Libby & Cal

Our music tends to get people listening, and sometimes, laughing. Maybe it’s the unusual instrumentation, or the natural blend of our voices, or the unexpected lyrics. We have happily made music on stage for a rapt audience, but also played quietly in the corner of dining rooms and farmer’s markets.

She plays an autoharp she bought on Kijiji. He plays a 12-string he swapped for a bicycle. Together, Libby & Cal perform eclectic but surprisingly catchy indie-folk music. The Ottawa-based duo’s second album, “If You've Given up on Love, then Let's Call it Something Else,” has been played on independent radio stations in Canada and the US, and charted at #4 on Nanaimo's CHLY.

Libby and Cal met at a festival in 2015, and corresponded for several years before becoming musical partners in 2018. They are recognized for their honest songs, arresting harmonies, and down to earth approach at venues in Ottawa, as well as the Festival Folk et Guitares d’Aylmer and the Folk Music Notebook showcase at NERFA (North East Regional Folk Alliance) 2021. They have released two albums together, and another is planned for 2024.
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Libby took up the autoharp in 2014 after many back-breaking years of lugging her electric piano to gigs. Under the name Elizabeth Bruce she released two albums of original music: As We Sadden Each Other to Sleep and The Silent I Know.

Cal (AKA Doug Hendry) has been entertaining crowds with his musical talent since the age of four, singing in a choir in his native Scotland. As a teenager, he made his way playing street corners and folk clubs throughout Britain and Europe. Cal emigrated to Canada in 1991 and has played regularly in various bands including Odd One Out, Fiddlehead Soup, and Tripoly.

Our setup is very simple. We can perform acoustic, but we often find it’s better balanced when we amplify the autoharp. We can bring a small PA and mixer or plug into your sound system.