Kristen Martell, Terra Spencer, Sarah McInnis & Blue Acres - Songwriter's Circle

Nova Scotia singer-songwriters Kristen Martell, Terra Spencer, Sarah McInnis & Blue Acres will be crossing paths virtually to share their stories & songs.

Kristen Martell Kristen is an acoustic folk/pop artist from the shores of Nova Scotia. Her hazy, sun-dappled sound is ‘equivalent to walking through a field on a warm, summer’s day’ (Roots Music Canada). Anyone who has pondered the meaning of it all will find something to relate to in her songs. Kristen has re-emerged on the music scene after having taken a 10 year break to focus on career and family. With her debut album ‘Coming Home’ (April 2020) nominated for the 2021 ECMA Inspirational Recording of the year, she is an emerging artist not to be missed. Martell is set to release new collaborative music with award-winning producer Daniel Ledwell and award-winning artist, Gabrielle Papillon, in 2021.

Nova Scotian funeral director Terra Spencer discovered a love of writing sly storytelling songs while touring as a backing vocalist and lead guitarist with country artist Ryan Cook. Since her 2018 solo debut, Terra has won over audiences and critics in the Maritimes, Ontario, the UK, and Germany with her ease and humour, butterscotch voice, fingerstyle guitar, and gospel piano. Terra recently followed up her acclaimed debut album Other People's Lives with Chasing Rabbits, a self-produced collection of winter songs about long-distance love, motherhood, wildlife encounters, and places that feel like home. Randy Newman meets Bobbie Gentry meets Carole King; Terra puts a Canadian folk spin on your cool aunt's basement record stash. "The real deal." - Ron Sexsmith

Singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Sarah McInnis, of Peterborough, Ontario, is a storyteller, writing meaningful, personal, and relatable lyrics through which audience members can connect. Having people approach her after a live show to share a story of their grandfather they never knew, their sister who was just diagnosed with dementia, or a breakup they just went through is not an unusual experience for Sarah and she has found that her songwriting has created space for people to talk about difficult subjects. Her songs come from having to travel to the raw, twisted centers of insecurity, vulnerability, shame, and grief, to hold them gently, illuminate, forgive, and thank them. With warm vocals and guitar in hand, Sarah transforms every stage into an intimate venue, giving listener’s honest, true, and personal stories that remind them that they are not alone in the serious, silly, and serendipitous parts of life. Sarah is currently working on releasing new music, and as a Music Therapist has just launched The Legacy Song Project, incorporating her love of songwriting with providing those who have lost loved ones and people at the end of life an outlet for expression.

Blue Acres is the indie-folk moniker for Halifax songwriter Darrel Cameron, who also works as a music therapist in health care. Blue Acres songs interweave themes of love, loss, meaning, spirituality, and hope, resonating from an earthy, life-lived perspective. “There’s a richness to Cameron’s work, particularly his singing, that resonates with shades of Cohen on the low end, with a literal and metaphorical depth. You can hear Arcade Fire popping in his lifts and just a touch of Gordon Lightfoot in the composition.” -Alex Cook, The East Mag Connect with Blue Acres at BlueAcres.bandcamp.com, on streaming services and at @blueacresband across social media platforms.