Expected release: May 29, 2026
On Friday, May 29, we'll be in Edmonton for a special night, our album release concert for Thread The Light. It's a chance to gather, play these new tunes live, and celebrate something we've poured a lot of ourselves into.
This album grew out of the things that bring us lightness and joy, time with family, long conversations with friends, the pull of a good melody, and the simple act of creating something together. Thread The Light is our way of holding onto those moments and passing them along.
We'd love for you to be there with us!
“Dance Around The Spinning Wheel” is a vibrant new single that invites you straight into the circle where rhythm, melody, and movement blur into one joyful pulse. Built for singing at the top of your lungs and dancing Read more
“Dance Around The Spinning Wheel” is a vibrant new single that invites you straight into the circle where rhythm, melody, and movement blur into one joyful pulse. Built for singing at the top of your lungs and dancing without hesitation, the track carries an irresistible, communal energy.
At its core, the song is driven by the mesmerizing shimmer of the santur, weaving a hypnotic thread that pulls listeners deeper with every turn. This trance-like texture grounds the music while the arrangement lifts and expands, blending traditional roots with global influences and a touch of modern pop sensibility.
The result is a sound that feels both ancient and immediate, familiar yet fresh, where voices rise together, feet move instinctively, and the spinning never quite stops.
“The Empress is a captivating album with stellar performances, multifaceted melodies and masterful arrangements, demonstrating that The McDades is one of the most exciting bands in the current Canadian roots music scene.”
— World Music Central
“The sound on The Empress is a cauldron of richly defined shards of traditional styles laced with contemporary folk and worldly nuances… The McDades have created a compulsively vital canvas of rustic and cosmopolitan soundbites that caress the ear as much as illuminate the senses”
— Living Traditions
