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Ontario folk duo playing valley Oct. 22 and 23
Rising Ontario folk duo brings original songs, traditional roots, and close-harmony singing to intimate house concerts in Elkford and Fernie
Hannah Shira Naiman and Nathan Smith — are two of Ontario’s respected voices in traditional and folk music. This October and November, they are heading to B.C. to celebrate the release of their debut collaborative album, Love and Labour.
For lovers of traditional and roots music, the duo brings a compelling blend of original songwriting, acoustic instrumentation, and close-harmony singing, rooted in the Appalachian and old-time traditions that brought them together.
Supported by HomeRoutes/Chemin Chez-nous, the October 22–November 5 tour will bring the duo to 10 communities across southern B.C. for intimate house concerts and community-centre performances, including stops in Elkford Oct. 22 and Fernie Oct. 23.
HomeRoutes connects professional touring artists with audiences in small communities across Canada, offering a more personal concert experience built around acoustic music, engaging storytelling, and close connections between artists and audiences.
Hannah and Nathan are no strangers to recognition in the Canadian folk world. Hannah was awarded Traditional Singer of the Year at the Canadian Folk Music Awards in 2017 and received a nomination for the same award in 2024. Nathan’s band, The Barrel Boys, received CFMA nominations for Vocal Group of the Year in 2021 and 2026.
The two began performing together in 2022, initially supporting one another on double-bill shows. Hannah’s clawhammer banjo proved a natural counterpart to Nathan’s fiddle and guitar, and their vocal harmonies immediately revealed something worth pursuing. In 2024, they turned their creative attention toward developing a formal duo sound.
That sound draws a through-line from scratchy old recordings and Appalachian repertoire to contemporary folk songwriting, unified by acoustic instrumentation and the kind of close, parallel-motion harmonies that define bluegrass and old-time music at its best.
Their live performances bring the same musical chemistry and intimate acoustic sound heard on Love and Labour.
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