EP 397 | Valerie June, Coming our way!

Jul 9, 2026

An artist who blends Americana, folk, gospel, soul, and blues to create something she calls “organic moonshine roots music,” June grew up in western Tennessee, a part of the world where different musical traditions meet, something that is reflected in her special sound. She was raised in a musical family where everybody sang.

She is a singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist who plays banjo, guitar, and ukulele. She’s also an author, a poet, and a certified mindfulness instructor who sees joy as something fierce, powerful, and radical—a form of resistance. She told The New Yorker, “I’m basically an ambassador for joy, and people are oftentimes like, ‘That’s so fake, you’re bypassing shit.’ But that’s not my truth. My truth is understanding the darkness and understanding the night and the hard times and choosing to be in a place of joy.”

 

 

“Valerie June has built a devoted following by ignoring expectations. She is simultaneously
rural and cosmopolitan, historically minded and contemporary, idiosyncratic and fashionable, mystical and down-to-earth.” — New York Times

 

Valerie June

 

She’s playing some great shows and festivals, making stops:

July 16 – Toronto, ON – TD Music Hall

July 17 – Ottawa, ON – Ottawa Bluesfest

July 19 – Vancouver, BC – Vancouver Folk

July 22 – Edmonton, AB – Horowitz Theatre

July 23 – Calgary, AB – Calgary Folk

 

Valerie June-Owls, Omens and Oracles

Valerie’s critically acclaimed sixth studio album, Owls, Omens and Oracles, came out last summer on Concord Records. It was produced by M Ward and included one of the best songs of 2025, “Joy Joy”!

 

“Getting the courage to do something small
Lifting the spirits of all that you saw
Feeling the tiniest spark in your heart
Only an ember can light up the dark
Are you ready to see
A world where we could all be free
As branches of an endless tree?”

 

One of a kind and driven by writing songs of truth and justice.

 

We welcome back Valerie June.