Palehound

This musical brainchild of El Kempner — who’s recently shared stages with the likes of Big Thief and boygenius — turns anxious confessionals and jagged guitar lines into indie rock songs that hit like serrated diary entries. Palehound’s devastating-yet-triumphant stage presence can be previewed on their fifth album, the 2024 release Live at First Congregational Church – a solo performance recorded while on tour with Adrianne Lenker. That said, you can expect the thunderous full band at Sled Island.

Gus Englehorn

A former pro snowboarder reborn as a nomadic psych-pop prophet, Gus Englehorn has lived a rollercoaster life that reads like one of the fantastical fables that fill his songbook. His third album, 2026’s The Hornbook, magically transmutes the entire history of 20th century rock and roll into an alien transmission from the future.

jo passed

Jo Hirabayashi ­– the singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer behind Canadian indie rock project jo passed – is very much alive, even though his latest album, Away, took eight years to come out. Released this past January, his sophomore LP is well worth the wait, with 11 air-tight indie jams that are begging to be played live.

Brock Geiger

With his debut LP Some Nights, Brock Geiger takes a bold step out from the shadows of the sideman role, shining a spotlight on his refined chameleon-like songcraft and indie rock sensibilities. The record has garnered attention from NPR and Rolling Stone and serves as a perfectly distilled introduction to the mind of a Calgary indie-pop auteur.