A native of East Lake Ainslie, Inverness County, James MacLean has been playing music for more than 15 years. In his late teens, he started lessons with Cape Breton guitarist Brian Doyle, that his love for traditional Cape Breton music began to blossom. After high school, James went on to pursue a degree in music, and under the tutelage of Scott Macmillan, earned his Bachelor of Music from Dalhousie University in 2015. James recently released his debut, self-titled album with support from the Festival Volunteer Drive’ers Association through The Frank “Big Sampie” Sampson award. His new album is comprised of all traditional Cape Breton music played on a flat-picked guitar with accompaniment from some of Cape Breton’s finest musicians including Mac Morin, Patrick Gillis, Kenneth MacKenzie and his aunt Karen Beaton.
This should be an amazing listen for sure. Congrats, Allie Bennett! ------------------------------ Allie says....I have just released a new CD, a vocal recording called Second Circle that pays tribute to some of my favourite songwriters. It's now available on various streaming platforms. For those of you without CD players, you can purchase a virtual copy on BandCamp. As always, your support is appreciated. Click on the link below to obtain a copy: linktr.ee/alliebennett
We are bursting with pride as we look at the incredible lineup of Cape Breton talent set to showcase during the 2026 East Coast Music Awards week in Sydney (May 20–24)! From the record-breaking 9 nominations for Goldie Boutilier to the amazing sounds of MMorgan Toney EElyse Aeryn Gearl, and so many more, our Island’s music scene is stronger than ever.
Let’s show our artists the love they deserve! Grab your tickets and fill the venues to support our local legends and rising stars. While you’re out, make sure to catch the phenomenal talent travelling here from the mainland, New Brunswick, PEI, and Newfoundland and Labrador. This is our chance to celebrate the best of Atlantic Canada right in our own backyard!
Don’t miss out on this legendary week. Get your tickets, sign up to volunteer, and let’s make ECMA 2026 an unforgettable experience for everyone!
This is great to see happening, looking forward to more details.We're one week away from our big announcement so we thought we'd share a clue about what's coming.
In 1975, during the height of the women’s liberation movement, songs were written that expressed a powerful political conscience. These songs were born in female space, and grew to be the soundtrack of a movement towards rights and freedoms.
You likely know Carter Todd from his awesome performance and playing with Backhouse Brass. Well, his time at university is coming to an end, and his recital is being streamed tonight. So tune in and see and hear Carter as he crushes his recital.