The Local have teamed up with Canadian Blast to present ‘Cape Breton Sound’, a series of 3 FREE City showcases in Manchester, London and Cardiff next week.

The shows will be headlined by The Tom Fun Orchestra, who create an intoxicating brew of strings, horns and a driving folk-punk energy, all built around frontman Ian MacDougal’s gravelly growl intoning tales of mystery, death and more besides.

Cape Breton is renowned for its fiddle players, and The Beaton Sisters are a perfect sample of the traditions of the island with their combination of folk song and traditional step dancing. Colin Grant Band also builds on these traditions, combining them with Celtic rock influences, while Gillian Boucher, who hails from a family steeped in the traditions of Cape Breton Island, combines her roots with the various sounds she has picked up while traveling and touring around Eastern Europe.

Be sure to catch the shows for free in the following cities:

January 31st – Trof Fallowfield, Manchester
February 1st – AAA, Kensington, London
February 2nd – Buffalo Bar, Cardiff

You can download a track from each of the showcasing artist in return for an email address using the form below: