Ontario Folk Act Announces ‘Lanterns in the Mist’ Tour Across Eastern Canada Ahead of Fall 2026 Album Release
COBOURG, Ont. — Cobourg-based indie Celtic folk duo Lo & the High Road has launched a Kickstarter campaign to finance the vinyl and CD production of its upcoming sophomore album, Standing Stones, while simultaneously embarking on a summer tour across Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic Canada.
The crowdfunding initiative is designed to help bring the physical edition of the album to market ahead of its planned release in early fall 2026. It also gives supporters an opportunity to pre-order the record and contribute directly to the project’s completion as the duo continues recording its remaining material.
Comprised of singer-songwriter Lauren Halász and multi-instrumentalist and producer Colin McMahon, Lo & the High Road has built a significant international audience by blending Celtic folk traditions with fantasy-inspired storytelling. Their music has found a dedicated following among tabletop role-playing communities, Renaissance faire enthusiasts and listeners drawn to themes rooted in folklore, mythology and the natural world.
According to the group, its online community now exceeds 200,000 followers, reflecting steady growth since the release of its debut album.
Debut Album Built a Growing International Audience
The duo’s first full-length record, Jackalope Tales (& Other Stories), was released in 2023 and has accumulated more than 2.5 million streams on Spotify. The album combined six original compositions with three traditional folk songs, exploring themes including childhood, resilience and imagination.
Halász contributes songwriting, lead vocals, bodhrán and Irish whistle, while McMahon handles songwriting, production, guitar, mandolin and bouzouki. Together, they have developed a distinctive sound that merges traditional Celtic instrumentation with contemporary folk songwriting.
Their latest single, “Lanterns in the Mist,” released in 2025, continues that artistic direction by drawing inspiration from longstanding folklore surrounding children taken away by fairies—a narrative that appears across cultures with varying interpretations.
Halász has previously explained that the song explores the idea of existing between different worlds, creating a place of reflection and rest while drawing from centuries-old mythology.
‘Standing Stones’ Expands the Duo’s Folk and Mythology-Inspired Catalogue
New Album Features Original Material Alongside Traditional Songs
The forthcoming album, Standing Stones, will feature 13 tracks that combine original compositions with traditional songs from Ireland, Scotland and Canada.
Among the previously released songs included on the record are “The Fawn & the Huntress,” featuring Lunar Bloom, and “Dance of the Dryads,” both inspired by Greek mythology. The album will also introduce new material, including the title track, “Salem,” and “The Weaver.”
The project also brings together several guest musicians, including Christine Rabey on vocals, Jordan Baldwin on violin, viol and vocals, Saskia Tomkins on nyckelharpa, and Steáfán Hannigan on uilleann pipes, bodhrán and Irish flute.
Artwork for the album has once again been created by illustrator Abbey Komes, who previously designed the visual artwork accompanying both “The Fawn & the Huntress” and “Lanterns in the Mist.”
The Kickstarter campaign functions as both a fundraising initiative and a pre-order platform. Backers will receive acknowledgement in the CD and vinyl liner notes, while also having access to existing merchandise available through the campaign.
The group says the campaign will help fund manufacturing costs for physical editions as production of the remaining tracks continues ahead of the scheduled autumn release.
Summer Tour Brings New Music to Fans Across Eastern Canada
Coinciding with the crowdfunding campaign, Lo & the High Road has launched its “Lanterns in the Mist Tour,” giving audiences an opportunity to hear new material alongside songs from its existing catalogue.
The current tour schedule includes:
- July 23, 7:00 p.m. — Bar le Ritz PDB, Montréal, Que.
- July 24, 7:00 p.m. — Robo Lounge, Ottawa, Ont.
- July 25, 7:00 p.m. — The John at Sadleir House, Peterborough, Ont.
Additional performances across Atlantic Canada are expected as the tour continues through the summer.
With a growing streaming audience, expanding live schedule and a new album on the horizon, Lo & the High Road is aiming to build on the momentum generated by its debut release while further establishing its place within Canada’s contemporary folk music landscape.