Canadian Blues/Roots band Bywater Call has quickly become one of the most highly anticipated live acts in the Canadian and international Blues/Roots community. Featuring the explosive, soulful vocal talent of lead singer Meghan Parnell and emotive mastery of Dave Barnes slide guitar, the 7-piece band is currently on an international tour and due to incredible demand, they won’t be coming off the road any time soon. Labeled “one of the best singers in Blues and Roots today” by European press, Meghan’s expansive, Rootsy, and Rock-filled vocal style frequently draws comparisons between her and the incredible vocal talent of Susan Tedseschi. Since forming in 2017, the group has received both Maple Blues Award and Independent Blues Award nominations, and have had their music played across the country on some of the most coveted radio stations in Canada. With performances on Global TV’s Your Morning and featured on the cover of a top European Blues magazine, Bywater Call is making their mark on the Soul-Roots community. As the band gears up to release their second album this Fall with Gypsy Soul Records, they have just released “Remain” – a powerful Roots/Rock song about lost love on July 29 2022.
Meghan Parnell and Dave Barnes are the driving force behind Bywater Call, a powerhouse 7-piece Southern Soul, Roots Rock band out of Toronto, Canada. Since Bywater Call was formed in 2017, they have been Maple Blues and Independent Blues Award nominated and have made waves in the Canadian Festival Circuit. The band has also had the opportunity to tour Europe twice, including most recently in May and June of 2022, featuring a mainstage appearance at the Netherlands’ premiere blues festival MOULIN BLUES. Performances there have been praised in Dutch and German media, with references to Meghan as one of the best singers in blues and roots today.
In January 2023, the full band will make an appearance at the famed International Blues Challenge in Memphis, Tennessee to represent the Grand River Blues Society. They will also be returning to Europe in August and September of this year and Fall 2023.
In November 2021, Meghan was a featured performer at the Women’s Blues Review at Toronto’s historic Roy Thompson Hall. For those who have been following the band, an evolution in sound and concept can be heard with this new chapter. And yet, the core values of raw emotion, strong musicianship and the aim to create an exciting, powerful, and moving experience for listeners remains ever present.
Bywater Call saw the release of their debut album in November, 2019 in Canada, USA, Europe and Australia. The album received rave reviews across all territories and placed #1 on the Roots Music Report Canada Top 50 for 11 straight weeks. It was featured as album of the month on the International Blues Broadcasters Awards chart, gained repeated top 5 placement on the International/US Rock Blues, and top 20 placement on the International/US Blues RMR charts. They have been featured on Stingray, Earshot and the top 30 USA Blues on NACC charts, just to name a few.
Born out of a love for southern soul, blues and roots music and a passion to create a powerful and moving experience for listeners, Bywater Call is completed by Bruce McCarthy on drums, Mike Meusel on Bass, Alan Zemaitis on Keys, Stephen Dyte on Trumpet and Julian Nalli on Tenor Sax.
Bywater’s much anticipated sophomore album is being released September 2, 2022.
