Contemporary folk trio Wild Bloom, formed in Toronto by musicians Becky Leigh, Brittany Iwanciwski, and Alyssa Tess, began as a friendship at Humber College and blossomed into a musical collaboration in late 2022. Known for their rich vocals, lush harmonies, and captivating fiddle improvisation, Wild Bloom combines their expertise to create evocative music that resonates with the heart.
After a successful year of performances and viral YouTube covers, the trio released their debut single, “Travel Song,” on July 19, 2024, capturing the beauty and wanderlust of Canada’s landscapes.
Wild Bloom will be performing at this year’s Gussapolooza in Cooksville, ON, on September 14, at the Barn Stage.
First off, care to introduce yourself to our readers?
Hi, we’re Becky, Brittany, and Alyssa! Together we’re Wild Bloom, a Toronto-based contemporary folk trio, here to share our feelings, friendship, and love of folk music with you. We’ll be celebrating our two year anniversary as a band at Gussapolooza on September 14 at 3:30 pm on the MTAV Barn Stage.
Tell us a bit about your most recent release.
We asked our followers for songwriting prompts ahead of a writing retreat we did last October in a tiny home in Niagara (so pretty – and the tiny home vibes were so fun – highly recommend). “Leaving a piece of your heart everywhere you travel to” was a prompt that stood out to us and was the catalyst to Travel Song. We started chatting and writing about our individual cross-Canada experiences as Brittany is from British Columbia, Becky is from Quebec and Alyssa is a born and raised Ontarian. In the end, Travel Song became an ode to where we’re all from, Canada’s beautiful scenery, and ultimately, our coming together as a group. We released Travel Song on July 19 as our first band single!
How would you describe your musical style to someone who has never heard your music before?
Fiddle, folk, and lots of harmonies!
What does performing at a festival like Gussapolooza, known for its focus on emerging talent, mean to you and your band?
Performing at Gussapolooza feels like we just got invited into a super cool club made up of the nicest people ever! This is a big milestone for our band (our first festival show!) and we are really looking forward to making new music friends and playing for new audiences.
What makes Gussapolooza different from other festivals?
Since this festival is all about supporting indie and emerging musicians, not only are you getting the opportunity to see new acts first, but you can be certain that your presence at this festival is extremely impactful and special to every group that is performing. By coming out and supporting us emerging musicians you are literally making dreams come true and helping us bring our careers to the next level. Coming out to this festival means you are making a huge positive impact on strangers’ lives – and all you had to do was come and listen to some music. How awesome is that!
With over 40 indie bands performing, how do you plan to stand out and make a lasting impression on the audience?
Before we became a band we started out as just three friends. We really value how our friendship became the foundation of our band and want to make our audiences feel like they are a part of our friend group through our honest stage chats, heartfelt storytelling, and the warm energy we bring to every show. We also think we’re pretty funny (and sometimes not even intentionally…). You’ll have to come out and let us know if we make you laugh!
Are there any specific bands or artists at Gussapolooza that you’re excited to see perform?
YES! It’s hard to pick just a few because the talent at this festival is just out of this world! Here are a few acts we just can’t wait to see:
Cudbear
I, The Mountain
Blackstock
Propter Hawk
Sydney Riley
Madison Mueller
For fans who may be seeing you perform for the first time, what do you hope they remember most about your set?
We hope you’ll remember our sweet harmonies, Brittany’s mad fiddle skills, and our big feels.