Originally from Saskatchewan and now based in Southern Ontario, The Deep Dark Woods take up a deep tradition of forlorn storytelling, drawing lines from Celtic folksongs to country blues, John Fahey to Shirley Collins. Lush and devastating, Boldt’s gothic surrealism is stark in detail and full of emotion, a murder balladeer for our time.

One might be tempted to think of the Deep Dark Woods as a band steeped in capital-T tradition, and that may be true, but now nearly two decades into their life as one of Canada’s finest folk-roots ensembles, that tradition is one of their own invention. The voice of founding member Ryan Boldt sits at the forefront of the band, and it doesn’t take long to reveal that he is a master of subtlety and shading, working in the lineage of iconic singers like Bob Dylan, Bert Jansch, Rick Danko, and Jason Molina. Boldt, a relentless lifelong listener of music, says “It’s all I do. When I’m not playing music, I’m listening to it, trying to find songs that make me feel an aching pain in my chest.” Accordingly, his singing is full of highly emotive nuance and an elegant, relaxed precision that makes it seem downright effortless, a perfect vehicle for the band’s particular brand of updated folk music. Fellow travellers like keyboard whiz Geoff Hilhorst, veteran drummer Mike Silverman, and Evan Cheadle round out the Deep Dark Woods unit, and they are often assisted by like-minded collaborators such as singer-songwriter Ellen Froese, Erik Nielsen, Leon Power, and the acclaimed duo Kacy & Clayton. This crew creates a powerful combination and has amassed a pile of celebrated albums, EPs, and a host of nominations from music awards outfits from across the country. Together they recall classic units like The Band, mid-period Wilco, and American Beauty-era Grateful Dead, but also legendary late ’60s UK groups like Fairport Convention, Pentangle, and Steeleye Span.