Mama's Broke

Led by the close voices and tight harmonies of Lisa Maria and Amy Lou Keeler, Canadian duo Mama's Broke create a dark, minimalist acoustic folk rooted in North American traditional music and influenced by Irish, Balkan and Celtic traditions. Born on the DIY scene between Montréal and Canada’s east coast, Mama's Broke built their reputation through intensive touring in cafés, small venues and folk and traditional music festivals across North America and later Europe, using a pared-down setup where intimacy with the audience is central. Their debut album, Count the Wicked (2017), laid the groundwork for a repertoire in which narrative ballads, maritime laments and political songs intersect within a spare aesthetic. In 2022, Narrow Line deepened their duo songwriting, placing greater emphasis on vocal arrangements and on the tension between collecting old songs and writing originals. Alternating guitar, banjo and fiddle to serve an intentionally raw sound, Mama's Broke occupy a ridge between Appalachian old‑time, contemporary folk songwriting and migrant traditions, and have become a lasting presence in Canada’s independent folk revival.