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Kaia Kater’s new album, Strange Medicine (May 2024 on Free Dirt Records), opens with a haunting vision. Accompanied by Aoife O’Donovan, Kater sings of the women burned at the stake as witches in 17th century Salem, Massachusetts and their wish to strike back: “I dreamt I moved through you and / Burned my name into your chest”. It’s an opening salvo from an album that celebrates the power of women and oppressed people throughout history as they rise up and turn the poison of centuries of oppression into a strange kind of medicine. Kater’s songs are dialogues with these historical figures and meditations on her own modern life as well. In the years since her 2018 album, Grenades, on Smithsonian Folkways, Kater has taken time to reinvent herself and hone her skills, first attending film school to learn composition, then diving deeper into her songwriting to come up with her most personal album yet. Feeling the pressure as a talented young songwriter, banjo player, and bandleader with three successful albums and an NPR Tiny Desk Concert under her belt, Kater struggled initially with the expectations of her adopted genre, Americana. “I was factoring everybody else’s perception into my songwriting,” she says. “Would I write more honestly if I knew that no one would ever hear this?” With that in mind, Kater retreated to her apartment in Montréal. Sitting at home with her banjo, the songs unfolded in personal intimacy, revealing windows into the perspective of women and revolutionaries through history. Co-producing with Joe Grass (Elisapie, The Barr Brothers), Kater invited close friends and colleagues O’Donovan and Allison Russell to sing on the album, along with longtime hero and American legend Taj Mahal. With lush arrangements and unexpected musical ideas drawn from genres as surprising as minimalist composition, jazz drumming, and film scores, Strange Medicine is the bold next step in Kater’s career. It’s an album made beyond the white gaze of Americana, unbeholden to a music industry that so often tokenizes and silences marginalized voices, a Black Feminist perspective on a genre that refuses to cede power to Black women. But ultimately it’s a celebration of the self. The words of the poem “won’t you celebrate with me” by Lucille Clifton echoed in Kater’s ears throughout the process of making this album.
“Kater is rapt, inquisitive, straining for intimate, embodied understanding that transcends mere familiarity.” –NPR “…plaintive, mesmerizing…writes and performs with the skill of a folk-circuit veteran…” – Rolling Stone “You want some authenticity in your folk music or bluegrass – I give you Kaïa Kater.” – No Depression “A star in the making…” – Folk Alley
Watch Kaia's Tiny Desk Concert : https://youtu.be/jmvz0ZdVphg?si=YQ2d3FsAGhgBVSyf
Steam Mill Band opens for Kaia. This is a new old-time duo in the Valley. Local Alex Nemet plays the banjo in an energetic traditional clawhammer style, while Anna Dowson, originally from across the pond, brings her own distinctive touch to the duo with her guitar. Their music is a lively fusion of Appalachian traditions alongside the folk sounds of England, Ireland, and Scotland, reflecting their shared transatlantic roots.
When Alex isn’t picking his banjo, you’ll find him in his workshop, crafting handcrafted instruments under the name Fundy Banjos. It’s where his passion for both music and woodworking come together in perfect harmony.
Follow their journey on social media: @thesteammillband and @fundybanjos
[email protected]
902-698-9611
Kaia Kater’s new album, Strange Medicine (May 2024 on Free Dirt Records), opens with a haunting vision. Accompanied by Aoife O’Donovan, Kater sings of the women burned at the stake as witches in 17th century Salem, Massachusetts and their wish to strike back: “I dreamt I moved through you and / Burned my name into your chest”. It’s an opening salvo from an album that celebrates the power of women and oppressed people throughout history as they rise up and turn the poison of centuries of oppression into a strange kind of medicine. Kater’s songs are dialogues with these historical figures and meditations on her own modern life as well. In the years since her 2018 album, Grenades, on Smithsonian Folkways, Kater has taken time to reinvent herself and hone her skills, first attending film school to learn composition, then diving deeper into her songwriting to come up with her most personal album yet. Feeling the pressure as a talented young songwriter, banjo player, and bandleader with three successful albums and an NPR Tiny Desk Concert under her belt, Kater struggled initially with the expectations of her adopted genre, Americana. “I was factoring everybody else’s perception into my songwriting,” she says. “Would I write more honestly if I knew that no one would ever hear this?” With that in mind, Kater retreated to her apartment in Montréal. Sitting at home with her banjo, the songs unfolded in personal intimacy, revealing windows into the perspective of women and revolutionaries through history. Co-producing with Joe Grass (Elisapie, The Barr Brothers), Kater invited close friends and colleagues O’Donovan and Allison Russell to sing on the album, along with longtime hero and American legend Taj Mahal. With lush arrangements and unexpected musical ideas drawn from genres as surprising as minimalist composition, jazz drumming, and film scores, Strange Medicine is the bold next step in Kater’s career. It’s an album made beyond the white gaze of Americana, unbeholden to a music industry that so often tokenizes and silences marginalized voices, a Black Feminist perspective on a genre that refuses to cede power to Black women. But ultimately it’s a celebration of the self. The words of the poem “won’t you celebrate with me” by Lucille Clifton echoed in Kater’s ears throughout the process of making this album.
“Kater is rapt, inquisitive, straining for intimate, embodied understanding that transcends mere familiarity.” –NPR “…plaintive, mesmerizing…writes and performs with the skill of a folk-circuit veteran…” – Rolling Stone “You want some authenticity in your folk music or bluegrass – I give you Kaïa Kater.” – No Depression “A star in the making…” – Folk Alley
Watch Kaia's Tiny Desk Concert : https://youtu.be/jmvz0ZdVphg?si=YQ2d3FsAGhgBVSyf
Steam Mill Band opens for Kaia. This is a new old-time duo in the Valley. Local Alex Nemet plays the banjo in an energetic traditional clawhammer style, while Anna Dowson, originally from across the pond, brings her own distinctive touch to the duo with her guitar. Their music is a lively fusion of Appalachian traditions alongside the folk sounds of England, Ireland, and Scotland, reflecting their shared transatlantic roots.
When Alex isn’t picking his banjo, you’ll find him in his workshop, crafting handcrafted instruments under the name Fundy Banjos. It’s where his passion for both music and woodworking come together in perfect harmony.
Follow their journey on social media: @thesteammillband and @fundybanjos
Pricing & Tickets
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| Other Events at Ross Creek Annex |
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| Fri Dec 12, 7:30pm Samson Wrote & Freya Milliken |
| Fri Dec 19, 7pm Youth Open Mic |
| Jan 9, 2026, 7:30pm Daniel James McFadyen |
| Jan 17, 2026, 7:30pm Line Dance with Sweet Bean |
| Jan 24, 2026, 7:30pm Wander Trio |
| Feb 14, 2026, 7:30pm Rabbit Square Dance Band |
| Feb 20, 2026, 7:30pm The Burning Hell |