Award-winning Canadian folk ensemble returns with “Dance Around The Spinning Wheel”
EDMONTON — Canadian folk ensemble The McDades have released “Dance Around The Spinning Wheel,” the first single from their forthcoming album Thread The Light, marking the return of one of Canada’s most acclaimed roots music groups.
Released through Free Radio Records, the track introduces the long-awaited album with a sound that blends Celtic traditions, jazz improvisation and global rhythms — elements that have defined the band’s music for more than two decades.
The McDades, made up of siblings Shannon Johnson, Solon McDade and Jeremiah McDade, are among Canada’s most decorated folk acts, earning a JUNO Award along with multiple Canadian Folk Music Awards, including recognition for Best Vocal Group.
At the centre of the group’s enduring appeal is a musical chemistry forged over a lifetime of performing together. The siblings began sharing stages in childhood, appearing at major events including the Canadian National Exhibition, the Commonwealth Games and a performance for the British Royal Family.
Joining the trio on Thread The Light are Andy Hillhouse on guitar and vocals and Eric Breton on percussion and vocals. The album also features guest performances from Farhad Khosravi on santur, Dan Stadnicki on drums and Jean-Sebastian Williams on baritone guitar.
Traditional roots meet modern influences
“Dance Around The Spinning Wheel” is a traditional song arranged and produced by the band. The single centres on an energetic, communal sound designed to evoke live performance and collective celebration.
The track is driven by the shimmering tones of the santur, performed by Khosravi, whose playing provides what the band describes as a hypnotic foundation beneath the arrangement. The song layers traditional folk instrumentation with contemporary production influences, resulting in a sound that balances heritage with modern accessibility.
Critics have long praised the group’s ability to push beyond the boundaries of conventional Celtic music while maintaining a strong connection to traditional forms.
“THIS KICKS!” – fRoots
“The Dizzy Gillespie of the Irish tin whistle” – Washington Post
“One of the most versatile and innovative groups in Canada” – Penguin Eggs
The McDades’ music is known for combining intricate instrumental work with vocal harmonies rooted in family performance traditions. Their repertoire includes both original compositions and reinterpretations of traditional songs performed in English and French.
The London Free Press previously described the group’s sound as existing “somewhere between a down-home kitchen party, a jazzy after-hours club, and a folk festival.”
New album follows award-winning release
The upcoming album follows The Empress (2021), which earned the band the 2023 Canadian Folk Music Award for Best Vocal Group.
That release further strengthened the group’s reputation within Canada’s folk and roots music community. Living Traditions described the band’s work as “a compulsively vital canvas of rustic and cosmopolitan soundbites that caress the ear as much as illuminate the senses.”
A family-driven musical legacy
What distinguishes The McDades from many of their contemporaries is the combination of technical skill and longstanding familial collaboration. Shannon Johnson’s fiddle playing, Jeremiah McDade’s multi-instrumental performances on whistles and saxophone, and Solon McDade’s bass work form the backbone of the ensemble’s sound.
The group says its approach to music is deeply rooted in improvisation and shared experience developed over decades of performing together.
“It has been energizing and often magical,” Jeremiah has said of the band’s journey. (Celtic Life International, 2022)
That sense of continuity and connection is evident throughout “Dance Around The Spinning Wheel,” which serves as both a reintroduction to the band and a preview of the broader direction of Thread The Light.
Continuing evolution in Canadian folk music
For The McDades, the forthcoming album represents another chapter in a career defined by innovation within the Canadian folk tradition.
While grounded in Celtic roots, the group has consistently expanded its sound through jazz influences, world music rhythms and contemporary arrangements. Industry observers have frequently credited the ensemble with helping shape a distinctly modern Canadian folk sound.
With the release of “Dance Around The Spinning Wheel,” the band signals that its creative momentum remains firmly intact as it prepares for the full release of Thread The Light.