Caley Watts + Great Aunt Ida

 

Caley Watts

Caley Watts is a Cree singer/songwriter who grew up along the river banks, mountain ranges, and rainforest of Nuxalk Territory, and her blend of folk and roots draws heavily on the pace and beauty of her home. In praising the “understated magic” of Caley’s music, CBC Music said “it's easy to imagine oneself whisked far away from the insularity of daily life, to somewhere wilder and grander.” Caley’s debut album River’s Daughter is the result of more than three years of mentorship and co-writing sessions with an incredible community of artists, including William Prince, Serena Ryder, Kinnie Starr, and Katie Pruitt.

Joining Watts are Kenton Loewen drums, Scott Smith guitar, and James Meger bass. 

Presented in association with Talking Stick Festival.

Great Aunt Ida

Pianist and songwriter Ida Nilsen’s Great Aunt Ida project has existed in various shapes and places since 2003, beginning in and returning to Vancouver, BC. Influenced by a variety of genres but rooted in popular song, Nilsen's writing has been called “intimate and honest”, “warm and spare,” bordering on misanthropic, and “somehow unlike any other girl/piano combo.” Active in the Vancouver music scene in the late 90s and 2000s, Nilsen was a member of The Buttless Chaps, acclaimed post-rock group The Beans, and experimental improv group Cunt. Flash forward to 2026, and Great Aunt Ida's absorbing new material reflects on grief, change, connection, and relationships with space and place.