Biography:

Singer-songwriter Mary Lou Minor fuses a love of country music, folk sensibilities & classical piano training into an eclectic style of country-roots, garnished with southern rock for good measure. Her award-winning songwriting is imbued with lyrical integrity that draws the listener into each story.

“I started my musical career with a country-rock band, Fargo, and began writing a few years later. After moving north of Toronto, I co-founded an acoustic country-roots band, Three Penny Opus, that won ‘Gold’ in Havelock’s ‘Ontario Country Music Showdown’ and ‘Best Country’ at the Barrie New Musicfest in 2009.”

Considering herself more a songwriter than singer-songwriter, Mary Lou realized her love of performing when the band started playing Toronto venues and festivals such as Northern Lights, Mariposa Showcase and Havelock. Several of Mary Lou’s songs have received air play on CIUT 89.5 FM, CKHA 100.9 FM, Live 365.com, MaxInkRadio.com and she has enjoyed on-air interviews with Dave Woods, on In The Country as well as live radio performances with Kris Kadwell on CKHA.

“Moving back to Niagara in the summer of 2011 was a bit unsettling for me, thinking it would be difficult to find the right musical community. But by the summer of 2012, I had my new band, Travellers Fare, combining old and new friends and instrumentation that allowed me to experiment with a sound that represented my personal style more closely.”

In their first season out, the band garnered nominations for both Country Group of the Year and Folk Group of the Year at the Niagara Music Awards and in 2013, they are again nominated for Country Group of the Year.