The first headliners for Stratford’s upcoming OnRush Festival have been announced – and one is an artist close to home.
Headliners are St. Marys-based Emm Gryner and Bedouin Soundclash.
Gryner is a three-time Juno Award nominated Canadian singer and multi-instrumentalist. She has been sought after by David Bowie and Def Leppard to sing and collaborate with them on tour and on recordings. Gryner also has the distinction of helping to make the first music video in outer space, when Chris Hadfield enlisted her to create a new version of Space Oddity.
Gryner's new album Business & Pleasure is a foray into yacht rock and features Nashville-based musicians, who have worked with Michael McDonald, Hall & Oates, Taylor Swift and Toto, to name a few.
Bedouin Soundclash is a Canadian indie rock and reggae band, back after taking a creative hiatus.
The group are celebrated at home and abroad with JUNO awards, top 10 radio hits, and international tours with No Doubt, Ben Harper, The Interrupters, and Thievery Corporation.
Bedouin Soundclash returns with a brand new album titled We Will Meet in a Hurricane.
The OnRush Festival is a new music festival set to hit stages across Stratford in the spring.
Founder Tim Harrison wants to provide a headliner experience for regional unsigned and independent artists, to give them experience and exposure and to introduce them to the tools necessary to continue their growth.
Gryner will open the festival at The Bunker Performance Lounge & Cafe on April 4. Bedouin Soundclash will follow at the Long & McQuade Stage at The Hall on April 6.
The OnRush Festival is April 4 to 7 in Stratford.
Tickets are on sale now. For more information, visit the festival’s website.