Canadian Artists
Every episode of The Rugged Revival featuring Canadian Artists — conversations with independent country, Americana, and roots artists.
Marcus Trummer
Marcus Trummer - Modern Soul with 60s/70s Influences, Blues Guitar & Timeless Songwriting | Rugged Revival
A young blood with an old soul, Marcus Trummer marries modern sensibilities with tradition in his distinctive style of soulful music. Dubbed “a precocious guitarist whose vocals possess a wise-beyond-his-years weariness” by the Calgary Herald, the Calgary-born artist is already earning recognition. In 2023, Trummer won the Telluride Blues Challenge, and would go on to make his US performance debut at Telluride Blues & Brews Festival the following year. Trummer recently received a nomination for the 2025 Western Canadian Music Awards “Blues Artist of the Year”, as well as a Canadian Blues Music Awards nomination for “Male Vocalist of the Year”. Marcus Trummer’s debut album, “From The Start”, draws inspiration from the timeless sounds of the 60s and 70s. With his warm and emotive vocals, Trummer pays respect to classic soul singers like Bill Withers and Marvin Gaye. His expressive guitar work channels the impassioned approach of players like B.B. King and Jimi Hendrix. Packed with raw emotion and honesty, Trummer’s songwriting is not to be overlooked. His thoughtful lyrics examine universal subjects of love and coming of age, unpacking experiences that resonate with all listeners.
Steel Saddle
Steel Saddle – Montreal Country-Rockers with Soulful Edge
Imagine if 1960s country-rock visionaries The Flying Burrito Brothers traveled to Muscle Shoals, Alabama’s fabled Fame Studios, home to recording artists like Aretha Franklin, Wilson Pickett, Etta James, and Joe Tex, to record an album and let the studio’s characteristic R ‘n’ B sound shape the resulting tracks. What you’d have would be a unique blending of country rock instrumentation and bluegrass harmonies with a funky soul horn section. That, my friends, is the sound of Canadian rockers Steel Saddle: distinctive, well-crafted, and shit-kickin’ exciting. The six-piece band from Montreal offer an authentic representation of the pioneering country-rock style along with a heapin’ helpin’ of Southern soul to forge a truly original Americana roots sound. #country #rockmusic #southernsoul #bluegrass #canadiancountry