Festival. But before they hit Birds Hill Park, guitarist and principal songwriter Serge Nakauchi Pelletier spoke to UMFM's Michael Elves about the band's formation, the creation of album Shirushi and more.

LADAMA is a collaborative ensemble comprised of four Latinx women musicians from Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela and the United States who are as focused on activism and education as they are on music-making. Their most recent album, Oye Mujer, was released in 2020 on Six Degrees Records. For this episode, UMFM's Michael Elves spoke to Mafer Bandola and Daniela Serna.

Here's the link to the educational program mentioned in the interview.

What began as a folk duo in college has expanded in scope and size as folk-rock band Wild Rivers demonstrates on their latest album, Sidelines, which hearkens back to Laurel Canyon classics. Andrew Oliver from the group joins Michael Elves to discuss making the record and more in advance of playing the 2022 Winnipeg Folk Festival.

Planet Mainstage's John Prentice talks to local multimedia artist and musician James Culleton about his James Culleton Super Fun project, crafting songs for kids, entertaining families and more in advance of daily performances at the Chickadee Big Top at the 2022 Winnipeg Folk Festival.

From just outside of Ottawa, ON, singer-songwriter Leith Ross crafted much of their debut EP, Motherwell as a school project at Humber College. Recorded with classmates and released in the midst of Covid shutdowns, they are finally touring the beautiful release and will be performing at the 2022 Winnipeg Folk Festival.

Pachy Garcia - who performs under the name Pachyman - explores the sound of classic dub & reggae crafted by childhood heroes King Tubby & Lee 'Scratch' Perry on his own album, The Return of... Pachyman, a record he made almost entirely on his own. He had to figure out how to translate what was conceived of as a studio album into something that would work on stage and he discusses that process before coming to play Birds Hill Park as part of the 2022 Winnipeg Folk Festival.

Winnipeg act JayWood is fronted by Jeremy Haywood-Smith. Set to release the album Slingshot just days after the Winnipeg Folk Festival, Haywood-Smith discusses its creation and more in this episode.

Sacramento-born singer-songwriter Tré Burt is a protege of John Prine who released his album You, Yeah, You on Prine's Oh Boy Records. On this edition of Festival Express he discusses the creation of that record, what led him to folk music from skate-punk, and more.

Grant Davidson - who performs under the name Slow Leaves - joins UMFM's Michael Elves to discuss his most recent record, Holiday; returning to the Winnipeg Folk Festival; how he's changed his songwriting approach over the years and more.

Polaris Prize winning artist Cadence Weapon will be making his Winnipeg Folk Festival debut on Saturday July 9th. Here he discusses the appeal of folk festivals, the creation of his album Parallel World and his recent memoir, Bedroom Rapper.

Here's the link to the Substack that Rollie reference in the interview.

Boy Golden - the creation of musician Liam Duncan - is the founder and minister of the Church of Better Daze. He'll be bringing the religion to Birds Hill Park to play the Winnipeg Folk Festival, July 7 - 10th.

Ricky McKinnie of legendary gospel group The Blind Boys of Alabama discusses his over 30 years as part of the "boys" in advance of their playing the Winnipeg Folk Festival.

UMFM Program Director Michael Elves talks to Calgary artist Mariel Buckley, whose album Driving in the Dark has earned acclaim and counts previous Festival Express guest Sarah Shook amongst her fans.

Buckley plays Spruce Hollow on Saturday July 13th at 11:15 AM. For more information, to purchase tickets and complete schedules visit winnipegfolkfestival.ca

Winnipeg Music Project's Ashley Bieniarz sits down with Living Hour's Sam Sarty (vocals, trombone, keyboard) and Gil Carroll (guitar) to discuss the band's background, their new album Softer Faces and much more.

Living Hour play Big Blue @ Night on Friday, July 12th as well as a pair of workshops. For showtimes and a complete list of performers, visit the Winnipeg Folk Festival website.

John Prentice, host of Planet Mainstage, speaks with Choctaw singer, songwriter, musician, producer, and poet from Oklahoma, Samantha Crain. This award winning dynamo is sure to wow the crowd when she plays Little Stage On The Praire on Saturday July 13th at 12:15 PM.

Festival Express will air each Monday and Wednesday at 11:30AM between now and July 11th - be sure to tune in!

#winnipegfolkfest #winnipegfolkfestival
#winnipegfolkfestival2019

On today's episode, UMFM program director Michael Elves speaks with Alexa Dirks, better know to you and I as Begonia! Don't miss this bold and brazen pop performer she plays at Green Ash on Sunday, July 14th at 4:45 PM as part of this year's Winnipeg Folk Festival!

John Prentice of Planet Mainstage (Saturdays, 2-4PM) talks to "the Turkish psych folk band from Amsterdam," Altın Gün who released their new album Gece on ATO Records this spring. The sophomore effort by the six-member band has drawn critical acclaim and will earn them legions of fans when they play Big Blue at Night on Saturday July 13th at 7:30 PM.

On today's episode, join Beer For Breakfast's Broose Tulloch as he speaks with Canadian music icon Hawksley Workman, who makes his 3rd appearance at this year's festival - his first since 2006! Be sure to check him out at Big Bluestem on Friday, July 12th at 4:45!

Broose Tulloch, host of Beer For Breakfast, talks to acclaimed Canadian singer-songwriter Hawksley Workman - an artist who has honed his singular voice over two decades on from the release of his debut album For Him and the Girls in 1999 to Median Age Wasteland in 2019.

