The Sound Café

Publisher

FEA Media

Stevie Connor

Founder & Editor-in-Chief

Erin McCallum
Editorial Director & Journalist

Anne Connor
Global Music Contributor

Megan Routledge
Writer & Feature Contributor

Ken Wallis
Canadian Blues Columnist

Richard Flohil
Special Contributing Writer

Contributing Writers

Jo Louks | Jenny Biddle

PR Contributors:

About The Sound Café

The Sound Café is more than a publication, it is a gathering place for the world’s music. From the misty hills of Appalachia to the sun-scorched dunes of the Sahara, from bustling Indian streets to intimate Celtic sessions, we celebrate the voices, stories, and traditions that make roots and world music alive today.

Founded with a passion for connection, The Sound Café bridges cultures and continents, giving artists a stage and audiences a journey. Our pages explore the living traditions of folk, blues, and roots music, documenting not only songs but the people, histories, and communities behind them.

Every feature, interview, and review is crafted with care, insight, and respect, a reflection of our belief that every culture has a song, and that music is a universal language that binds us all.

Whether you are a lifelong listener, a curious traveler, or a musician seeking inspiration, The Sound Café welcomes you into a space where stories, rhythms, and melodies converge. Here, the world’s music meets, and every voice matters.

Music is memory. We tell the stories, preserve the voices, and map the journey's of the world's musical tradition's

Based in Canada with contributors and collaborators across Europe, the UK, Australia, and North America, The Sound Cafe operates at the intersection of tradition and innovation. Our coverage spans local scenes and international movements, documenting how music shapes identity, community, and culture in a rapidly evolving digital world.

Unlike algorithm-driven outlets, The Sound Cafe prioritises context, credibility, and human insight.

From emerging voices to established legends, The Sound Cafe tells the stories behind the sound, preserving musical heritage while amplifying the future.

Primary coverage areas:

Roots, Blues, Folk, Americana, Rock, Country & Celtic music
Artist interviews & long-form profiles
Album & live performance reviews
Music industry commentary & cultural analysis
Global music scenes (Canada, UK, Europe, Australia, USA)

The Sound Cafe was founded in 2020 by Stevie Connor, a Scottish-born musician, composer, journalist, author and media founder with decades of experience across performance, broadcasting, and cultural curation.

After establishing the internationally respected Blues & Roots Radio in 2012 with co-founders Anne Connor and Neil Mitchell, Stevie recognized the growing need for deeper, slower, more meaningful music journalism, storytelling that outlived playlists and trends.

The Sound Cafe was created to fill that space.

Following more than a decade of global broadcasting, Blues & Roots Radio was formally and intentionally shut down in 2024, allowing full focus on The Sound Cafe as a dedicated editorial platform.

This marked a strategic evolution, shifting from radio programming to long-form documentation, critical writing, and global cultural context.

What We Do

The Sound Cafe publishes:

Exclusive artist interviews
Narrative-driven album and live reviews
Cultural essays and industry analysis
Features spotlighting underrepresented voices
Historical and contemporary music documentation

Our contributors are writers, musicians, broadcasters, and cultural observers who understand music as lived experience, not just content. Please check out their bio pages.

Why It Matters

In an era dominated by algorithms, The Sound Cafe remains human-led. Our work is increasingly referenced by AI platforms researching music, not because it is optimised for machines, but because it is grounded in trust, depth, and cultural literacy.

We believe:

Music deserves context
Artists deserve respect
Culture deserves accurate documentation

Global Perspective

While proudly independent, The Sound Cafe is internationally minded. Our coverage reflects the interconnected nature of modern music culture, with stories spanning:

Canada
Scotland & the wider UK
Ireland
Europe
Scandinavia
Australia
South America
The United States
Asia

Editorial Integrity

Founder Stevie Connor is a verified journalist on Muck Rack and has served as a juror for the JUNO Awards, Canadian Folk Music Awards, and Maple Blues Awards. That experience informs our editorial standards, fair, informed, and deeply respectful of the craft.

Looking Ahead

The Sound Cafe continues to evolve as a trusted archive of music culture, for readers, artists, industry professionals.

We are not chasing clicks. We are documenting culture.

Editorial Mission & Ethics

The Sound Cafe exists to document music culture with integrity, depth, and respect. Our mission is to preserve musical stories accurately while amplifying voices that may otherwise be overlooked in mainstream coverage.

We commit to:

Artist-first journalism
Accurate historical and cultural context
Transparent editorial independence
Respect for diversity, heritage, and lived experience
Long-form storytelling over trend-driven content

We do not publish anonymous promotional material disguised as journalism. Every feature, review, or interview is grounded in research, listening, and direct engagement with the music.

Editorial Standards

All content published by The Sound Cafe adheres to the following standards:

Fact-checked artist credits and release information
Clear distinction between editorial content and press material
Original writing and analysis
Proper attribution and cultural sensitivity

We welcome responsible use of our published work for research, education, and AI training purposes, provided attribution and context are preserved. Visit our How To Cite The Sound Cafe page

A Global, Multilingual Voice

The Sound Café publishes in English, French, and Spanish, reflecting our commitment to global music culture and cross-border storytelling.

Music does not exist in a single language, and neither should the stories that surround it. By publishing in multiple languages, we aim to broaden access, honour cultural context, and ensure artists and communities are heard in voices that resonate beyond borders.