Backporch Banjo

BackPorch Banjo are a bluegrass and acoustic-roots ensemble from central Vancouver Island, British Columbia. The group formed in Qualicum Beach in the fall of 2010, after an informal performance at the SandBar Café revealed that the musicians had the instrumentation and musical chemistry needed to establish a working bluegrass band.

The original lineup featured Kazimea Sokil on mandolin, banjo and vocals, Earl Purvis on double bass, Bob Slater on guitar and vocals, and Linda Thorburn on banjo. Thorburn remained a central figure throughout the group’s history, while the membership gradually evolved as musicians joined, departed and returned.

BackPorch Banjo quickly became established on the Vancouver Island bluegrass circuit. During its early years, the group appeared at the Lighthouse, Chemainus and Coombs bluegrass festivals and shared festival programs with performers including The Foggy Hogtown Boys, Pete Wernick’s Long Road Home, John Reischman & the Jaybirds, Special Consensus, and Mark Phillips & 3rd Generation. The band also performed at cafés, community halls, markets, Legions, private functions and outdoor events throughout Vancouver Island.

The group’s repertoire combines traditional bluegrass, old-time fiddle music, acoustic roots and country, together with original compositions and contemporary songs arranged for acoustic instruments. Its sound is centred on five-string banjo, fiddle, mandolin, guitar, upright bass and multi-part vocal harmonies.

BackPorch Banjo prepared its first full-length recording during 2019 and entered the studio in early 2020. The resulting album, Steppin’ Off the Porch, arrived during the COVID-19 restrictions, limiting the band’s ability to perform publicly and promote the recording. The group nevertheless continued rehearsing and later returned to regular festival and community appearances.

By 2026, the lineup consisted of Kazimea Sokil on guitar and vocals, Dave Haggblad on bass and vocals, Ted Granger on mandolin and vocals, Claire Fadul on fiddle and vocals, Linda Thorburn on banjo, and Megan Guest on mandolin and vocal harmonies.

Their subsequent album, What A Difference A Day Makes, presents a mixture of traditional, contemporary and original bluegrass material. The collection includes songs by Hazel Dickens, Tim O’Brien, Gordon Lightfoot, Molly Tuttle, Melody Walker, Charlie and Ira Louvin, alongside compositions by Canadian writers including Kazimea Sokil, Jim Scott, Ron Simons and Leigh Joseph Gibson.

Produced by BackPorch Banjo, the album was recorded and mixed by Ron Obvious and Joanne Taylor at Summit Recording Solutions in Qualicum Bay, British Columbia, and mastered by Ron Obvious. It documents a later configuration of a group that has remained active for more than fifteen years by adapting its membership while maintaining strong connections to the bluegrass festivals, community venues and acoustic-music gatherings of Vancouver Island.

-Robert Williston

Lineups

Original lineup, 2010
Kazimea Sokil: mandolin, banjo, vocals
Earl Purvis: double bass
Bob Slater: guitar, vocals
Linda Thorburn: banjo

2012 lineup
Kazimea Sokil: mandolin, clawhammer banjo, vocals
Bob Slater: guitar, vocals
Ted Granger: fiddle
Linda Thorburn: banjo

2020 recording lineup
Ramona Ruf: guitar
Ted Granger: mandolin
Luigi Calvori: bass
Miriam ‘Mimi’ Shell: fiddle
Linda Thorburn: banjo

Current recording lineup
Kazimea Sokil: guitar, vocals
Dave Haggblad: bass, vocals
Ted Granger: mandolin, vocals
Claire Fadul: fiddle, vocals
Linda Thorburn: banjo
Megan Guest: mandolin, vocal harmonies

The band has also performed with substitute or guest musicians, including Mike Brooks, Jane Dunnett, Jenny Lester, Dan Parker and Luigi Calvori, during periods of changing membership.