Cambridge band nominated for Canadian Folk Music Award

A popular Cambridge band that’s been entertaining the local children’s scene for over a decade has been named one of five finalist for the Canadian Folk Music Awards Children’s Album of the Year.

Any parents with little ones have likely heard the work of The Relative Minors as they've been performing at libraries, schools, summer camps, birthday parties and music festivals around the city any chance they get.

The creators and main songwriters of the band, married couple Kiersten and Matt Robertshaw, took very different routes to their current musical destination. Kiersten is a classically trained pianist and a music teacher at Saginaw Public School who has grown up around music. 

Matt got his start in the musical world a little later, singing and playing the drums in various ska, indie and folk-rock bands. He doubles as a sessional instructor at the University at Laurier and Guelph.

It was in 2011 while playing music at their niece's birthday party that a love for children’s music was born.

“Initially we fell into kids music,” Kiersten said.

“As we got into it, we realized a lot of kids music was educational or things we didn't want to listen to, or put on for our own kids. We wanted to do rock and roll music that's comedic; something we wanted to listen to as kids.”

The Relative Minors’ style of music is what makes them stand out. It’s part The Beatles with a hint of The Muppets.

For Matt, being able to cut loose and think like a kid was what drew him to the style. Too often he found himself worrying about trying to fit into the mould of the more serious, confining genres.

“I found I was always having so much fun playing children’s music,” he said.

“It seemed there was pressure to present yourself as serious in indie bands and I find writing for children takes some of that pressure off. It’s also very open ended, children don’t necessarily have expectations. We try to play around with genres while having a cohesive sound.”

The album that's been nominated for the award, The Full Circle, features 13 songs. While Kiersten and Matt are the two main songwriters, they have a four-person band behind them helping to create the catchy tunes.

Fittingly enough, it was while recording a subsequent album that the band found out they were nominated for the award back in the fall.

“I was in the studio at the time and Kiersten was at home,” Matt said.

“She didn’t know the announcement was coming. I went on the Canada Folk Music website and there we were. I called Kiersten on Facetime and turned my camera to my computer screen, she couldn't believe it.”

To say Kiersten was shocked would be an understatement.

“I was confused at first as I didn’t realize it was a possibility,” Kiersten said with a laugh.

“I was in disbelief.”

The recognition is a culmination of years of hard work, support from the community and public grants that help make the music possible.

The Full Circle received a grant from the Ontario Arts Council, their third album Minor Third and their next album, to be released in 2023 titled Most of What We Do Is Sleep, was backed by the Region of Waterloo Arts Fund.

“We’ve put a lot of hard work into our music,” Kiersten said.

“It’s hard work and like anything a bit of luck. We feel lucky and blessed the kids are liking our music and for all the support we’ve received.”