Off The Rails

OFF THE RAILS is a family band featuring siblings and cousins april irwin, Brent Cheek, Melanie Cheek, and Judy and Lloyd Jackson. Their rich harmonies and dynamic instrumentation are shaped by years of singing together around the piano and guitar, with their deep-rooted family connection adding an undeniable magic to their sound.

A little old, a little new, and a touch of the unexpected. OFF THE RAILS brings together folk, pop, and original music, blending classic and contemporary influences. Their carefully curated setlist features each of them in turn as lead vocalist, and pays tribute to legendary songwriters like Neil Young, Leonard Cohen, and Glen Campbell, while lauding other Canadian tunes by Fred Eaglesmith, Great Big Sea, William Prince and The Indigo Girls. These alongside Alberta talents Pat Hatherly, Mike Plume, and Jenny Orenstein, and favourite’s by Brandi Carlile make for a heady mix of soulful renderings and light hearted toe tappers.

Annual appearances include The Blue Chair Café in Edmonton, Woodlea House Concerts in Red Deer, and Music in the Park in Lacombe or Stettler. They’ve shared the stage with John Wort Hannam and opened as the First Set at Edmonton’s New Moon Folk Club. Other highlights include performances at Sherwood Park’s Festival Place Patio Series, and the Wednesday series at Leduc’s Maclab Performance Centre. In the final stages of production, their “Live at Woodlea” recording will be available by May 1, 2026.