Slow Leaves

Slow Leaves is the project of Winnipeg’s Grant Davidson. He writes songs about the vulnerability of being a human, returning often to themes of love, loss, death, connection, loneliness, family, memory, and time. His folk and psych-rock inclinations, though rooted in the tradition of former fingerpicking songwriters, are unbound in today’s post-genre landscape. “I don’t write sad songs, I write lonely songs,” he muses regarding his last record, In Solitude, For Company. It’s within this honesty of expression that listeners have found comfort in knowing that none of us are truly alone in our thoughts, that beauty reveals itself in vulnerability, that poetry lives in the most banal of moments. He has been nominated for several Western Canadian Music Awards and won Songwriter of the Year in 2022. On his newest release and sixth Slow Leaves album of new material, The Ruins of Things Unfinished, Davidson explores his thoughts on ambition and the long setting sun of a life dedicated to art and family. “I’ve somehow made a career of self-perceived failure,” he writes. “I’ve often reflected on whether that mindset fulfills its own prophecy: quite possibly. But I think at heart, I’m not seeking greatness, at least not outside my own little world. Or maybe I’ve simply given up on misplaced ambitions. My ambition now is a life of greatness in small spaces, a private fame in close quarters, a life so intimate it need only whisper its declarations of love and victory.” The Ruins of Things Unfinished was released in May 2026 on Birthday Cake Records and Make My Day in G/S/A and Benelux. James Leclaire is a Canadian based singersongwriter who mixes folk, rock, classic country, roots, and blues to conjure up his own unique style of storytelling. Although his music often pulls from the hardships of life, whether it be relationships, addictions, inner demons, or depression, his gravely voice cuts a deep feeling of hope and determination. Whether his songs are layered thick with allegories and metaphors or straightforward and direct, James’ songs resonate relatability and realism. James recorded 38 songs from 2020-2023 at Bova Sound with Phillip Victor Bova producing. It was here that James was finally able to take his music to the next level. For certain tracks, Phillip was able to bring on harmonicist Mickey Raphael (Nelson/Stapleton/Dylan), guitarist/mandolinist Kevin Breit (Norah Jones), drummer Ed Toth (Doobie Bros.) and Juno nominated pianist and guitarist John Fraser Findlay. James started releasing singles from these sessions monthly in August 2023. The first 10 compiled to become his 2024 album Come On In, the following 11 became 2025's Self Deconstruction, while the latest 10 singles formed his June 2026 album The Deal.