JESSICA RHAYE
Jessica Rhaye is a Canadian independent singer-songwriter, performer, and visual graphic design artist with a 25-year career rooted in folk and Americana. Known for her warm, expressive voice and thoughtful songwriting, Rhaye moves effortlessly between intimate solo performances, her acclaimed folk trio Preeper Rhaye MacKay, and her folk-rock ensemble The Ramshackle Parade.
Her discography includes nine independent releases, showcasing both her versatility and depth as an artist. Recent projects include Wood & Wire (2024) with Preeper Rhaye MacKay, Sunshine Baby (2023), and Just Like a Woman – Songs of Bob Dylan (2019) with The Ramshackle Parade. Her forthcoming EP Foolish Heart is slated for release in 2026. Earlier solo releases include Song In Me (2016), Far Gone Lullabies (2013), Good Things (2009), Short Stories (2006), and her self-titled debut Jessica Rhaye (2000).
Jessica’s songwriting has been recognized nationally and internationally. Her work has twice been named a finalist in the Canada Music Week National Songwriting Competition and was also a finalist in the folk category of the John Lennon Songwriting Contest. She has received nominations from the Canadian Folk Music Awards, multiple East Coast Music Awards, and Music New Brunswick Awards. Her songs have appeared in the television series Unstable (CMT) and Heartland (CBC), and her albums have garnered praise from outlets including Americana UK, Americana Highways, BBC Radio, FATEA UK, Great Dark Wonder, and SiriusXM’s North Americana.
Over the years, Rhaye has collaborated with a distinguished group of co-writers, including Ron Sexsmith, the late Ken Tobias, Steve Poltz, Brent Mason, Royal Wood, and Matt Andersen. She has performed on many renowned stages and festivals such as the National Arts Centre, Stan Rogers Folk Festival, Mariposa Folk Festival, Area 506 Festival, Shivering Songs, Canadian Music Café, Hugh’s Room, Hotel Café, and Half Moon Putney.
In addition to her musical career, Jessica is an award-winning visual artist. Her design work—both for her own releases and for other musicians—has earned her the ECMA Graphic Artist of the Year and Music New Brunswick Visual Artist of the Year awards.
Based in her home province of New Brunswick, Canada, Jessica Rhaye continues to write, record, and tour with The Ramshackle Parade and Preeper Rhaye MacKay, whose latest work was praised by Americana UK as “Traditional music at a very high standard.”
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See Jessica Rhaye’s Discography and learn more about her music HERE
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“Sunshine Baby is just a wonderful album. Jessica's music is beautiful and she is an artist you will definitely hear much more of on the late show.” - The Late Show with Eve Blair on BBC Radio (“Artist of the Week” May 22-26, 2023 – BBC Radio Ulster, BBC Radio Foyle and BBC Sounds)
“Jessica Rhaye creates an intriguing, compelling performance much the same as the most dramatic moments of Kate Bush.” - Americana Highways
“Stunning tune” - Great Dark Wonder (“Rocky Hills”)
"Mature vocal sound, with floating dynamics that leave you with a fresh organic mixture. Rhaye's in a category of her own - it's the perfect feel-good album." - Maverick Magazine - UK (****4 Stars Review)
“Rhaye has embraced that hybrid acoustic-electric sound…the rich instrumentation has potent and explosive moments throughout.” - Top 100 Canadian (Sunshine Baby LP)
’Rocky Hills’ showcases the timeless, ageless quality of Jessica Rhaye’s marvellous voice” - Fatea Records UK Magazine
"Jessica has a very mature, sophisticated sound, but still sounds fresh & young. Even though she has a powerhouse voice, she holds back just enough to really knock you out when she lets it go." - Performing Songwriter Magazine
“Four Strong Winds is a song I wrote back in the early 60s… and it lives on today, all these years later. Jessica's version of the song is sweet and she rocks it pretty good. She makes the song her own. I wish her much success..." - Ian Tyson
"Rhaye’s vocals are beautifully clear and her singing throughout is a highlight of the album (Wood & Wire)." - Americana UK
“Jessica Rhaye works the fertile folk/pop/country ground somewhere west of The Waifs and east of a young Cindy Church.” - Penguin Eggs Magazine
"Jessica Rhaye's got a new collection of Bob Dylan reinterpretations coming out this fall, one of the best I've heard since Tim O'Brien's excellent collection from back in the 90's. I especially love to hear women's voices singing Bob's music---there's something about the female perspective that seems to complete the Dylan message, as if his songs are notes left in a bottle needing to crash on the siren's rock before they can be fully released. Mavis Staples is one of those sirens, as is Joan Armatrading, and now, thankfully, Jessica Rhaye." - Ketch Secor - Old Crow Medicine Show
“In a Stan-worthy move only the biggest Dylan diehard could pull, New Brunswick folk queen Rhaye has spliced, examined and re-assembled ol’ Bob’s songbook. The result? A collection of covers that attempts to emulate the legend’s Basement Tapes-era energy while seeing some of the best songs about women ever written showcased through a woman’s gaze.” - The Coast
“Rhaye’s vocal performance is excellent throughout, displaying great range and carefully managed changes in pitch and pace and volume. It’s especially captivating when her voice is intertwined with the contrasting backing vocal” - Americana UK (“I Won’t Break”)
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• Crossroad Springs (TV Series) S1 Episode 107 - “My Heart Belongs To You”
• Heartland (CBC TV) Episode 306 - “Good Things”
• Unstable (CMT’s reality TV series) “Shadow Man”, “Time Out”, “Shining Star”, “Weather Man” & “Where’s An Angel”.
