Devin Cuddy, is a chip off the old block, literally, and he doesn’t mind it one bit. Iconic Canadian band Blue Rodeo’s front man, Jim Cuddy, is Devin’s dad. Growing up surrounded by amazing musicians has created a grateful Devin who not only plays with dad and the boys but has carved out his own road with The Devin Cuddy Band and will be headlining at the Ottawa Grassroots Festival on Saturday, April 26, 2025. Opening for them is Josh Ritchie at 7:30PM.
Devin is strikingly similar to his dad in both appearance and talent at songwriting and performing. While dad prefers the guitar, Devin is more comfortable these days behind the keys of a piano. Based in Toronto, Devin didn’t know until he was taking Jazz Performance at York University that he wanted to be on the stage. Up until that time, he played music just for himself. The band is in between albums and will be showcasing songs from their most recent album entitled Dear Jane.
His writing, he has said, is always in the third person so none of his songs are about him. In his spare time he practices music planning for the next recording sessions and plays hockey like a good Canadian.
Dear Jane, was written on both sides of the pandemic and Devin realized that social isolation just isn’t his thing. He gets his ideas for songs from people’s stories. “I am inspired by people’s stories, their lives and the interaction of sharing those things, and without that, my creative output was next to nothing. So in a way, this record is an homage to that feeling and that process of writing. It is a roadmap to the people and places I get to experience playing music and travelling for a living.” (Devin Cuddy, 2024)
We are thrilled that he has agreed to come to our little music festival and look forward to hearing more from this talented band. Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased at www.ottawagrassrootsfestival.com
Laurie Bowen is a freelance music journalist who volunteers for The Ottawa Grassroots Festival and can be reached at [email protected]
