The Homegrown Hideaway Songwriters Round aims to spotlight artists from Norfolk County and surrounding communities, creating an environment that encourages intimate, heartfelt storytelling.

Each round four songwriters will take turns performing an original song and providing insight into their writing process. Time should allow for four to six rounds, with a brief intermission in between. Curated by Nolan Gibson, the goal was to gather a unique mix of artists and perspectives all under one roof.

Without further ado, meet your songwriters:

Avery Raquel

Returning recently from Europe, where she performed, and earned her master’s degree in music from Berklee College of Music in Valencia, Spain, Canadian Billboard-charting recording artist, Alternative Soul singer Avery Raquel has been entertaining audiences professionally for over a decade. Having released 4 solo albums now to critical acclaim and airplay across North America and the world, her latest self-titled release, debuted on the Canadian iTunes Top 200 RnB/Soul album chart at #5. Five tracks from that album were finalists in the John Lennon Song Writing Competition in 2022, in 4 different categories, with one winning the Grand Prize in the Pop category.
That project of all original Alternative Soul, as well as her recent EP, ‘Scratching At the Surface’, is reminiscent of her love for RnB/Soul music of the past, but with a more contemporary style. Influenced by artists such as Carole King, Amy Winehouse, and so many others, Avery’s created a collection of personal, yet relatable songs, a soulful fun mix of RnB/Soul Funk and Pop, with a flavour of her Jazz, and Blues experiences.
Performing across the country, including main-stage performing arts centres, renowned music festivals, club-style venues, and more, Avery continues to wow ever-growing audiences with her fresh style and powerful vocal performances.

Nolan Gibson

Equipped with a foundation in roots music, but a sense of responsibility to our present times, songwriter Nolan Gibson creates music that is grounded, yet embraces curiosity and growth. When crafting lyrics, he looks to John Prine, The Band, and traditional folk music as his Northstar. Nolan’s eclectic voice and guitar playing allow him to blur genre lines, and his lyrics will make you smile, laugh, cry, roll your eyes, and most importantly, feel.

In his 12 year career Nolan has had the pleasure of performing shows at the Lighthouse Festival Theatre, Simcoe Heritage Friendship Festival, Norfolk County Fair, Homegrown Hideaway, Birdtown Jamboree, The Casbah, and The Mill to name a few.

Amanda Braam

Amanda Braam is a singer/songwriter from Kitchener, Ontario, known for her rich harmonies, crunchy chords, catchy melodies, and vivid imagery. She released her first album, ladybug basement, in 2021. In 2024, she released her second album, Paper Cranes, in April, alongside two music videos. In September, she released her self-produced single “Deep Sea Corals”, and is working on an accompanying EP. She plays shows throughout Ontario both solo and with her bandmates “The Paper Cranes”. She’s also part of a jazz-folk duo “The Roundabout Dance”, and plays drums for the noise-rock band “My Angel”.
Amanda is currently attending Wilfrid Laurier University pursuing music therapy. She works with the community music initiative “The Lullaby Project”, which pairs at-risk mothers in KW with a songwriter to write and record an original song for their children. She plays a lot in her hometown of KW, and you can often catch her busking at the Kitchener Market. She was honoured to share the stage with The Strumbellas for the AddyTUDE concert at Elora Center for the Arts, and to share the stage with Fleet Foxes and Violent Femmes on the main stage of Riverfest Elora.

Ian Bell

Almost always a part-time musician, Ian Bell has none-the-less performed professionally across Canada and in the United States since the late 1970s On his own and with a number of different groups, he has appeared at numerous folk festivals (Winnipeg, Mariposa, Edmonton, Ottawa, Yellowknife, Owen Sound, Lunenberg , Montmagny, and others) and in concerts in every sort of venue.

With the group Muddy York, and along with Wade Hemsworth (composer of “The Blackfly Song”, “Log Driver’s Waltz”), Ian performed for two weeks in the Folklife Pavilion at Expo 86 in Vancouver, BC. In 1985 Ian served as artistic director of the Mariposa Folk Festival.
A long-time freelance broadcaster, Ian worked on many occasions with Stuart McLean on CBC Radio’s Vinyl Café. Ian co-wrote and served as musical director for five Vinyl Café national concert broadcasts. For seven years Ian was a regular contributor to the weekend Fresh Air program on CBC radio. Over the years, Ian Bell has been a regular contributor to many CBC programs including Ideas, Gabereau, Crossroads, This Morning, and Radio Noon. He also appeared numerous times on Peter Gzowski’s Morningside.  Ian has also contributed to numerous film scores and performed period music for and occasionally appeared in the TV series, The Road to Avonlea.
Ian performs material from a large repertoire that includes both Canadian traditional music and his own songs and instrumental compositions.  Ian’s original songs have been performed and recorded by: Anne Lederman, Ian Robb, Alistair Brown, Bobby Watt, Allison Lupton, Lee Murdock and others.

In 2004 Ian performed as part of the “Roots of American Music” Festival at Lincoln Centre in New York City. In July 2005 Ian travelled to Estonia with long-time collaborator Anne Lederman to perform at the Viljandi Folk Festival.

An accomplished multi-instrumentalist (guitar, button accordion, banjo, harmonica, concertina) Ian appears on dozens of recordings as sideman as well as many under his own name. He also currently performs with the Friends of Fiddler’s Green, and The Sandplains Pickers
Following the release of three CDs of well-received original songs, Ian returned to his roots with a 2009 CD of traditional songs and tunes – My Pious Friends and Drunken Companions. This album was nominated for a Canadian Folk Music Award.

In 2013 he released Forget Me Not, When Far Away, a collection of traditional songs and chanteys from the Great Lakes. It was also nominated for a 2013 CFMA Award.  His most recent CD is a 2019 live recording of original songs and stories, Saturday Night in Villa Nova