Under 21 with Guardian

Bywater Call
Meghan Parnell and Dave Barnes are the driving force behind Bywater Call, a powerhouse 7-piece Southern Soul, Roots Rock band out of Toronto, Canada

Since Bywater Call was formed in 2017, they have been Maple Blues and Independent Blues Award nominated and have made waves in the Canadian Festival Circuit. The band has also had the opportunity to extensively tour Europe, including most recently in May and June of 2022, featuring a mainstage appearance at the Netherlands’ premiere blues festival MOULIN BLUES. Performances there have been praised in Dutch and German media, with references to Meghan as one of the best singers in blues and roots today.  They will be returning to Europe in  Fall 2023.

The band will also see its debut south of the border in the USA fall 2022.

In November 2021, Meghan was a featured performer at the Women’s Blues Review at Toronto’s historic Roy Thompson Hall.

Bywater’s much anticipated sophomore album was released September 2, 2022.

For those who have been following the band, an evolution in sound and concept can be heard with this new chapter. And yet, the core values of raw emotion, strong musicianship and the aim to create an exciting, powerful, and moving experience for listeners remains ever present.

Bywater Call saw the release of their debut album in November, 2019 in Canada, USA, Europe and Australia.

Born out of a love for southern soul, blues and roots music and a passion to create a powerful and moving experience for listeners, Bywater Call is completed by Bruce McCarthy on drums, Mike Meusel on Bass, John Kervin on Keys, Stephen Dyte on Trumpet and Julian Nalli on Tenor Sax.

https://bywatercall.com/


Casii Stephan
Minnesota gave her roots, and Tulsa gave her wings.

Casii Stephan is an MN-born, indie-pop meets soul-rock singer-songwriter now based in Tulsa, OK. Casii’s “gorgeously emotive voice inspires comparisons to alt-pop artists like Florence Welch and Fiona Apple with a writing style reminiscent of Carole King” (NPR).

Stephan’s voice is fierce and fearless, but this was not always the case. She grew up shy and afraid of her voice until she started writing songs on the family piano when she was 16. Casii moved to Tulsa in 2014 with the intent to give up her pursuit of a music career, however with a little encouragement from a friend, she continued songwriting and started releasing music in 2016.

Since then, she has received national songwriting awards, toured regionally, performed at official SXSW and Folk Alliance showcases, performed at the virtual Sundance Film Festival, and profiled on platforms such as Billboard, NPR, and American Songwriter.
Casii writes her songs honestly, from the depths of her emotions, with lyrics that push back on negative societal norms like sexism, ageism, and “playing nice” as a woman. She uses writing to deconstruct her own beliefs with an underlying hope that things can change, inviting listeners on their own journey. In October, Casii signed with TRO Essex Music Publishing, joining talented folk writers such as Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger, and iconic rock bands like The Who, Black Sabbath, and Pink Floyd. Casii recently traveled to Muscle Shoals, AL to record with producer, Ben Tanner (Alabama Shakes, St. Paul and the Broken Bones). The concept EP to be titled, “Relationship Status” takes the listener on the emotional journey of going from one relationship status to another and finally landing on the realization that these statuses do not define you. This will be released Spring 2024.


https://www.casiistephan.com/