Raw, rough, uncomfortably honest, fast and violent, then suddenly smooth and soaring.  SAvK wears his heart on his sleeve, then throws it, still beating, at the audience.  This Canadian act uses deep rooted flavours and combines it with international inspirations to perfectly depict his home sound.  Begining as a solo act for Stephen van Kampen after the demise of Calgary’s rock and roll orchestra “Beija Flor” SAVK’s debut self titled release is a study in vulnerable live folk rock.   Now joined by an amazing team of musicians including Paul van Kampen (The Magnetic North, Beija Flor), Brett Gunther (Beija Flor, Buzzing Bees), Stefan Smith (Crescent Heights, Coldwater) and Matt Chaplin (Prairie of Prax, Joule). SAVK is now releasing their much anticipated sophomore record “Love Letters and Hate Mail” to rave reviews.
Major Performance Credits Include, but are not limited to:

2013 Break Out West Festival
2013 Alberta Flood Aid Concert with “The Sheepdogs”, “Tom Cochrane”, “Jann Arden”, “Nickelback” and “Ian Tyson”.
2012 Feature Performer at “6 String Nation” concert at the Canada Music Centre.
2011 Calgary Folk Fest Songwriting Contest Finalist
2010 Sled Island Music Festival in Calgary AB
2010 Trans Canada Alberta Music Series at the Epcor Centre in Calgary
2009 Western Canadian Music Awards Festival in Edmonton Alberta
2008 Juno Fest With the Sadies
2008 Calgary Folk Music Festival (With Beija Flor, and collaborations with Jim Cuddy, The Weakerthans and Greg MacPherson)
SAVK's greatest inspirations: The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Feist, Neil Young, Radiohead, Devendra Banhart, Nick Drake, Red House Painters, Animal Collective, Ray Charles, Janis Joplin, Otis Redding, Billy Holiday, The White Stripes, Simon and Garfunkle, Nirvana, Michael Jackson, Johnny Cash, The Clash and everyone he has played with over the years.  Confused?  It’s best to just give SAVK listen.
Praise:
"... A showcase of formidable musical talent...  Will make an indelible mark on the nation's music scene."
-Spencer Brown BEATROUTE

"... His guitar weaves effortlessly around the beautifully constructed vocal melodies... van Kampen remains crisp and clear in the foreground. It’s a position he’d better get used to."
-Peter Hemminger, FFWD 

"...van Kampen's distinct, raspy yet-soothing voice on the record strikes the same chord in my heart as Beija Flor did.  However, SAVK Captures a much more intimate side of van Kampen, while still possessing the same precisely mastered songwriting."
-Sara Mohan BEATROUTE

"Armed with a small arsenal of acoustic instruments on stage as cover, SAVK offers a chance to explore his musical vision, sharing it with an audience that understands raw, honest emotion. Firmly rooted in folk, his simple melodies emphasize his old soul." 
-SB, SLED ISLAND
Savk immediately pulls you in with the smoothness of his old-rock‘n’roll-infused style and the genius pace of his guitar strumming fingers.   The talents of this man are generous, particularly when seen in a live setting, and his musical creations are an essential contribution to Calgary’s indie-folk-rock scene.
-THWUNK.COM


DJ Cosm fell in love with music early in his childhood, and witnessed his first rap concert (DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince) at age nine. Although growing up in Calgary where he was relatively isolated from experiencing the culture first hand, he stayed connected through a steady diet of Rap City, the Source Magazine, Rap Pages and campus radio. 
In 1998 he began hosting his radio show Mental Illness (one of Western Canada’s longest running underground hip hop shows) which he still runs today. He also began promoting concerts in the late 90s, bringing Canadian underground hip hop acts to a Calgary audience. 
He co-founded the group Dragon Fli Empire with Tarik Robinson aka Teekay in 2002. Together they’ve repped an MC/DJ formula in the tradition of Gang Starr, Pete Rock and CL Smooth and others. Since then, they have released five albums and several vinyl projects on boutique labels. They have also toured Europe and Canada several times. 
Cosm has shared the stage with Nas, The Roots, Public Enemy, Yasiin Bey, Slum Village, Action Bronson, Joey Bada$$ and Boot Camp Clik among many others.

The last name Fuhr is said to stem from the German root of fire (feuer), so Laurie Fuhr's stage name for her folk roots material - along with her propensity for writing torch songs -  came as easily to the auburn songsmith as lighting a match. 

Though she began as a poet and singer-songwriter from age 17, Fuhr began playing bass when she and her Brief Husband wanted to start a band and both played guitar. He was frustrated with his bass attempts and Fuhr noticed she was hearing bass runs in her head; soon she was addicted. She has played electric or upright slap bass and sung backup in several gigging Calgary bands of differing genres including indie, rockabilly, bluesy rock n roll, roots rock n roll, folk, and Celtic. The bands were Lonely Hunters, Pine Tarts, Night Committee, Mercury Audio, James Dangerous & the CIA, Ruth Purves Smith & The 581, Firewood, and Shona Rae and the VooDoo Hand (SRVH), the latter being her longest term and still-current bass engagement. SRVH released their first album on November 1 2014 and quickly became number 1 on the CJSW radio Top 50 chart. 

