5 emerging artists to watch at the Vancouver Folk Music Festival

Festivals are often a time of discovery, when the opportunity arises to take in an artist you may never have had the chance to listen to — or watch perform — before.

The Vancouver Folk Music Festival, which runs from July 15 to 17 at Jericho Beach Park, provides plenty of chances to fall in love for the first time, with a diverse lineup that includes many up-and-comers whose stars are rising. Here are five you’ll want to keep an ear to the ground for.

Birds of Chicago

Photo: Natalie Ginele Miller / Facebook

Two worlds unite as one in Birds of Chicago, the Americana duo comprised of ex-Po’ Girl band member Allison Russell and Chicago’s JT Nero. Russell’s warm tones perfectly compliment Nero’s backcountry croon, weaving a compelling sonic tapestry that’s received much critical acclaim for the short duration of the group’s existence.

Little Scream

Photo: Little Scream / Facebook

Montreal’s Little Scream created a lot of buzz with her 2011 debut, The Golden Record, for which NPR applauded the art rocker for being “absolutely captivating.” The artist — Laurel Sprengelmeyer — shouted even louder on her sophomore effort, Cult Following, which experimented with synth pop, balladry, and dark atmospherics.

Ten Strings and a Goat Skin

Photo: Jon Burke Web Design / Facebook

This Prince Edward Island trio keeps tradition close to their hearts as they fuse Irish, French, and Acadian sounds to create something entirely original. Ten Strings and a Goat Skin, who perform in both French and English, most recently won the 2015 East Coast Music Association Award for World Music Recording of the Year.

The Young’uns

Photo: Vancouver Folk Music Festival

Though the Young’Uns have been around since 1989, this may well be the first introduction to the genre-bending English trio for a more recent generation (or, ahem, young’uns). Their compositions, delivered a cappella or with subtle sonic accompaniment, brilliantly combine poignancy, politics and hilarity — part of the reason they received BBC Radio 2’s Folk Award for Best Group.

Lisa O’Neill

Photo: Vancouver Folk Music Festival

Humility is a large part of Lisa O’Neill’s musical approach — she keeps her Irish roots close and her subject matter honest. Her third album, Pothole In The Sky, was released earlier this year alongside a collaborative effort called Starboard Home, on which O’Neill joined other Irish musicians in songs inspired by Dublin.