Colin Fowlie, Catherine Kennedy, and Joel Manchester will be touring New Brunswick in March as part of Roots & Soul’s 2023 Songwriters’ Circle Tour.
Matt Carter
Three New Brunswick musicians will be hitting the road in March for a six stop tour focused solely on celebrating and showcasing singer songwriters from across the province. Colin Fowlie, Catherine Kennedy, and Joel Manchester will be performing on intimate stages in Fredericton, Saint John, Perth-Andover, Salisbury, Charlo, and Bathurst with support from local artists in each region.
Fowlie is a multiple MNB award nominee, and Kennedy won the Breakthrough Artist of the Year at the 2022 event. These two established artists will be joined by Fredericton’s Joel Manchester, voice for the emerging rock ensemble Run the River. This tour will be Manchester’s first as a solo performer.
“I believe this is the fourth time we have done this tour now,” said Eddie Young, who manages and books artists under the Roots & Soul banner. “It is always Colin and two other songwriters who make up the core of this tour. In the past we have had Kylie Fox, Evan Leblanc, and Blaire Nicolle on the tour as well. We took Joel [Manchester] on this year as he is ready to play some of the Run The River songs stripped down and to their core. And Catherine, well, she is fantastic and one of New Brunswick’s hidden gems in my honest opinion.”
“Joining a tour like this feels a bit overwhelming, but I so appreciate the opportunity,” said Joel Manchester. “Eddie Young’s passion for promoting and encouraging New Brunswick musicians is second to none and seeing him put this together and being asked to join in is pretty humbling. Sharing the stage with such great musicians can be intimidating especially as a guy who’s used to playing with a band backing me. But I’m really looking forward to the experience of focusing more on the story behind the songs in an intimate setting.”
Young said the local artists joining the tour in each location including songwriter Peter Lockhart were chosen through a mix of working relationships and respect for their work.
“Colin really wanted to do something with Clinton Charlton,” said Young. “Colin also did a co-write with Émilie Landry who will join for two shows up north. Peter Jarratt has been working hard at writing and performing and he has come down to play for me whenever I’ve asked. Plus, he has a viral video, which helps. The two artists joining in Fredericton, Krista Shannon and Abby McCartney, have been working with Colin who has helped them record songs which you will hear very soon. They will each join for a set each at the Grimross show.”
Full dates and guest performers below.
Upcoming Performances:
March 4 | Grimross Brewing Co. | Fredericton, NB | with guests Krista Shannon and Abby McCartney
March 9 | Five & Dime | Saint John, NB | with Clinton Charlton
March 10 | Oak Tree Pub | Perth-Andover, NB | with Peter Lockhart
March 12 | Grady’s Pub | Salisbury, NB | with Drake Adams
March 17 | Heron’s Nest | Charlo, NB | with Émilie Landry and Peter Jarratt
March 18 | Four Rivers Brewing | Bathurst, NB | with Émilie Landry and Peter Jarratt