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• Music NB 2025 Nomination - Video of the Year (Rocky Hills)
• Music NB 2025 Nomination - Song of the Year (Rocky Hills)
• Music NB 2025 Nomination - Recording of the Year (Wood & Wire)
• Canadian Independent Music Video Awards 2025 Nomination - Best Folk Video (Rocky Hills)
• ECMA 2025 Nomination - Roots Release of the Year (Rocky Hills)
• ECMA 2024 Nomination - Group Recording of the Year (Sunshine Baby)
• ECMA 2024 Nomination - Fans’ Choice Video of the Year (Come A Little Closer)
• ECMA 2024 Nomination - Visual Artist of the Year
• Music NB 2024 Nomination - Recording of the Year (Sunshine Baby)
• Music NB 2024 WINNER - Video of the Year (Reaching Out To You)
• Music NB 2024 Nomination - Song of the Year (I Feel Fine)
• ECMA 2021 Nomination - Group Recording of the Year (Just Like a Woman - Songs of Bob Dylan)
• Music NB 2020 Nomination - Recording of the Year (Just Like a Woman - Songs of Bob Dylan)
• Music NB 2020 Nomination - Live Act of the Year (The Ramshackle Parade)
• Music NB 2020 Nomination - Fans’ Choice of the Year
• Music NB 2020 Nomination - Video of the Year (Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands)
• Music NB 2020 WINNER - Visual Identity of the Year
• Music NB 2017 WINNER - Solo Recording of the Year (Song In Me)
• Music NB 2017 Nomination - Folk Recording of the Year (Song In Me)
• Music NB 2017 Nomination - Album of the Year (Song In Me)
• Music NB 2017 Nomination - SOCAN Song of the Year (Song In Me)
• Music NB 2014 Nomination - SOCAN Song of the Year (You Know Me Better)
• Music NB 2014 Nomination - SOCAN Song of the Year (Little Folk Song)
• Music NB 2014 Nomination - Recording of the Year (Far Gone Lullabies)
• SYNC PLACEMENT in Episode 306 of CBC TV’s Heartland - “Good Things”
• SYNC PLACEMENT in CMT’s reality TV series Unstable:
“Shadow Man”, “Time Out”, “Shining Star”, “Weather Man” & “Where’s An Angel”.
• Canadian Folk Music Award 2009 Nomination - Contemporary Singer of the Year
• ECMA Nomination 2010 - Female Recording of the Year (Good Things)
• ECMA Nomination 2010 - Folk Recording of the Year (Good Things)
• Music NB 2010 WINNER - Folk Recording of the Year (Good Things)
• Music NB 2010 WINNER - Female Artist of the Year
• Music NB 2010 WINNER - DVD of the Year
• Music NB 2010 WINNER - Visual Artist of the Year
• ECMA 2008 Nomination - Female Artist of the Year
• ECMA 2008 WINNER - Graphic Designer of the Year
• ECMA 2007 Nomination - Pop Recording of the Year (Short Stories)
• CBC Great Canadian Music Dream 2003 Finalist - “Time Out”
• John Lennon Songwriting Contest 2003 Finalist - “Time Out”
• ECMA 2002 Nomination - Pop Artist of the Year
• ECMA 2002 Nomination - Female Artist of the Year
• ECMA 2001 Nomination - Best New Artist
• Unisong International Song Contest 2000 Finalist - “One Last Time” -
• Mariposa Folk Festival
• Stan Rogers Folk Festival
• Boxcar Country Music Festival
• Area 506 Festival
• Dooryard Festival
• Paddlefest
• Shivering Songs Festival
• Harvest Jazz and Blues Festival
• Toronto Film Festival Music Café
• United Way - Songs of the City
• Hotel Café, Hollywood
• The Putney, London England
• Red Bird Live, Ottawa ON
• Atlantic Scene Festival - NAC, Ottawa ON
• Major Hill Park, Ottawa ON
• The Cameron House, Toronto ON
• The Dakota, Toronto ON -
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Jessica Rhaye with Bill Preeper & Sandy macKay
Jessica Rhaye with Bill Preeper and Sandy MacKay (aka Preeper Rhaye MacKay) is a folk trio comprised of Canadian songbird Jessica Rhaye, guitarist Bill Preeper, and multi-instrumentalist Sandy MacKay. This trio has developed a Maritime Appalachian Folk sound with a unique mix of acoustic and electric instrumentation that will take listeners back to the height of the Greenwich Village folk scene of the 60’s.
Jessica Rhaye and The Ramshackle Parade
The Ramshackle Parade is a Canadian folk-rock band that formed in 2018, originally assembled to support Jessica Rhaye's album Just Like a Woman - Songs of Bob Dylan (2019). Jessica describes this ensemble as her musical family, a blend of intimate singer songwriter, alt-country, Americana, folk-rock, and straight-ahead rock'n'roll music.