News Article

We are delighted to announce that following an open call for artists on Prince Edward Island in Canada by Music PEI and Greater Manchester in England by English Folk Expo, the successful selected artists for 2024’s artist exchange are Robbie Cavanagh (England) and Lawrence Maxwell (Canada). This news follows after the resounding success of last year’s partnership, which saw Lizzy Hardingham and Joce Reyome coming together for a very special pan-Atlantic project.

After time spent together writing and recording in Prince Edward Island and Manchester, Cavanagh and Maxwell will debut their collaboration at Showcase PEI 2024 in Canada (23^rd – 25^th September) and at English Folk Expo 2025 (20^th – 22^nd March 2025).

Robbie Cavanagh 
Described as ‘Manchester’s finest son’, award-winning songwriter and artist Robbie Cavanagh released his much-anticipated third record ‘Tough Love’ in May 2023 and since then has been touring prolifically as a headline artist and opening multiple times for American trio The Wood Brothers.

‘Tough Love’ has seen Robbie perform at The Long Road Festival, The British Country Music Festival, Celtic Connections, Cambridge Folk Festival, Your Roots are Showing and as an official showcase artist at Folk Alliance International in Kansas City. 

Whispering Bob Harris selected Robbie as the winner of his ‘Emerging Artist Award’ at the Americana Music Association UK Awards, describing him as “one of my absolute favourite grassroots artists”.

Lawrence Maxwell
Lawrence Maxwell hails from Prince Edward Island, Canada’s smallest province but one with a rich country music history. 

Maxwell’s third album, ‘Ballad of Miles’ was nominated for seven Music PEI Awards in 2023 and in 2024, Lawrence Maxwell received the award for Music PEI’s ‘Entertainer of the Year’. His songs have received airplay on Sirius XM’s ‘Top of the Country’, ‘Country Hits Radio UK’ and CBC ‘Q’. With its neo-traditional production and comparisons to both John Prine and Merle Haggard, Roots Music Canada dubbed the record “the first great Canadian alt-country album of 2022.” 

His music video for ‘Back to Cape Breton’ was a finalist in the Canadian Independent Music Video Awards and his song ‘Better You’ was selected in the Top 100 for CBC/Toyota Searchlight in 2022. Lawrence has performed across Canada, showcased at Americana UK in London and made his European debut at the iconic Tønder Festival in Denmark in 2023. As an ECMA award nominee and two-time Music P.E.I. award winner, this Prince Edward Island singer-songwriter will tell it to you like it’s folk and sing it to you like its country.

Music PEI created the Artist Exchange Program in 2012, pairing artists from England, Wales, Sweden and Denmark together with PEI artists to collaborate, co-write and showcase. Music PEI acknowledges the support from the Province of Prince Edward Island, the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency and FACTOR (through support from the Canadian Government and Canada’s Private Radio Broadcasters). 

To register as a delegate at English Folk Expo Showcase 2025 CLICK HERE