Edmonton's own Braden Gates is a folk singer, through and through, and in the best possible sense of the word. His songs are full of stories that flow through him easily, and with all the grace, empathy and nuance that masterful story-telling requires. Born and raised in Sturgeon County, Braden grew up listening to his father Troy playing old-time tunes on the fiddle, and then playing himself. It was getting into John Hartford in his mid-teens (for the fiddle, at first) that turned him on to the craft of songwriting, leading him to the great storytellers of the firmament - Guy Clark, John Prine, Todd Snider. He has maintained an equal and complementary love for both streams of influence and they fuse beautifully through his three albums, Break it to Me Gently (2013), Ferris Wheel (2014), and Much Rather be Sleeping (2017), which was nominated for two Canadian Folk Music Awards.

Most Recently, Pictures of Us is Gates' fourth studio album and first for Canadian label Borealis Records. Recorded at Riverdale Recorders in Edmonton and produced by Harry Gregg, it features a cast of the city's finest musicians, including Daniel Stadnicki and Keith Rempel. This collection of songs touch on the fragility of everyday life, and at times, are both tragic and humorous by the same stroke of the pen. Gates' songwriting ability and musicality make Pictures of Us an album that promises to remain an important snapshot on the Canadian roots music scene for years to come.