On Sunday, September 21, The Broom Factory will host a long-awaited Kingston debut as Jim Bowskill and Brittany Brooks take the stage with their full band. Presented by Flying V Productions, the show will also feature local favourite Emilie Steele as a duo, setting the stage for an evening that blends roots, rock, country, and psychedelia into a dynamic live experience. Tickets can be found here: web link

Q: You have a very packed September with a pretty big tour, what makes Kingston a must-have stop on this particular trek? You’re playing with Emilie Steele joining you as a duo as well! We love her here. How did this collaboration come about, and what special atmosphere or dynamic do you aim to create for this particular show?

A: Brooks & Bowskill has been a band now for four years and although we've played a LOT of shows throughout Ontario, we haven't had a chance to stop in Kingston. It's always been on our list because there seems to be a really cool community of musicians and artists in Kingston, like Emilie Steele! We saw Emilie perform with her band on Wolfe Island last fall (at a ripper of a show with Peterborough's Nicholas Campbell featuring Jimmy on upright bass) and we instantly dug her music. We thought how great it would be to play a show together some day – and now we are!

Q: Flying V Productions has been instrumental in bringing unique and inspiring shows to Kingston. What does it mean to you to be part of Virginia’s local live-music ecosystem, and how do you see it connecting audiences to your music in a deeper way?

A: We are very thankful to be putting on this show with Flying V Productions. Virginia has her finger on the pulse and does a fantastic job of bringing in high-calibre musicians and introducing them to the Kingston live-music scene. We are a grass roots band through and through, doing all of our own promotion, marketing, admin, recording, distributing, etc. So, it's exciting to work with a local promoter who knows the community well and can help us make the most of this opportunity to share our music with a new audience.

Q: In Kingston you’ll be playing with a full band, while other shows—like your duo sets—offer a more stripped-down feel. How does the experience differ for you as performers, and what new energy do you feel the full band brings to your songs?

A: The truth is we don't ever play duo shows! Once in a blue moon we'll play as a trio, but from the beginning we have been dedicated to showcasing our live music in the best possible way and that is with the strength of our full band and expert level musicianship on stage. Audiences at our shows are guided through a very dynamic sonic journey and we want to perform our songs live the way they sound on our records. Our band (a.k.a. The Hometown Beauts) have been playing music alongside Jimmy in various formats over the past two decades and that deep musical chemistry, paired with years of friendship radiates on stage and makes for a love-filled positive vibe at all of our shows.

Q: Kingston crowds are known for really listening. How does performing for an audience that values the craft of songwriting shape the way you approach your set?

A: When we perform, we are putting everything into it and sharing parts of our soul with the audience from the stage. Maybe that's a bit "deep" but when that is paired with an audience who shows up to really dive into a new musical experience there is a beautiful dynamic created where we all can catch a magical vibe and move with the music together.

Q: From Too Many Roads to Blissful State of Mind, you’ve been building a catalogue that mixes roots, folk, and psychedelic influences. How do you translate those layered studio sounds into a live setting?

A: Both of our albums were recorded with the same band we play live with. "Blissful State of Mind" was recorded at our two-century-old farm house studio (Ganaraska Recording Co.) and was performed mostly live-off-the-floor with minimal overdubs. Some of Brittany's lead vocals on that album are bed-track vocals.

With the original band we are able to play the songs just like they were recorded and include all of the three-part vocal harmonies, guitar-monies and ear-candy! The only thing we can't perform live are the orchestral string sections Jimmy wrote and played by layering them up on the album ... but maybe we will play with a full orchestra one day? Is the Kingston Symphony available?

Q: For fans seeing you in Kingston for the first time, what do you hope they take away from the Brooks & Bowskill live experience? Aside from a Pickin’ Party bumper sticker!

A: New fans can expect to get the full B&B experience, a dynamic show of our original music that weaves through a vast mix of folk, rock, country, psychedelia, and is performed by an electric all-star band. We always have a good time and want our audiences to have fun while enjoying a musical journey. Hope to see you there! Posted: Sep 3, 2025