Mama's Broke

For more than a decade, Mama’s Broke, the Canadian duo consisting of Amy Lou Keeler and Lisa Maria, has been forging a style that moves across landscapes rather than being bound to a single one. Their upcoming 12-track LP Reunion, with a release on August 28 via Free Dirt Records and Forward Music Group, follows years of nearly non-stop movement, bringing their borderless folk to small clubs, DIY venues, and everything in between. Winners of the Canadian Folk Music Award for Ensemble of the Year for their 2017 debut Count the Wicked, their music is rooted in long days playing for casual passersby and traveling on foot, as well as in the deep wells of folk tradition they tapped into in Eastern Canada, Appalachia, Ireland, and far beyond. Their sound does not so much belong to one specific place as it courses through them, rooted in the traditions that shaped it. That foundation was laid long before stages and studio sessions, in traveling communities where music was both currency and connection. The two met within a global network of musicians who funded their travel with shared songs and taking only what they could carry, exchanging melodies and tunes across many miles. Playing on the streets for hours on hand required a repertoire that could hold attention and carry emotions, deeply immersing them in traditional material and the discipline of close vocal harmony. Over time, the songs became a common language, connecting the past to the music they made together. Building on their JUNO-nominated album Narrow Line (2022), Reunion reflects a world falling apart before our eyes. The album follows fractured communities, the erosion of shared ground, and the growing realization that the systems we were taught to trust no longer hold up or deliver the promises they were meant to fulfill. The songs do not preach or prescribe; they reflect, hold up a mirror, and leave space for something else to take shape. Reunion was recorded just outside Nashville, in Goodlettsville, Tennessee, and features subtle contributions from bassist Paul Kowert (Gillian Welch & David Rawlings) and others, adding depth without drawing attention away from the record's acoustic core. At its heart, Mama’s Broke remains what it has always been: two voices, intertwined, both vulnerable and resilient. Reunion asks what it means to make something that lasts: not a place you come from, or even a place you return to, but what you make together and how long it lasts when you care for it. Mama’s Broke will be touring North America and Europe in 2026 and 2027 with their new album.