Manitoba Music’s SWMM Showcase Returns to Winterruption
Press Release
December 10, 2025
Three Emerging Local Artists to Play The Handsome Daughter on January 23
Manitoba Music and Real Love Winnipeg are teaming up to present a new edition of the annual Sound Waves Music Meeting (SWMM) showcase during next month’s Winterruption music festival.
Three buzzworthy local artists will hit the stage at The Handsome Daughter on January 23 at the free event for visiting SWMM delegates and participants, local industry, and music fans. This year’s showcase will feature 2025 Manitoba Country Music Award-winning roots/rocker Mitchell Makoons; indie rock outfit Neighbour Andy, who’ve earned over 55,000 monthly listeners on Spotify; and the gutsy punk energy of Show Pony, fresh from the release of their latest single. Open to the public, spots are now available to reserve via 3common.com/swmmshow2026.
This year’s showcase builds on the energy of the 2025 event, which was the first SWMM show in partnership with Real Love Winnipeg and Winterruption. The show featured artist/producer TOMMYPHYLL, who went on to earn the inaugural Western Canadian Music Award for Afrobeats Artist of the Year in October; indie pop rockers sundayclub, who signed with Paper Bag Records in 2025 and just launched their debut EP; Red River Métis singer/songwriter Brandi Vezina, who earned the Manitoba Country Music Award for Songwriter of the Year and spots at the Amazon Music Indigenous Song Camp and the National Music Centre’s OHSOTO’KINO music incubator program; and indie folk act Sam Singer, who has since launched a singer/songwriter series with Times Change(d) High & Lonesome Club.
Presented by Manitoba Music, the SWMM creative conference welcomes industry pros and music makers for specialized and interactive training through panel discussions, presentations, networking mixers, and one-on-one mentor meetings. Running January 22 – 24 at The Forks, this year’s programming focuses on all things audience development, with solid advice from professionals on navigating the ever-evolving music sector. Early bird passes for SWMM are now on sale for only $50 for Manitoba Music members and $80 for non-members via 3common.com/swmm2026.
Manitoba Music and Real Love Winnipeg present…
SWMM Showcase
Featuring: Show Pony, Mitchell Makoons, Neighbour Andy
Friday, January 23, 2026
The Handsome Daughter, 61 Sherbrook St, Winnipeg
Free / All Ages / Music at 7 PM
SWMM is made possible by the support of FACTOR, the Government of Canada and Canada’s private radio broadcasters, Prairies Economic Development Canada (PrairiesCan) through the Government of Canada; The Manitoba Government; and Manitoba Film & Music.
About the Artists
Mitchell Makoons (He/Him) is a Roots/Rock musician from Brandon, Manitoba. Mitchell started playing guitar at the age of seven to accompany his grandfather and brother playing Metis fiddle tunes. Mitchell continues to be an active member of the Manitoba Metis community. The songs Mitchell writes incorporate traditional Ojibway music and culture with modern influences. In 2024, singles “Courage” and “Changing Man” from his debut album Lady Boots reached No. 1 on the Indigenous Music Countdown. At the 2025 Manitoba Country Music Awards, Makoons was named “Roots Artist of the Year.”
www.manitobamusic.com/mitchellmakoons
Middle province’s Neighbour Andy has spent the last few years building a reputation not only as a band, but as a genuine hot ticket. Comprised of Drake Lesperance (vocals), Mark Davidson (guitar), MacKenzie Jackson (bass), Jordan Alexiuk (drums), and Joel d’Eschambault (keys), the five friends fuse the rhythmic drive of alt-rock with the narrative heart of Americana, folk, and an influence of funk — a sound that skips the predictable and lands somewhere that feels necessary.
The group first gained local traction in 2022 with the single “71,” an infectious track born from guitarist Mark’s childhood home that captures the feeling of growing up with your best friends. Their debut self-titled EP followed that same year, quickly establishing their place in Winnipeg’s indie live show scene. Building up to their debut album release “Wild One” in 2023, they sold out their 500-cap album release show at Winnipeg’s Park Theatre in just eight minutes.
Summer 2025 brought the “Niagara St.” single, suggesting brand new Neighbour Andy music is on the horizon, and their down-to-earth authenticity with a goofy sense of humour between bandmates translates to relatable storytelling through songwriting and a charismatic stage presence. Their songs explore the inconvenient rites of passages that dance hand-in-hand with what it means to become an adult in 2025: financial anxiety, smoke and mirrors of internet crushes, self-sabotage, mental health, and the pursuit of acceptance. They’ve toured across Western Canada, Toronto, Montreal, along with festival slots including NXNE, Festival du Voyageur, Real Love Fest, as well as airplay on CBC Radio. Neighbour Andy is ready for what’s next in 2026.
www.manitobamusic.com/neighbourandy
Show Pony is a wild ride through the heart of rock and roll, dressed to thrill in snake skin boots and a shimmer of sequins. With a raw fusion of gutsy punk energy and arena-shaking rock ‘n’ roll, they pull listeners into their electrifying, glam-soaked universe. Their sound is a high-octane mix of soaring melodies, blistering spaghetti-western riffs, and infectious pop choruses that stick in your head long after the show ends. Show Pony is hot off the release of their catchy new single Lightning and are slated to release their debut EP early 2026.
www.manitobamusic.com/showpony
ILR5
