Album Notes

We made this album to celebrate the Gwich'in fiddle music found in Old Crow, Yukon(Pop. 300) and to share Kate's songs about northern life and landscapes. We've had a blast adding twin fiddles and new arrangements to these northern tunes and, we are excited to share them with you.

Home Sweet Home takes a fresh look at traditional fiddle tunes from the territory. From the Old Crow Duck Dance to the Tahltan take on Texas Swing, Keitha and Boyd give the old tunes a new sound with twin fiddles and unique arrangements. They are joined on guitar by Kate Weekes, who adds strong rhythm and original songs about northern life and landscapes.The band has just finished recording their self-titled debut album.

Boyd Benjamin comes from a family of Old Crow fiddlers. Boyd, who was raised in Whitehorse,Yukon, B.C. and Alberta, spent his summers in that northern community. He started learning the fiddle in Old Crow at 14, and found it a way to reconnect with his home. Boyd also has his commercial pilot’s license. In recognition of his achievements as a performer and pilot, he was given the Special Youth Award at the National Aboriginal Awards in 2008. Boyd represented Yukon First Nations at the 2010 Olympics.

Keitha Clark started playing the fiddle at 15. Two years later she was touring casinos in Saskatchewan and the U.S. with an all girl Cajun band, Louisiana Jane. Keitha moved to Whitehorse in 2005. Since then, she has been in demand
as a teacher, session player, and performer. She has appeared on a dozen albums (including the Juno nominated Annie Lou). In 2006, she received an Advanced Artist Award to be mentored by traditional fiddlers in Yukon. In 2007, she brought many of those traditional fiddlers together in performance during the Closing Ceremonies of the Canada Winter Games.

Kate Weekes’ passion for the north comes out in original songs that weave places like Lake Labarge and Bonnet Plume Lake into tasteful melodies. She released her debut album in 2007, and since then has toured the Prairies, Ontario and Japan. She has performed at numerous showcases, including the Western Canadian Music Awards. She has also received the Ottawa Folk Festival’s Beth Ferguson Award, as well as the Mac Beattie award for
being“quintessentially Canadian.”