Still Dark Festival organizers have just released the second wave of 13 more artists slated to perform at the Still Dark Festival beginning Feb. 5 and running to Feb. 8.
Organizers say the second annual Still Dark Festival will feature multiple genres of music including folk, country, hip-hop, metal, rock, punk and more. Live shows will take place at venues across the downtown core in the city of Yellowknife.
The second wave joins a talent-packed line up in place including Sun Starved, a five-piece Yellowknife band, HYFY, a four-person punk band from Yellowknife, Jonathan Antoine, who heads a four-piece band hailing from the communities of Łı́ıd́ lı̨ı̨ Kų́ę́ (Fort Simpson) and Deh Gah Got’ı̨ę́ (Fort Providence), Stacie Arden Smith, an Indigenous singer-songwriter and self-taught guitarist from Yellowknife, Skinny Dyck, a band hailing from Lethbridge, Atla., along with Dump Babes, who are a band from Saskatoon and recently picked up an award for rock artist of the year at the 2025 Saskatchewan Music Awards.
The second wave of artists includes some that local music lovers may be familiar with from PrimeTime, Brenden MacIntosh, Jonny Vu to Ben Cornel. Organizers say they also look forward to welcoming Vancouver based synth-pop project Devours, Calgary based country artist Amy Nelson, Toronto hip hop scene mainstay Stretch, as well as Edmonton’s Verttigo, a dream-pop project drawing on New Wave and Shoegaze influences from the 80s and 90s and hip hop lyricist from Vancouver, JUNK.
Here is the second wave of artists and details as provided by festival organizers:
Verttigo
Verttigo is an Edmonton-based project that is inspired by the ethereal sounds of dream pop, goth and shoegaze. Their sound draws heavily from the underground movements of the ’80s and ’90s while carving out a distinctly modern sound. On stage, Verttigo is unafraid of intensity or spotlight. The band has supported an impressive list of international acts, including Cherry Glazer, WAND, LA Witch, Tamaryn, Drab Majesty, Debby Friday, A Place To Bury Strangers, ACTORS, and Patriarchy. Festival highlights include performances at JUNOfest, Sled Island, Big Winter Classic, Verboden, Purple City Festival, and Winterruption.
Amy Nelson
The sweet, sad longing and play of words and phrases, delivered in a voice from days far gone. Amy’s songs display a veracity and rawness that is uniquely her own. Steeped in the rich history of blues, hill-country and old time music, this remembering is what gives birth to Nelson’s sonic approach.
Devours
Devours is the DIY synth-pop project of Vancouver-based musician Jeff Cancade. Across five
acclaimed underground albums, including 2023’s Polaris Prize-longlisted Homecoming Queen, Devours has written confessional and confrontational electronic music about masculinity, body image, gay politics, and inner-city queer existence. They have toured Canada and the US, received coverage from Vice, CBC, Exclaim, and the Globe and Mail, and have performed at festivals such as SXSW, Treefort Music Fest, Sled Island, JunoFest, Vancouver Jazz Fest, and more. Sports Car Era, their newest LP, was released in March of 2025.
Lester Slade
Lester Slade is a traveling songwriter based in Iqaluit, Nunavut. Years on the road have shaped his stripped-down sound, rooted in real stories and an honest approach to songwriting. Whether recording in the Arctic, or performing for new audiences in the south, Lester’s songs offer a clear-eyed take on the lives we lead and the truths we carry, blending folk, Americana, and alt-country influences into a sound that is both intimate and expansive.
JUNK
JUNK, a German/Italian/Canadian rapper, has been redefining the rap game from the start. His name, an acronym for “JUST UNDERSTAND NOBODY KNOWS,” encapsulates his ethos of individuality and self-expression. Beginning with freestyle raps at house parties in his early teens to a recognized artist, headlining tours and collaborating with rap legends.
Upper Mall Rats
Upper Mall Rats were originally cast in the Real Housewives of Niven until their husbands
kicked them out of the house for good. They have since turned their attention to liberating centre square mall, “from 50th ave to 49th street, centre square will be free!” Come eat pizza with the Upper Mall Rats
PrimeTime
PrimeTime are a collection of northern minstrels who embody drunken swagger with symphonic precision. Weaving lyrical themes of love, loss, loneliness and longing, our sonic trails lead listeners from acoustic landscapes of despair to rugged redemptive righteousness.
Brenden MacIntosh
Brenden MacIntosh is a pop punk band that celebrates the punk rock genre. They bring fast
rhythms with strong melodies to give you highly energetic and catchy tunes. They love genre hopping bringing songs fused with ska, to folk, and more! Coming to a couch near you, these punks are going to drink all your coffee and eat all your pizza!
Stretch
Stretch is an MC’s MC. His sound is reminiscent of a classic era of hip hop, embellished by lush and expansive production sensibilities. Stretch’s artistry bloomed in the 12th grade, rapping to Jdilla beats that he had downloaded on to his HP—after which he became a staple at open mics and cyphers across Toronto. This period was instrumental in helping him to define who he wanted to be as a rapper, and refining his storytelling, with respect to both poetry and musicality.
Ben Cornel
Ben Cornel is a singer-songwriter based in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada. Drawing deep inspiration from the natural world and the close-knit community that surrounds him, Ben’s music reflects the warmth of the rising sun, the serenity of crisp night skies, and the comfort he finds in the embrace of his loved ones. His sound is a sonic representation of home; familiar, comforting, and intimately connected to the beauty of the world around him.
DYLN
Dylan Hope (DYLN) is a Deh Cho Dene producer and songwriter/storyteller from Yellowknife, Northwest Territories
Refrijerator
Refrijerater is a goof rock band based in both Yellowknife and Edmonton. Formed in late 2023, consisting of three high school buddies, they released 3 self produced EPs, (2024s High Gnome Beams and Frogs, and 2025s Caveman) Unfortunately the three members have since gone off to university and cannot play together. However singer/guitarist Duncan Stewart has continued to perform and write new material with different members in Edmonton. They are set to release a 4th EP titled Cheese and Carrots in early 2026. The sound is much the same, and amalgamation of Tom Waits, Frank Zappa, Primus, and the Dead Kennedys. Their live energy is sure to get the crowd moving.
Jonny Vu
Hailing from Yellowknife, singersongwriter Jonny Vu fuses a unique blend of Pop, Rap, and
R&B. His dynamic sound has been featured at prominent festivals like Folk on the Rocks, Old Town Ramble & Ride, Still Dark Festival. In just over a year, his music has garnered over 23,000 streams. To get a taste of his distinctive style, check out his recent releases: “Ten,” “Two Cents,” “Babygirl,” and “High.” Jonny’s artistic view of life through his videography has also garnered a total of over 270,000 views elevating artist from the north. With a new album on the horizon, there’s even more to look forward to from this emerging artist.
