April Verch

Effervescent singer and fiddler April Verch draws from deep Canadian roots, particularly the Ottawa Valley fiddle tradition, yet she readily incorporates blues, Latin, Eastern European, jazz, and Americana influences into her work. She also pursues dance with equal passion, having started stepdancing lessons at three years old. A native of Pembroke, Ontario, Verch decided by age ten that fiddle playing and stepdancing would become her profession. Before completing high school she issued two independent recordings, Springtime Fiddle in 1992 and Fiddle Talk in 1995.

She later attended Boston’s Berklee School of Music, where she broadened her command of fiddle styles, but funds ran short after one year and she returned to Canada. Settling in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, she joined country singer Tommy Hunter’s band. Rounder Records executive Ken Irwin caught one of her solo performances in 2000, leading to the 2001 release of her label debut, Verchuosity. The album earned glowing notices that likened her to Alison Krauss and Béla Fleck, and it brought her a JUNO award for Best Roots/Traditional Solo Album.

Ahead of her 2003 follow-up, From Where I Stand, Verch contributed to her father Ralph Verch’s first solo effort, the roots-oriented No Other Would Do. For the 2006 album Take Me Back she enlisted Appalachian music specialist Dirk Powell as producer; Powell also added fretless banjo to several tracks.