When Matt Andersen steps on stage, he brings a lifetime of music to every note he plays. His latest album, The Hammer & The Rose, is a veritable garden of heart; a (mostly) delicate collection of tender folk and stirring soul numbers that find the New Brunswick-born songwriter thoughtfully tending to the most important things in life. Andersen’s stage presence is informed by decades of cutting his teeth in dusty clubs, dim-lit bars, and grand theatres all over the world, delivering moving performances that run the gamut from intimate to wallshaking. In the studio, he’s always brought the same attention to detail and commitment to craft as he has to his live show, and the result - a multi-faceted and poignant body of work - has led him to amass over 33 million streams on Spotify and 30 million views on YouTube. In addition to headlining major festivals, clubs and theatres throughout North America, Europe, and Australia, he has shared the stage and toured with Marcus King, Beth Hart, Marty Stuart, Greg Allman, Tedeschi Trucks Band, Randy Bachman, Serena Ryder, Tab Benoit, and more. Andersen nabbed the 2013 and 2016 European Blues Awards for Best Solo/Acoustic Act, was the first ever Canadian to take home top honours in the solo category at the 2010 International Blues Challenge in Memphis, won the CIMA Road Gold award in 2015, and has won multiple Maple Blues Awards. Matt Andersen & The Big Bottle of Joy was nominated for a Juno Award in 2024.

Mariel Buckley will be opening the evening at the NAC! Calgary, Alberta’s Mariel Buckley has planted her flag firmly as a songwriter who’s in it for the long haul. Buckley’s unique blend of angst-driven alt-folk has made her a standout artist, offering a fresh and dynamic perspective on modern Americana music. On her new third studio album, Strange Trip Ahead, Buckley headed to Nashville to work with alt-Americana mastermind producer Jarrad K (Ruston Kelly, Lucie Silvas, Fancy Hagood, Goo Goo Dolls). The nine tracks explore the all-too-relatable vulnerability of existing in the uncertain - within one’s life, relationships, and career. Buckley’s past albums, 2022’s Polaris Music Prize-nominated Everywhere I Used To Be and 2018’s Driving In The Dark, have been praised by notable publications and recognized with prestigious accolades. Building her audience across Canada, the US, Europe and the UK, she’s had the opportunity to support many of her mentors and favourite contemporaries, including John Moreland, Orville Peck, k.d. lang, River Shook, Adam Baldwin, Kelsey Waldon and The Bros Landreth.