A Samplify of Amplify
When
Date: Thursday, August 29, 2024
Start Time: 7:30 pm
Continues until completed.
Organizer
The Arden Theatre
Cost
$18.75 - $150.00
Includes GST and handling charges.
What's Happening
Gathering an outstanding collection of St. Albert’s young musicians, Samplify by Amplify will assemble the region's top emerging artists in the genre of folk, country and indie-rock for an evening of inspiring new music. Sharing the songs from Amplify’s first album, Ars Longa, Vita Brevis, this exceptional crew of singer-songwriters will collaborate on each other’s songs, adding musical depth, moving harmonies and earthy guitar soundscapes, as sunset falls across the Arden Plaza Series stage. With a few familiar covers for good measure, join us for this playful night of musical camaraderie where we introduce St. Albertans to some of the City’s most exciting and talented new voices.
Featuring performances by: mightberea, The Sunday Edition, Ange Moulaison-Doucette, Garyson, Jake Coyes, Mya Hill, Kaylin Kowalyshyn, Grace Forestier, Jenn Nguyen and Sydney Bourbeau.
Format: 2 x 45-minute sets, with 4 to 5 musicians per set. Artists will be playing songs together from Ars Longa, Vita Brevis, Amplify’s first album, as well as other original songs and covers. Sound will mostly be modern folk.
Genre: Indie Folk/Contemporary Country
Meet the Artists
Andrea Shipka - Andrea performs indie-pop under the moniker mightberea, is the former lead-singer of the alt-rock band Cypress and releases floating, wordless soundscapes as Caelin Rivers. As Caelin, she has over 50, 000 monthly listeners on Spotify and her single “Suspension” has over a million plays. But it was her first EP as mightberea, entitled Atlas, that garnered her the St. Albert Mayor’s Celebration of the Arts Award in the Youth Artist category in 2022. With glittering vocals and an undeniably charming stage presence, she excels at sharing indie-pop and folk hits in intimate settings. She’s been featured at T8N Celebrates, St. Albert’s Canada Day celebrations, and this is her second time stepping on to the Arden Plaza Series stage. A stalwart member of the Amplify musical family, Andrea’s ability to draw you in with her soaring vocals is sure to steal your musical heart.
Follow on Instagram: @mightberea
Stephen Badry – Stephen is a multi-instrumentalist and musical chameleon who plays folk music under the moniker The Sunday Edition, creates dreamy instrumental music as Stef. N, and was the former guitarist in the indie-rock act Cypress. As The Sunday Edition, he released his first solo-EP, Car 4. A lyrically thoughtful and musically meditative indie-folk album, the EP led to him receiving the Emerging Artist Award at the St. Albert Mayor’s Celebration of the Arts Award in 2019. His Stef.N project has over 7,000 monthly listeners on Spotify, with some tracks hitting hundreds of thousands of streams. Notorious among his fellow artists for building dynamic soundscapes in his music—whether he’s playing folk, indie-rock or alternative-instrumental, Stephen’s music has a depth and soul rarely matched.
Follow on Instagram: @sundayeditionmusic
Ange Moulaison-Doucette - A bilingual singer-songwriter, Ange writes emotional and honest indie-folk, sprinkled with pop-influences. She released her first single, “Life Is Better on TV” in 2021. A heartbreaking (and catchy) lament to unfulfilled dreams, she participated in the Amplify Music Video Project that same year in order to make a standout video for the track. She’s performed at St. Albert’s Mental Health Walk, at Children’s Festival as the lead-singer for the children’s band The Ampliflies and at an assortment of local open mic events. Singing sad songs to beautiful effect, Ange pens whip-smart tunes with an undeniable emotional center.
