2020 TRADITIONAL ROOTS ALBUM OF THE YEAR | The Dead South | | The JUNO Awards

A rock band without a drummer, a bluegrass band without a fiddler. For The Dead South, a self-styled 4-piece string band from Regina, it’s about how, not what, you play. Their combination of cello, mandolin, guitar and banjo has all the hallmarks of a traditional bluegrass band, while their feverish global fanbase, packed clubs and impressive sales, streaming and charting stats make them a truly modern success story.

Sugar & Joy, recorded in Muscle Shoals, Alabama and produced by Grammy-winner Jimmy Nutt, showcases the band’s first-rate musicianship. With complex instrumentals, gothic storytelling and top-calibre performances, Sugar & Joy is the band’s most accomplished and most compelling work yet. Upon release, Sugar & Joy hit #2 overall on iTunes Canada and Top 20 sales peaks in the USA, UK, Australia, Sweden, Denmark and beyond, racking up 2 million first-week streams. At radio, Sugar & Joy hit Top 10 NACC, #1 Earshot spot, Americana single and album charting, and more. Rave reviews from Mojo, Maverick, Billboard, Paste, PopMatters and more continue to roll in. With a tour that will span more than 20 countries and sell over 150,000 tickets worldwide, the JUNO-winning band are a proud independent success story.