Young P.E.I. band runs away with 4 Canadian Folk Music nominations

Ten Strings and a Goat Skin have received more Canadian Folk Music Award 2016 nominations than any other band in the country. The group is nominated in three categories and member Rowen Gallant is up for best traditional singer of 2016. 

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The bilingual trio of Jesse Périard, Caleb Gallant and Rowen Gallant call Rustico, P.E.I., home and describe themselves an "acoustic power trio" with roots in P.E.I.'s traditional celtic and Acadian music. 

We're very proud of what we're doing now.— Jesse Périard, Ten Strings and a Goat Skin

"We all got together and gave a big old high five and group hug!" said Périard of receiving the news of the band's nominations. "We still can't really get over it! … Huge surprise to us."

'New sound'

The nods are for the group's second album, Auprès du Poêle (around the woodstove), which has a "new sound," according to Périard.

"We've had some time to kind of get more in tune … as a band," said Périard. "The arrangements, as well, they're a bit more complex. 

"We're very proud of what we're doing now." 

And Ten Strings and a Goat Skin are not the only nominees showing off P.E.I.'s abundance of musical talent. They'll compete with the group Vishtèn for Traditional Album of the Year and with The East Pointers for Ensemble of the Year. 

The East Pointers, which includes Tim Chaisson, are also nominated for Instrumental Group of the Year for their album Secret Victory. 

Pushing the Boundaries

Ten Strings and a Goat Skin is most pleased with its nomination in the Pushing the Boundaries category.

"That really makes me smile," said Périard. "We wanted to really push ourselves and push the music as much as we could, so it really is special for us to be put in the groundbreaking category."

Ten Strings and a Goat Skin already have armloads of awards and nominations including best new group and best young performer from CFMA in 2014 for their debut album, Corbeau. 

'Bit more of a buzz'

The band just wrapped up a three-week tour in the U.K., Denmark, Alaska, Michigan and Wisconsin. 

"On tours now, we're starting to go to some places we've gone to before, and we've noticed at those regions and those places, we mainly sell out," said Périard. "There has been a bit more of a buzz for us."

The Canadian Folk Music Awards will be handed out in at a gala at Toronto's Isabel Bader Theatre Dec. 3. 

"It's almost surreal right now being up for these nominations," shared Périard. "But we're so happy and ya, it's amazing!"

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