RedFox

The Wilderness is the lifelong dream of six rock n' roll devotees based in Kingston, ON. Together, they bring the piss and vinegar of young DIY road-dogs, the lyrical eloquence of Canada's folk heroes, and the musical grandeur of your dad’s favourite arena-rock band to any stage they can find. Think the belting poetry of Sam Fender, the lush vocal harmonies of Hozier, the driving guitars and soaring saxophones of Bruce Springsteen, and the effervescent choruses of Noah Kahan, held together by an unmistakable bond of brotherhood and a shared love of rock n' roll. A musical tapestry of truest Canadian fashion, the Wilderness sounds like nostalgia, feels like camaraderie, and looks a lot like a band you should watch out for. Since 2015, The Wilderness have been earning their following by cutting their teeth over countless long nights and hundreds of thousands of kilometers. Their debut album, “Until Tomorrow” was produced by Rob Baker (the Tragically Hip) and charted on the NACC’s top 200 list for seven consecutive weeks. Their forth coming 2024 LP, “Strangers I Used to Love” was written in collaboration with JUNO panelist Steve Foley, Brett Emmons (the Glorious Sons), and Chris Koster (ex-the Glorious Sons) and sits poised to take the band to new heights and highways. With almost 600 independently booked shows across North America under their belt, and an independently released discography to their credit, the Wilderness are a formidable musical force and an unmistakably human band working hard to keep their dreams alive. Kyle Ivan? Isn’t that the guy who opened for Backstreet Boys back in 2019? Thought he moved to Toronto but apparently he’s back in Ottawa? Yea, I hear he’s added some alt-rock punchiness to his singer/songwriter vibe and he’s playing with a band these days! They’ve got a bit of the indie garage rock feel of Weezer and Arkells, mixed with some poppier vocals that have a tinge of Bruno Mars in them. He also loves finding ways to make the audience a part of the show, I defs recommend checking him out if you get the chance!