A rainy weekend didn’t deter festival-goers and musicians from making welcome appearances at the inaugural Spring Indie Folk Nite Fest.
Organized by Loch Monster Media, the intimate festival brought together mostly Ottawa-based folk artists for three nights of live acoustic and electric performances. Audiences soaked in the music at different central Ottawa locations, from crowding into a close-quarters living room venue to mingling into a Centretown café or a downtown performance hub.
The Charlatan attended all three nights of the Spring Indie Folk Nite Fest. Here’s a roundup of the festival’s biggest performances and highlights.
Night One: An intimate start to Spring Indie Folk Fest
What was supposed to be an outdoor show at Vincent Massey Park turned into something more personal when the rain moved Friday’s performances to a house on Muriel Street. The last-minute change may have taken away the chance for passersby to stumble upon the music, but it created a cozy, welcoming space that made the night feel special.
The evening began quietly. Performers set up as less than 15 guests had arrived, but the atmosphere quickly warmed as the music began.
One of the most memorable performances came from the mesmerizing violin work of Robyn Da Fiddler and an accompanying jazz guitarist, Ramel Bautista, whose drumbeat-like playing made for a balanced and dynamic duet.
Ottawa-based indie performer Woods of Light’s songs struck a personal chord, with reflective and emotional lyrics that traced the tender, complex memories of growing up — from drifting apart to rekindling ties with long-lost friends. Each verse felt like a page from a journal, turning shared moments and quiet reunions into intimate stories that lingered long after the music faded.
Ottawa-based vocalist Liam Mayhew delivered raw, emotionally intense original songs — many of whose lyrics expressed anger and frustration. Mayhew playing a quick SpongeBob tune to welcome a roommate walking through broke the tension. The room exploded into laughter, a reminder of how relaxed and communal the evening was.
Strawberry Fields Forever, a multi-instrumentalist duo of Charlotte Rajšić and Loch Monster Media’s Nisse Anonby, burst with energy in their upbeat harmonies and mix of instruments.
Closing the night, singer-songwriter Alex Whorms delivered a captivating set, her rich and steady vocals wrapping around each lyric with warmth and precision. There was a quiet strength in her voice — not overpowering, but emotionally resonant — that drew the room in. Accompanying herself on piano, she shifted between soft, melancholic chords and brighter, hopeful melodies, crafting a soundscape that felt both intimate and expansive.
Night Two: Unplugged, raw and distinctive sound continues
Day two of the folk festival continued at the Muriel Street location, nestled in the heart of the Glebe after thunderstorm warnings again shook up outdoor plans.
The smell of coffee, tea and freshly baked chocolate chip cookies filled the air as people tip-toed over sprawled out shoes, shuffling into the quaint living room turned makeshift seating and stage.
Around 20 festival goers came and went around 10:30 a.m., squishing together on couches, leaning up against walls and sitting on the floor to watch the artists.
Some played unplugged, opting for the raw sound of their instrument and voice to echo off the walls unscathed. Others went electric for a unique spin on indie-folk, each wooing the audience with their distinct sound and style.
The festivities picked right back up at the Art House Café just before 9 p.m., opening with Jude Zappala and his experimental acoustic-rock sound.
The café atmosphere warmed up as guests meandered from the festival’s seating area to order tea, beer and other handhelds from the counter.
Sri Lankan-born, Canadian-raised Amanda Lowe Warnakulasuriya continued the night with her loopy guitar melodies, ethereal voice and poised monologues on love, life and community.
Warnakulasuriya morphed the crowd into a choir when she invited them to join in on her songs, often repeating choruses or meditative stanzas.
“Hold me close and kiss me slow, my dear,” the crowd sang, bodies swaying back and forth.
The night capped off with a set from the three, occasionally four-piece band Wychwood, who mixed their traditional bluegrass roots with other genres like folk and metal.
The audience teetered out of the venue just before midnight, donning jackets for some reprieve from the chilly spring night.
Night Three: Warmth and community top off the festival’s final night
After three days of folk-fun, the festival’s final night shone the spotlight onto three Canadian musicians who delivered heartfelt performances with warmth and authenticity at LIVE! On Elgin.
Carleton alumnus Liam Simpson-Russell opened the evening with slow and intimate tracks marked by soft acoustic tones. When he brought in his band, the group cranked up the energy with R&B tunes and upbeat instrumentals, drawing early cheers and setting a reflective tone for the rest of the night.
In the second act, Wild Remedy — a trio of Ottawa-born musicians — graced the stage with joyful and lively energy.
Their upbeat delivery kept the crowd on their toes throughout the performance. The trio took an interactive approach, encouraging the crowd to sing along to the choir-like vocals in the song “Wild Remedy,” and giving instructions to the audience to scream out any “pent up anger with the world” in the song “Take The Punches.”
Their stunning vocals and rich harmonies only intensified with acoustic guitars, harmonicas and tambourines. However, they chose to leave these instruments behind in their final song. which they sang in acapella, leaving the audience in introspective silence before the room erupted into applause.
In the final act, Montreal-based singer-songwriter Sarah Segal-Lazar serenaded the crowd with a melodic and polished set. Most notable was her infectious stage presence and heartfelt storytelling.
Her personal stories detailed through song concluded the night with an awe-inspiring impression felt by all and came as a fitting end to a weekend of community and song.
Featured image by Simon McKeown/the Charlatan
