OCT 25, 2016 – On Bowen Island BC, SARAH JANE SCOUTEN picked up guitar at age 12, and soon was happy to forgo a Friday night house party for an all-night kitchen jam. Hank Williams and Stan Rogers were her greatest inspirations, both a staple at Sunday morning pancake breakfast and afterward, singing bluegrass and gospel music with her father. Her talent for performing came naturally, and as chance would have it, so emerged a knack for songwriting.
Sarah Jane pairs sturdy, infectious melodies with lyrics that are candid, poignant and flirtatious. She travels all over North America to festivals and workshops, gaining inspiration from contemporary and traditional folk musicians. Based in Montreal, Sarah Jane recorded and co-produced her first album, Magpie Waltz in 2011. Old-timey guitar, trilling mandolin, lavish bass and down-right bad-ass fiddle playing bring out the best in Sarah Jane’s authentic sound. The all-string, all-acoustic record has flavours of Lucinda Williams, Old Crow Medicine Show, John Prine, and a wealth of bluegrass and old-time music.
Her songs are faithful to a long-standing folk music tradition, but often spill over into modern themes that are outspoken and edgy, from homelessness to midwifery to tongue-in-cheek heartache songs and unabashed Canadiana. Since her first record’s release, Sarah Jane has toured Canada relentlessly, from the Yukon to Nova Scotia, wearing grooves into the highways and train passages of our country.
ANNA SCOUTEN has been attracting a lot of attention from a young age as a talented and sophisticated performer, with steely blue eyes and an arresting voice. From being featured on Joshua Hyslop’s hit ‘What Have I Done?” (from the album Where the Mountain Meets the Valley ) to touring with her sister and fellow musician Sarah Jane Scouten, she has already established herself as an artist. Based in Vancouver and originally from Bowen Island BC, this 23-year-old is on the verge of blowing the top off Canadian indie-folk music. Her lyrics are cutting and her melodies are unexpected. With heavy influences of Cat Power, Feist, Joni Mitchell and Billie Holiday, and a history steeped in jazz and folk music, this is a young musician you’re going to want to keep an eye out for.
“Local artist Anna Scouten’s quiet folk is the perfect backdrop for her stunning voice. Her lyrics are both melancholy and romantic, deeply personal yet endlessly relatable.” – POP! Montreal
“Soft, acoustic folk numbers carried by Scouten’s high, clear vocal coos. The arrangements are simple and plaintive, with guitar strumming joined by touches of banjo, strings and percussion.” – Exclaim
“Anna has a pure n’sweet voice capable of reaching those high notes that somehow leave the air clearer once they’re gone. Hearing her sing is like washing the guck of everyday sound out of your ears.” – The Vault