Follow on Instagram: @_angecaroline
Jake Souch - Jake Souch plays under the moniker Garyson, betraying his imposing songwriting and guitar skills. Performing for the first time in public at Amplify’s picnic in the park, in the ebb of the COVID-19 pandemic, Jake’s skill as a storyteller was immediately apparent—it seemed as if he’d been weaving legends for a lifetime. With smooth and shadowy vocals to match, Jake’s folk-forward musical style is both haunting and alluring. Jake has played St. Albert’s Mental Health Walk, the Arden Plaza Series Good Neighbour Open Mic Night, and St. Albert’s ArtWalk. His single, “The Shadow and the Pretty Peace” is replete with imagery and reveals a tale of aching longing, that stays with the listener long after the last note is played.
Follow on Instagram: @im.garyson
Mya Hill and Jake Coyes - Mya and Jake come together to create a two-piece alt-rock band with blues, folk, and country influences. Exuding an earthy, raw style, that’s both warm and worn, they make new tunes that feel like old-country. Both Mya and Jake have played many events with Amplify, including participating in Amplify’s Music Video Project, with songs “Anybody Else but You” and “Second House,” respectively. Mya released her first single, “Touch,” in 2022—a sultry groove with gritty guitar undertones. In 2023, they were featured at St. Albert’s Canada Day celebration, and you can regularly find them gigging around the entire province, playing their hearts out solely for the love of the music and each other.
Kaylin Kowalyshyn – With smooth, silky vocals, that are touched with just a whisper of whiskey, Kaylin absolutely glows on stage. Both engaging and enchanting, her take on country, folk and roots is an indisputable joy to listen to. The host of the Revival’s regular open mics, she’s toured throughout Western Canada and performed at St. Albert’s Canada Day celebration, T8N Celebrates and at an untold number of festivals, open mics and kitchen parties. Passionate about supporting the local arts community, she’s also the creator and host of the YouTube music series “After Hours at the Commodore.”
Follow on Instagram: @kaylinkmusic
Grace Forestier - Grace is a 15-year-old singer-songwriter with a love of country, folk and roots music. At such a young age, she’s already released her first self-titled EP and won the 2024 St. Albert Mayor’s Celebration of the Arts Award in the Youth Artist category. Already an exceptional songwriter, she’s performed at the Big Valley Jamboree in the Horizon Youth Talent Showcase, at the St. Albert ArtWalk, and is a regular busker at the St. Albert Farmer’s Market. And this past February, she was nominated for the Horizon Youth Award at the Country Music Alberta Awards. Her single, “Can It Be” is insightful, delicate and wraps you in a warm musical blanket.
Follow on Instagram: @graceforestiermusic
Sydney Bourbeau - Sydney is a powerhouse vocalist and singer-songwriter that lavishes her music with layers of pop, folk and blues. She recorded and released her first single, “Too Late Now,” in 2019, after winning Amplify’s battle of the bands in the fall of 2018. A captivating performer, whose perfectly at peace commanding a stage, you can find her consistently sharing her talents at church, and at various community events; including, St. Albert’s annual Mental Health Walk and St. Albert’s Canada Day celebration. Her contribution to Amplify’s album, “lost in translation,” is a tortured lamentation, sure to induce a sorrowful shiver in any listener.
Follow on Instagram: @sydneybourbeaumusic
Jenn Nguyen - Jenn is an exceptional singer, pianist and songwriter, who first played Amplify with her super powered all girl band King Casserole in 2019. She combines her soaring vocals and remarkable piano skills into a mesmerizing musical performance that absolutely stuns audiences. She’s volunteered her gorgeous voice and musicianship to St. Albert’s Mental Health Walk and the Suicide Awareness Vigil for a number of years now, as well as performing at the Tamarack Conference in 2022 and this year's St. Albert Canada Day celebrations. Her contribution to Amplify’s album, “Again” is a heartbreaking tale that will have you listening to it again and again.
Tickets and information: General admission tickets are $18.75 for theatre-style seating and $150 for premium table seating for six people*.
*Ticket prices include GST, handling charges and fees.
The Plaza Series will take place rain or shine. In the event of inclement weather, programming will move indoors to The Arden Theatre. Questions can be directed to The Arden Theatre box office via email at boxoffice@stalbert.ca.
Last edited: August 6, 2024