Description
It was at Barfly that the duo first met — a singular venue many call the “bluegrass headquarters of Montreal.” Over the course of evenings there in 2018, Veranda was born out of a shared passion for bluegrass and old-time country music. Catherine-Audrey Lachapelle and Léandre Joly-Pelletier, the group’s two founding members, come from very different backgrounds, which is part of what gives their work such richness. Catherine-Audrey, first and foremost an actress, brings freshness and sensitivity to their music. Léandre, an accomplished multi-instrumentalist, infuses the songs with his virtuosity. Veranda offers a perfect blend of influences, skillfully pairing the simplicity of old-time country with the technical flair of bluegrass, delivering rich melodies elevated by refined harmonic work.
A singular group in its own right, Veranda made a strong entrance into the country/bluegrass music scene. With their first English-language EP, Woodland Waltz, released in 2019, Veranda easily landed among the best mid-year albums according to ICI Musique’s rankings. The same national media outlet praised their work as “inspired by artists such as Loretta Lynn or a young Dolly Parton. The duo makes no compromises and draws from the very origins of the country sound (…) which is certainly not a bad thing.” Driven by an eagerness to create, Veranda quickly released a second EP, this time in French. Their mini-album Yodel Bleu, released in May 2020, won the award for Best Country Album at the 2020 GAMIQ and earned them a nomination for “Discovery of the Year” at the 2020 Gala Country. The duo has clearly piqued the curiosity of both the general public and the most seasoned bluegrass fans. Their name even reached the ears of bluegrass aficionados in the United States — the originators of the style — where the two most important American bluegrass media outlets, Bluegrass Today and The Bluegrass Situation, stamped their seal of approval on the Quebec duo. Both praised the quality of their work and the uniqueness of their approach, noting that little to no traditional bluegrass exists in French. Unsurprisingly, SOCAN named Veranda among the top five Quebec country acts to watch in 2022.
With over 250 shows performed across Quebec, the Maritimes, Western Canada, and France, an official showcase at the 2026 International Bluegrass Music Association conference and the 2026 Folk Alliance conference, the group is riding a strong wave of momentum. Their latest album Là-bas, released in 2022, earned five nominations (ADISQ, Canadian Folk Music Awards, two at the Gala Country, and GAMIQ). Still guided by their shared passion and fueled by Veranda’s growing success, the duo continues to naturally refine and evolve their style while expanding their audience. The group will present their second LP in the winter of 2026.
Here is a video of Veranda performing heir song Toutes les rivières.
