Mike Tod is a wry and raspy tenor who sings with conviction and candor. He sings well-worn traditionals, researches their roots, and shares them in a fashion that feels authentically of another time, while still firmly planted in the present. He forges old-time songs into historical epics, conjuring visions of western portraits and weathered landscapes.

Over the past decade, the nomadic singer has earned his voice the old-fashioned way. He’s grazed on the origins of old-time music and studied deep into the history behind the songs. He’s worked on ranches and sheep farms, travelled North America, and played on stages from the Calgary Stampede to small town public houses in Cape Breton.

With his debut studio LP, Mike Tod is stepping boldly forward as a prominent voice in old-time music. While the instrumentation honours the history of the genre, the expansive, cinematic arrangements focus Tod’s vision through a modern lens. The follow up to his 2021 self-titled EP, Tod immerses listeners in traditional songs recorded with modern clarity and true grit.

Tod’s previous work with old-time duo Godfrey & Tod earned praise from Exclaim, who declared it “ought to be required listening for Albertans, and comes highly recommended for the rest of us.” As an ethnomusicologist, Tod’s The Folk podcast series on the lesser-known histories of folk and old-time music in Canada was called “an unlikely hit” by the Calgary Herald.

It’s said that to know where we’re going we must know where we’ve been. Mike Tod reminds us that the past, present, and future are inexorably linked in song.