Workman plays Big Bluestem on Friday July 12th at 4:45pm. For more information and a complete list of showtimes, visit the Winnipeg Folk Festival website.

Planet Mainstage's John Prentice talks to singer-songwriter Danny Michel. Michel has been performing and recording for over two decades and his latest release is White & Gold released in October 2018.

Michel plays the Little Stage on Sunday July 14th at 3pm.

On today's episode, Can We Hang's Myles Erickson speaks with longtime Winnipeg favorite, the divine Christine Fellows. She makes her first appearance at the Festival since 2006 - don't miss her sure to be stunning performance at Green Ash on Sunday, July 14th at 3:15PM!

Festival Express will air each Monday and Wednesday at 11:30AM between now and July 11th - be sure to tune in!

Festival Express will air each Monday and Wednesday at 11:30AM between now and July 11th - be sure to tune in!

On today's episode, Can We Hang's Myles Erickson talks to Rayland Baxter, who recorded his most recent album - ATO Records' Wide Awake - in an abandoned rubber-band factory. Don't miss Baxter as he plays at Bur Oak on Saturday July 13th at 4:15 PM as part of this year's Winnipeg Folk Festival!

Festival Express will air each Monday and Wednesday at 11:30AM between now and July 11th - be sure to tune in!

Festival Express will air each Monday and Wednesday at 11:30AM between now and July 11th - be sure to tune in!⠀ Photo courtesy John Gessner.

Beer For Breakfast's Broose Tulloch talks to Winnipeg icon Al Simmons who has moved past a devastating fire that destroyed decades of musical props and who will be entertaining fans of all ages all weekend long at the Chickadee Bigtop.

Danielle Caruana - the Mama Kin in Australian duo Mama Kin Spender - joins UMFM Program Director Michael Elves by phone to discuss assuming a moniker, writing in a duo and touring with her family. Mama Kin Spender play the Main Stage on Thursday July 5th at 7:15 PM.

On this episode of Festival Express, UMFM Program Director Michael Elves talks to Real Estate bassist Alex Bleeker. The New Jersey quartet released their fourth full-length album In Mind recently and will play Big Blue @ Night on Friday July 6th at 8:30 PM and Bur Oak on Saturday July 7th at 12:45 PM

On this episode Thank God It's Free Range host Michael Elves talks to one of his "absolute must-see's" of the festival, Quebec City singer-songwriter Gabrielle Shonk, whose self-titled album was released via Universal Records last year.

Beer For Breakfast's Broose Tulloch talks to one-half of Canadian roots duo Kacy & Clayton who - while hailing from smalltown Saskatchewan, have blown up big. Their latest album, The Siren's Song landed them on the same label as the likes of Rodney Crowell and Sara Watkins. Don't miss Kacy & Clayton when they play Shady Grove on Saturday July 7th at 1pm.

On this episode of Festival Express, Michael Elves - host of Thank God It's Free Range - talks to Tom Meikle who performs under the name Mappe Of. Last year he released A Northern Star, A Perfect Stone on Paper Bag Records and just issued a "Celestial Version" of the album.

Planet Mainstage's John Prentice talks to Canadian fiddle phenom Natalie MacMaster who plays the Mainstage at 7:05pm on Friday July 6th. She also appears at two workshops during the weekend which will likely feature material from her latest album, Cape Breton Girl, a return to the jigs & reels of her East Coast childhood.

Beer For Breakfasts' Broose Tulloch talks to Jeremy Fisher, who has earned acclaim as a folk singer-songwriter but who recently added "Junior" to his name and created an album - Highway to Spell - aimed at a younger audience. JFJ will be performing twice under the Chickadee Bigtop during the festival.

On an extended edtion of Festival Express, Planet Mainstage's John Prentice talks to Canadian folk legend Ferron in advance of their Spruce Hollow performance on Sunday, July 8th at 12:45pm. With over four decades of performing and recording history to explore, there's a lot to talk about!

On today's episode, Michael Elves, host of Thank God It's Free Range, speaks with acclaimed singer-songwriter Donovan Woods. Don't miss him as he plays at Big Bluestem on Saturday, July 7th at 3 PM as part of this year's Winnipeg Folk Festival!

On today's episode, Matt Moskal, former host of UMFM's Bonus Hour, talks to Harrow Fair's Andrew Penner. Penner is no stranger to Canadian folk audiences from his time in Sunparlour Players while his partner in Harrow Fair, Miranda Mulholland has played in Great Lake Swimmers and Belle Star.

Catch Harrow Fair on Sunday July 8th at 4:15 at Spuce Hollow as well as at several workshops throughout the festival.

On today's episode, Teri Stevens, host of Venus Envy speaks with enchanting Toronto songstress Jadea Kelly. Don't miss her as she plays at Spruce Hollow on Sunday, July 8th at 11:15 AM as part of this year's Winnipeg Folk Festival!

On today's episode, UMFM Program Director Michael Elves is joined by one of Ireland's finest singer-songwriters, Mick Flannery. Don't miss Mick as he plays at Spruce Hollow on Friday, July 6th at 3 PM as part of this year's Winnipeg Folk Festival!

On today's episode, Teri Stevens, host of Venus Envy kicks of our series speaking with Gaelynn Lea - the winner of NPR Music’s 2016 Tiny Desk Contest.

Don't miss her as she plays at Spruce Hollow on Saturday, July 7th at 4:30 PM as part of this year's Winnipeg Folk Festival! Gaelynn is also currently raising funds for her new album, so head over to www.gofundme.com/gaelynnlea and please donate generously!