Sunset Country Music Festival Returns August 9 With Prairie Vibes and a Big Heart

photos and words by Scott Roos Scott Roos

Sunset Country Music Festival Returns August 9 With Prairie Vibes and Big Heart

Nestled in an open farmers field just south of Prince Albert, the Sunset Country Music Festival is back for its fourth year this August 9. What began as a modest backyard gathering has steadily grown into one of Saskatchewan’s most grassroots, feel-good music events — fueled by community, camaraderie, and a love for all things local.

“Last year we were just shy of 500-dish people,” festival co-founder Josh Stumpf told NSMZ in a recent phone chat. “It’s been roughly like a hundred to two hundred person increase per year. So we’re trying to shoot for the 700 range (this year).”

The festival is hosted on a rural property near MacDowall, and the setting itself is part of the magic — a natural prairie amphitheatre complete with trees, sky, and a laid-back, under-the-stars ambiance.

“We’re gonna do it again down in that kind of little garden area because it works so well to kind of keep everybody in one space and kind of contained,” said Stumpf. “The hill works really great so that people, you know, as you get farther back aren’t having trouble seeing over top of people.”

The core group that keeps Sunset’s engine running — both musically and behind the scenes — remains intact this year. That means Stumpf and collaborator Mercy Glover will once again share the stage with their trusted bandmates: Andon Schmack on guitar, Matthew Nadon on bass, and Ezra Seed behind the kit.

“They’ve been my boys through and through,” Stumpf said. “Any day that I get first pick at who is coming on stage with me… it’s always gonna be them.”

Glover shares the same sentiment. “It’s just so easy to work with them. It’s nice — the people that you are friends with that you can (also) rely on (musically).”

There’s clearly a tight-knit bond within the group that goes deeper than stage time.

“When we have a rehearsal, it’s not just a rehearsal,” Stumpf explained. “We’ll go there, spend the entire weekend out there with them and build a set list, run it. But then at nighttime we’re having drinks around a fire or sitting in a hot tub and just kind of hanging out.”

This year’s artist roster includes returning fan favourites along with some exciting fresh talent — including Saskatchewan artists Brett Down, who is returning to the festival this year after performing in the 2024 edition, and Evan Baxter, who will make his Sunset debut.

“Well I kind of knew Evan a little bit before… just kind of being in the Saskatoon scene of things and he’s a great kid and he’s really really talented,” said Stumpf. “The whole point of why - alongside the charity factor of Sunset…. was to give the young guys a chance and people on the come up a spot to show what they can do and what they can pull off. And I know just for me personally like Sunset every year is usually the biggest show that I play, like for the most amount of people. And so to give other people that are on the come up…. a chance to play for an extra couple hundred people that maybe they would have trouble doing on their own, that’s the added bonus of being able to do this.”

Brett Down performs at the 2024 edition of Sunset Country Music Festival

True to its name, Sunset isn’t just about the music — it’s about giving back. Each year, proceeds support a different charitable cause. In 2024, the spotlight is on the River Valley Resilience Retreat, a local organization focused on trauma-informed mental health programming for first responders and veterans.

“They work with EMS, fire, police, veterans — helping them deal with mental health and trauma and PTSD,” said Stumpf. “They have a great facility… it’s beautiful.”

“We were kind of debating for a while who to choose because there’s just so much (worthy causes) going in town… but when we looked into it I think it jumped up the most,” added Glover.

Musically, festivalgoers can expect new sounds from both returning acts. Glover is set to unveil some fresh material, much of it performed live for the first time with her full band.

“I'm excited for this one because it's going to be the first one I'm going to have the band up for some original music so a good chunk of it's going to be original music we’ve been working on,” she said. “Then I’ve got some pop songs, some Paramore. It's all over the map this year but I think it's going to be probably my best set I've done.”

Glover’s been recording with Jesse Weiman at Nolita Studios and plans to release her debut single soon. “It’s a little more rockish… kind of like a pop rock kind of country sound. More heavier than you’ve probably heard me play in the past.”

Meanwhile, Stumpf’s latest single “Highway Money” continues to gain steam across Canada.

“We’re over a million streams right now,” he said. “It’s actually crazy to have a label debut perform this well.”

With gates opening at 6 p.m. and music starting at 7, Sunset is shaping up to be a night of high spirits and heartfelt tunes under the prairie sky. Tickets are just $25 in advance and $30 at the door.