Canadian Folk Icon Connie Kaldor Celebrates The Prairies On New Album Wide Open Spaces
Beloved Canadian folk singer-songwriter Connie Kaldor returns with her brand-new album Wide Open Spaces available now on all streaming platforms. Arriving alongside the release is the record’s second official single/video, “This Car” – a nostalgic ode to the vehicles that carry us through our lives, loves, and careers.
A three-time JUNO Award winner and a trailblazing voice in Canadian roots music, Kaldor has always written with honesty, humour, and deep connection to place. With Wide Open Spaces, she turns her focus homeward, crafting a collection of songs rooted in the vast prairies of Western Canada.
“I wanted to do a recording about the prairies – stories, characters, landscape, pedal steel, country roots. Basically, songs that would mean home to me in some way,” said Kaldor. “It is an extraordinary landscape in that western part of Canada, and it is often overlooked. Some of the songs are sentimental, some are funny, some are personal, and some I could perform at a prairie wedding.”
Written and released during a time of heightened Canadian pride and political reflection, Wide Open Spaces blends grit, humour, and heart with Kaldor’s signature warmth. From the spirited opener “Outlaw (Revisited)”, which reclaims prairie myth through a woman’s lens, to tender reflections like “Crane Valley Road” and “For Those Who Say”, the album embraces both the joy and challenges of prairie life. Songs like “Hitched Together” and “Raining on the Farm” delve into the struggles of small farmers, climate change, and rural displacement, while celebrating resilience, love, and community – themes that resonate deeply with Kaldor, who spends nearly half the year on her family farm in Southern Saskatchewan.
Wide Open Spaces also reflects Kaldor’s long-standing love for country traditions and classic women writers like Dolly Parton, Loretta Lynn, and Patsy Montana. The album was co-produced by Zachary Bachand (who also contributes pedal steel) and her husband Paul Campagne, and features contributions from their sons Gabriel Campagne (vocals) and Aleksi Campagne (vocals, violin). Rounding out the ensemble are Stephane Krims (bass), Maude Bastien (drums), and Steve Normandin (accordion).
At the heart of the release is the new single “This Car”, a driving Americana/folk track inspired by a touring vehicle belonging to Kaldor’s friend, Canadian blues singer Suzie Vinnick.
“Suzie has a car that has gone over 500,000 kilometres from gig to gig in this country,” Kaldor explains. “It got me thinking about all the miles we do as musicians and all the vehicles you liked enough to name. I had a red Rabbit GTI years ago that drove me to gigs, through heartache, out of trouble and toward a career that I love. I would drive with the sunroof open, listening to the radio and think, ‘Man, this is living!’ That kind of car.”
A musical force for more than 45 years, Kaldor is a three-time JUNO Award winner, a member of the Order of Canada, and the writer of the beloved prairie classic “Wood River.” In the last year alone, she received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Woodstock Folk Festival and nominations from both the Canadian Folk Music Awards and Folk Alliance International.
CONNIE KALDOR 2025 TOUR DATES
September 17 – Duncan, BC – Duncan Showroom
September 18 – Vancouver, BC – St. James Hall
September 19 – Nanaimo, BC – Nanaimo Yacht Club Marina
September 20 – Victoria, BC – St. Andrews Presbyterian Church
September 26 – Calgary, AB – River Park Church
October 1 – Estevan, SK – Estevan Comprehensive School
October 3 – Saskatoon, SK – Grosvenor Park United Church
October 4 & 5 – Regina, SK – Darke Hall
October 7 – Winnipeg, MB – West End Cultural Centre
October 14 – Cape Breton, NS – Celtic Colours Festival
November 13 – Toronto, ON – Hugh’s Room
November 14 – Chelsea, QC – Motel Chelsea
November 15 – Chelsea, QC – Motel Chelsea
November 22 – Foothills County, AB – Red Deer Lake, OTE Concert Series
November 23 – Hardisty, AB – Bird Dog Theatre