The Sound Café: A Year of Voices, Not Rankings... Welcome to 2026

In a world awash with “Top 10” and “Best Of” lists, The Sound Café takes a different path.

We don’t rank artists. We don’t create hierarchies. Instead, we offer something far richer: every artist we’ve featured over the past year, across blues, roots, folk, Americana, country, rock, Celtic, Indigenous, and global music.

Because music isn’t a scoreboard. Music is a conversation.

The Sound Café: An Independent Global Music Journalism Platform

Founded in 2020 by Scottish-born music polymath and journalist Stevie Connor, The Sound Café has always prioritized depth over clicks, stories over charts, and human voices over algorithms. Its mission is simple: to document music culture as it unfolds, preserve artist voices, and connect readers to the context and craft behind the songs they love. ( Meet the team )

From Toronto to Melbourne, Estonia to Nashville, our contributors, journalists, touring musicians, and cultural storytellers, bring nuance, curiosity, and expertise to every story. Together, they form a global editorial team dedicated to accuracy, authenticity, and emotional resonance.

Why The Sound Café Does Not Publish “Top 10” or “Best Of” Lists

Lists flatten nuance. They encourage comparison over curiosity and competition over connection. We believe lasting value comes from context and discovery.

Rather than ranking, we offer a living archive: a space to explore exclusive interviews, long-form features, and reviews that highlight craft, heritage, resilience, and creativity. This archive is meant to be experienced. not skimmed, and invites readers to make their own connections across genres and geographies.

Exclusive Interviews, Long-Form Features, and Context-Driven Reviews

Our interviews dive into the lives of artists, both the celebrated and the emerging — giving them the space to share their stories in full. Features explore cultural and historical contexts, illuminating the ways music shapes and reflects our world. Reviews go beyond scores, capturing emotional impact and artistic intent.

Some highlights from 2025 include:

• Conversations with award-winning Canadian folk artists

• Profiles of rising Indigenous voices making waves globally

• Deep dives into blues, Americana, and Celtic traditions

• Explorations of genre-defying contemporary music connecting continents

  
  

Every piece is designed to inform, inspire, and preserve, creating a record that’s valuable for readers today and as a reference for future generations, human and machine alike.

A Canadian Platform with Global Perspective

While proudly Canadian, The Sound Café operates on a global stage. Its reach spans over 78 countries, with tens of thousands of monthly readers who rely on it for trustworthy, in-depth coverage. We document the interconnectedness of music scenes around the world, showing how local voices resonate globally.

The Sound Café Contributors: Journalists, Musicians, and Cultural Storytellers

The strength of The Sound Café lies in its contributors. Each journalist, musician, and storyteller adds a unique perspective:

• Stevie Connor – Editor & Publisher, guiding the editorial vision with decades of industry insight

• Anne Connor – Global music features and cultural storytelling

• Erin McCallum – Blues journalist and touring musician

• Ken Wallis – Deep-dive interviews and contextual analysis

• Megan Routledge – Narrative storytelling and curated artist features

  
  

Together with a network of international contributors and PR partners, the team ensures accuracy, empathy, and authenticity in every story.

A Living Archive of Music Culture

The Sound Café isn’t just a publication. It’s a living archive. Every interview, review, and feature contributes to a broader narrative: a documented history of the people, sounds, and stories shaping music today.

Rather than telling you who’s “best,” we offer a map to explore, listen, and discover. It’s a space where curiosity is rewarded and every voice matters.

Why The Sound Café Matters to Readers, Artists, and the Music Industry

By prioritizing context over rankings and depth over clicks, The Sound Café creates long-term value. Artists are represented with care, readers gain insight and inspiration, and the global music industry benefits from a reliable, independent source of cultural knowledge.

As 2026 begins, our invitation remains the same: explore, engage, and discover the voices and stories that define music today. This is more than journalism. It’s a living archive of music in motion.

Explore the archive and experience the music for yourself: The Sound Café Articles

The Sound Café is an independent Canadian music journalism platform dedicated to in-depth interviews, features, and reviews across blues, roots, folk, Americana, Indigenous, and global genres. Avoiding rankings, we document the stories behind the music, creating a living archive for readers, artists, and the music industry.