Live at the Rogue
MADISON VIOLET
MADISON VIOLET | NOV 24, 2022
Vancouver, Canada
Rogue Folk Club
Madison Violet is a Canadian Juno-nominated female musical duo, consisting of Lisa MacIsaac and Brenley MacEachern.
The pair, who grew up on rural Cape Breton Island, came together musically in the late 1990s, over many evenings in Brenley’s grandmother’s kitchen, which was always bursting with food, family, friends, and instruments. Influenced by their maritime heritage, the East Coast musicians began creating music together that had roots firmly planted in their past, but with contemporary and modern elements generously overlaid. Categorizing Madison Violet’s music is an impossible task, in that one can hear elements of folk, singer-songwriter, pop, indie, bluegrass, and country flawlessly interwoven throughout.
MacIsaac and MacEachern are exceptional story tellers, skilled multi-instrumentalists, and together, perfect harmonists. Their voices soar, perfectly complimenting each other, as they sing lyrics that will both mend and break your heart.
MacIsaac and MacEachern have released more than 10 albums together. Their latest record “eleven” was self-recorded and produced, ranking MacIssac and MacEachern among the less than 2.1% of female-identifying music producers in the industry. “Eleven” is considered their most candid album to date, filled with deeply personal stories of love and loss.
The musicians have received dozens of notable accolades for their work, including a Juno nomination for Roots & Traditional Album of the Year. They have brought home a Canadian Folk Music Award for Best Vocal Group Album of the Year, have reached the top 5 on the Canadian iTunes download charts, amassed over one million streams on Spotify, and have placed on CBC’s Top 20 multiple times throughout their career.
Their music is consistently played across Canada and throughout the world, and the internationally acclaimed artists are no strangers to receiving glowing reviews for both their studio work, and live performances. MacIsaac and MacEachern currently live in and around Toronto, Ontario, tour internationally, identify as members of the 2SLGBTQIA community, and are fervent advocates for social justice.
WHAT THEY'RE SAYING ....
"Madison Violet has suddenly appeared like a ray of sunshine on a rainy day." - No Depression
We kinda like this one ... "If the Indigo Girls and Lucinda Williams had a love-child (or two) and they were Canadian, they would be Madison Violet." - Curve Magazine
”Matthews began performing in 2010, but cemented her acclaim at Lincoln Center as the 2017 New Song Music and Performance Competition grand prize winner. That year she also released two new projects—her album of thoughtful songs on love and life called The Imagineers, and her EP called Battle Hymn for an Army of Lovers, which tackles social justice themes. Matthews also won the People’s Music Network’s Social Justice Songs contest at the Northeast Regional Folk Alliance. Loyal fans quickly followed as Matthews racked up performances at large music festivals and prestigious venues across the country including the Sundance Film Festival, Kerrville Folk Festival, and locally at venues like The Birchmere, TheHamilton, Millennium Stage at the Kennedy Center, and Jammin' Java. In her TedTalk about difficult conversations called "Sing, Don't Shout—An Alternative Approach" Matthews spoke about being born and raised in a small town in southeastern NorthCarolina by an A.M.E.preacher, and how she witnessed the power of music from an early age. A former drum major and classically-trained clarinetist turned folk singer, Matthews is using her voice to answer Dr. Martin Luther King's call to be "a drum major for justice."
“I believe in hope,” Matthews said. “As a social-justice songwriter, it is my duty to keep breathing that hope and encouragement into the people who listen to my music.” And, from the title track to the last track, Changemakers does just that all while tackling some heavy topics like immigration, the opioid crisis, Black Lives Matter, and gun safety to name a few.“ Ani DiFranco said, “People used to make records as in a record of an event," said Matthews, “so I hope that these songs will serve as a time capsule, a record of the events of the last four years and what it was like to live through them.” Crys Matthews's thoughtful, realistic and emotional songs speak to the voice of our generation and remind us why music indeed soothes the soul.
WHAT THEY'RE SAYING
“A passionate and powerful blend of infectious Americana melodies and folky instrumentation, Matthews delivers her honest songwriting through a beautifully raw and unfiltered lens. Oozing soul, her voice bleeds with emotion and gratitude, while simple piano melodies and upbeat percussion fill you with appreciation and love for the people around us who fight for change. - Ear Milk
"Matthews’ music helps to recruit those allies. Her songs encourage confrontation with tough issues. In the great tradition of folk music, Matthews brings listeners in with sweet sounds that grab them by the heart, and just as they are cradled in her soulful voice and her deft handling of an acoustic guitar it’s as if Matthews says, “Now that you’re here, we’ve got some things to talk about. - Pride Source