Maggie's Wake

Maggie’s Wake is a Canadian, female-fronted roots band that delivers unforgettable performances while creating a sound that is at once both classic and modern. With original compositions that remain faithful to their influences in traditional folk and classic country music, their songs are enhanced by Celtic instrumentation, giving them an unmistakable sound. Band members are passionate about bringing the rich history of folk music to life in a contemporary way and strive to create a unique sound that reflects their heritage while also being wholly original. Their goal is to bring joy and inspiration to audiences through music.​

The band features the stellar duo of award-winning songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Tara Dunphy (The Rizdales, Luther Wright and the Wrongs) on lead vocals, harmonizing tin whistle, flute and fiddle, and award-winning and internationally recognized Lindsay Schindler (Rant Maggie Rant, Trent Severn) as lead instrumentalist on fiddle/violin and harmony vocals. Their powerhouse band includes Andrew Kosty on upright and electric bass, Ken Palmer on acoustic and electric guitar, and frequent guests Dean Harrison on piano and accordion and Stephan Szczesniak on percussion. 

They played sold-out theatres and concert halls, building much anticipation for their debut album, the self-titled Maggie's Wake, which was released in March 2024 worldwide to critical acclaim.  Maggie's Wake performed as an Official Showcase Artist at the 2024 Folk Alliance and North Eastern Regional Folk Alliance (NERFA) conferences, and they were nominated as Best New/Emerging Artist for the Canadian Folk Music Awards in 2025.

“...a refreshing addition to Canada’s folk music scene…” --Patron & Pearl

“The enormous talent that makes up Maggie's Wake comes from a background of classical, Celtic, funk, jazz, Latin, Cajun, and country music, and we draw from all of those elements to make every piece a musical voyage, allowing us to travel across all borders.” --The Sound Cafe

This project is made possible with funds from the Statewide Community Regrants Program, a regrant program of the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature and administered by CNY Arts.

This project is made possible with funds from the Tier Three Project Support program, a regrant program of the County of Onondaga with the support of the County Executive and administered by CNY Arts.

  ~ This project is also made possible through the support and generosity of our Folkus members. ~