Photo by: Noir Kitty
Outside of the Tranzac Club after the Bloor Street festival show June 2016 photo by Noir Kitty
There’s a disarming authenticity to Collette Savard—a mix of sharp wit, raw storytelling, and offbeat musicality that draws you in from the first note. She alone is enough to captivate, but with The Savants, she’s lifted to an entirely new sonic level. Together, they weave folk, blues, roots, and melodic pop sensibilities into a sound that is both timeless and deeply original. With deep ties to Toronto’s Tranzac Club, the band has built a reputation for immersive live performances that feel as intimate as a kitchen party and as electrifying as a stadium show.
At the heart of the band is Collette’s songwriting, a seamless blend of 70s-inspired hooks, folk authenticity, and bluesy grit, always anchored in her unmistakable artistic voice—warm, wry, soulful, and deeply melodic. Her songs move effortlessly from clawhammer banjo-driven folk to sultry blues grooves, from hypnotic rhythms to soaring pop refrains, always carrying a distinct emotional core.
The Savants are a collection of heavy-hitting musicians who elevate every note. Rebecca Campbell (Jane Siberry, Ian Tamblyn, Lynn Miles) is a harmony wizard, layering vocals with the precision of someone who has spent decades refining her craft. Megan Worthy, a Humber jazz graduate and 2024 Reggae North Music Awards and Drum and Bass Awards nominee, delivers fluid, inventive keys and vocals that complete the band’s signature three-part harmonies. John Switzer, an award-winning producer and bassist (Jane Siberry, Andrew Cash, The Grievous Angels), provides a steady and intuitive backbone, while Martin Worthy (Joe Hall and The Continental Drift, Paul Quarrington) brings a songwriter’s ear to his drumming, making every groove feel like part of the song’s DNA.
Collette Savard and The Savants will surprise you, leaving melodies that stay with you long after the music stops.