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Canadian indie-folk music band The Fugitives return to the UK this summer with a concert at Albert’s Shed, Shrewsbury on Sunday 28 June as part of a two-week tour.
Based in Vancouver, they bring brilliant musicianship, top-notch songwriting, complex vocal harmonies and a funny, uplifting vibe to their live performances. Described as ‘the missing link between Leonard Cohen and The Pogues’, they’ve received numerous nominations from the Canadian Folk Music Awards, as well as seven JUNOs – the Canadian version of a GRAMMY.
Since their last visit in 2024, when the band played to a sell-out crowd at St Mary’s Church on General Election night, they have recorded a new self-titled album, which will be on sale at their concerts.
The Fugitives founder and co-songwriter Brendan McLeod believes the new album was their most accidental, and probably their most reluctant to write. He said: “We really tried hard not to write it, especially when we realised so many of the songs were about travel. We were like, ‘Oh no. The last thing the world needs is more folk songs about dingy hotel rooms and gas station sandwiches.’”
So, they made a list of things they weren’t allowed to write about such as missing family, smelly tour vans, being too tired to sleep, and the tour van’s windscreen as a metaphor for freedom. “It was oddly useful,” says co-songwriter Adrian Glynn. “Because everything on that list happens quite a bit. It’s what your mind goes to first. The songs ended up being about what’s on the other side of all that and not just about space, music, and friendship, but what those ideas contain.”
When we started, if someone had told us our jobs would entail creating content for an algorithm, we'd have just picked something else. We suck at TikTok. We’re just friends who work hard at singing harmonies and writing songs. We know there are a lot of ecosystems where that can still resonate, and this album is kind of doubling down on that.”
Commenting on the forthcoming tour, he continued: "Last time we were in the UK, we really focused on how good it was going to be to have a decent pint of beer, since that is one thing they do far better than Canada. However, ale aside, we also love British audiences and in particular the Shrewsbury crowd who, despite it being an election night, came out and supported our concert, making it a sell-out event. So, we can’t wait to see them again June!”
Click on the titles to download and view The Fugitives performing the following songs live:
and on YouTube:
It Might Just Rain Like This For Days
Tickets for The Fugitives concert at Albert’s Shed, Shrewsbury on Sunday 28 June are £18 (+ booking fee) from:
https://wegottickets.com/event/688160
Pictures: The Fugitives
