Daniel James McFadyen

After an incredible first year, we’re coming back bigger with THREE DAYS of music, community, and late-summer magic by the river. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 18 THE RURAL ALBERTA ADVANTAGE DANIEL JAMES MCFADYEN · JAIDEN RILEY & THE CRYBABIES SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 19 VINCENT NEIL EMERSON THE DESLONDES · SKINNY DYCK · KUE VARO THE DENIM DADDIES · THE HEARTS · AMY NELSON · ROLL THE BONES · THE NICO TOBIAS BAND · TAYLER GRACE · SAM THE LIVING SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 20 GOLDIE BOUTILIER THE VELVETEINS · FOLK BITCH TRIO · GINGER BEEF · JED & THE VALENTINE THE WESTERN THISTLES · SMOKEY · BUNS · THE UNCAS · CARTER FELKER · ROSS FIZZARD Visit our website www.downbytheriverfest.ca for more info! SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER FOR MORE UPDATES Daniel James McFadyen is an award-winning indie-folk artist whose expressive lyricism, charismatic stage presence, and road-worn storytelling have made him one of Canada’s most compelling contemporary voices. His 2025 sophomore album, Back To The Country (LHM Records), marks a defining moment in his artistic evolution—an intimate, organic, and boldly confident full-length that leans into the Americana/Canadiana textures he has grown increasingly known for. Recorded live off the floor in a cabin on British Columbia’s Shuswap Lake with producer Cole Friesen, the album captures an unpolished, lived-in warmth. Across its 11 tracks, McFadyen weaves themes of disillusionment, hope, daydreaming, heartbreak, humour, and the search for home. From the barn-burning stomp of “Spinnaker (I’m Leavin’),” to the wistful ache of “Hurt My Heart,” to the wry charm of “Landmine,” Back To The Country showcases a songwriter stepping fully into his voice. McFadyen’s rise has been powered equally by his dynamic, deeply interactive live shows. His cross-Canada tours have sold out major venues—including Toronto’s Great Hall, Halifax’s Marquee Ballroom, and Ottawa’s Overflow Brewing—cultivating a devoted and ever-growing fanbase. In 2024, he earned three Music Nova Scotia Awards, the most of any artist that year, cementing his status as a breakout performer. Now in 2026, Daniel James McFadyen continues to carve out his place within the modern folk landscape—bridging heartfelt storytelling with the communal spirit of classic Canadian songwriting. With Back To The Country defining a new era in his sound, McFadyen stands firmly at the forefront of a new generation of Canadian troubadours