In summer 2014 she began recording a solo record (still in progress) of original indie rock and folk roots material with Lorrie Matheson, an incredible singer songwriter who has inspired her for years since she inadvertently bought his record from him at the Hot Wax record store. Eventually she played with Matheson in Night Committee (fronted by the fiery lead vocals of Andrew Wedderburn) before an outside  commitment forced her to leave the band. Fuhr played guitar and bass on her solo album. Joel Nye, her former Night Committee bandmate (and member of seminal Calgary indie rock band Hot Little Rocket) added drums to the tracks, 'Mando' Todd Maduke (Bigfoot Rocketship, The Ruminants) contributed mandolin, and Aleksandra Danicic (Ethan Collister and Firewood to name just two) brought in the fiddle, and James Dangerous played impressive lead guitar lines on several tracks. She hopes to complete and release the album in Spring 2015. 

In fall 2014 she started a band to support her forthcoming album with her good friends Chris Penner (Firewood), James Dangerous (James Dangerous & The CIA), Ryan Cole Eliason (Barely Zebra), and Keith McTaggart (Russian Artist 
Factory). Until album time she'll keep playing solo shows and duo shows, sometimes with Chris Penner on rhythm guitar or with James Dangerous on lead guitar depending on the type of gig.  

Other musical endeavours have included co-hosting the Mikey's Juke Joint Wednesday night jam, being a 3-time finalist in the Calgary Folk Fest / Ship and Anchor Song Contest, writing about music for Beatroute Magazine, and participating as an event organizer and promoter on the scene -- from Multiarts Variety Shows for charity organized when she first moved to town in 1995, to running a series of epic house concert parties in a Mount Pleasant bungalow. 

Recently she was selected to be subject matter for a short film about Calgary music (alongside well-known local musicians like Danny Vacon and Jenny Allen), directed by up and coming director Julia Gunst, part of a feature-length film composed of shorts called Whatcha Got? Calgary that enjoyed a sold-out screening in October 2014.

Prior to playing in bands, Fuhr was a very active member of the literary community, first in Ottawa, then in Winnipeg, Cold Lake, and Calgary, publishing poetry and reviews and volunteering at many events. She has served on the board of the Single Onion Poetry Society and for three years served as volunteer Managing Editor for filling Station, an independent, non-profit, nationally-distributed literary magazine. She is still involved with the writing community as a poetry instructor at the Alexandra Writers Centre Society in Calgary's historic neighbourhood of Inglewood.



Classical Guitar // Experimental // Electronic

A singer-songwriter musician of the old school, with decades of experience, you may think you know what Linda McRae is up to. That is until she throws you a curve with a new twist: David Bowie on Banjo?!
 
Linda manages to bend the rules and the genres, proving that stripping a song clean brings one back to their roots. With her new release, GOING TO THE WELL, Canadian/Nashville based Linda McRae takes a deep draw, fresh and cool, on iconic influences, covering the likes of David Bowie, Willie P. Bennett, Richard Thompson, Don Williams and Bill Kirchen.
 
Linda’s love of Canadian, American and British music early on in her career resulted in multiple band configurations from roots-rock to punk to folk. These bands included the platinum selling group, Spirit of the West. Her deep contribution to the Canadian music scene resulted in her being honoured as a 2016 British Columbia Entertainment Hall of Fame “Pioneer” inductee.
 
When Linda steps onto a concert stage, into a recording studio, workshop or mentoring session, there is an effortless passion, a love of what she does and a connection with fans and friendships built and treasured. A multi-instrumentalist Linda works tirelessly as a touring singing songwriter, performing at premiere venues across Canada, the US and Europe while turning out new works.
 
Crucial to Linda’s art is her virtuosic vocal work. Echoes of such artists as The Beatles, Hank Williams Sr, Hazel and Alice, Jean Ritchie, Neil Young and Johnny Cash, are reflected in her work reviving the songs and the senses with a new urgency of spirit and authenticity.
 
McRae has offered six critically acclaimed solo recordings throughout her years as a solo performer and is featured on multiple artists’ albums. Numerous accolades and top radio charting have landed Linda a Canadian Folk Music nomination for Contemporary Album of The Year for “Rough Edges and Ragged Hearts,” two Escape to Create Residencies in Florida, Winner of the Family Folk Chorale for “Be Your Own Light”. Linda is also highly sought after as a teacher, mentor, juror, panelist and workshop facilitator.
 
And if all that isn’t enough Linda has worked alongside husband/manager with at risk youth and adults in her Express Yourself Writing Workshops presented across the country at detox, and correctional facilities including New Folsom Prison in California.
 
Diverse, meshing old style with modern, and ingeniously acoustic. Linda McRae shows her confidence with her unique approach and her brand of music, drawing from a deep and treasured resource of well-loved songs for “Going To The Well!!” 

lindamcrae.com
Management: James Whitmire, 42management@gmail.com

http://www.songkick.com/artists/214594

SAVK is following