Country Music that doesn’t ask for permission
Kent McAlister’s songs hold the comfortable weight of your favorite coat on a cold prairie night. Singing modern tales of what is, and what used to be, he captures the honest grit of those weathered faces that belong to the cowboys and at the end of the long table.
About Kent
Not only an accomplished songwriter with three acclaimed albums to his name, McAlister is also a long-travelling veteran of the Canadian touring circuit. From playing multiple sold out shows in major centers nation-wide, to headlining several music festivals, McAlister's songs and live show are a force to be reckoned with.
His stage show has earned him support-act duties with luminaries of country music such as Roseanne Cash, Johnny Cash's band The Tennessee Three, as well as multiple dates as the opening act for Corb Lund.
McAlister tidily won 1st place in the Rawlco Radio battle of the bands, and second place in The Calgary Folk Fest songwriting competition.
Now calling Calgary his home, he is also a sought-after lead guitar player. He has lent his skill to local Roots-Country projects such as Rev Frank & The North Stars, Carter Felker, and Mariel Buckley to name just a few. McAlister continues to record new music slated for release in late 2025.
Upcoming Performances
Friday August 22nd Kelowna, BC Three Lakes Brewing Ltd. w/ John Lind 4pm Saturday August 23rd Kelowna, BC The Vibrant Vine Winery w/ John Lind 1pm Sunday August 24th Kelowna, BC The Hatching Post Brewery & Smokery w/ John Lind 6pm Wednesday August 27th Armstrong, BC Interior Provincial Exhibition & Stampede w/ John Lind 2pm Friday August 29th Richmond, BC LuLu Island Winery 5pm
What They’ve Said:
“Kent McAlister’s music is fresh and inventive; and the band rocked every night on tour”
- Corby Lund
"A clever wordsmith with a well-wrought, light sense of humour." -The Vancouver Province
- The Vancouver Province
"Kent McAlister can definitely croon, and The Iron Choir are masters of some catchy soundscapes."
- The Edmonton Journal
McAlister covers a lot of ground in the best possible way. Intelligent lyrics married to elements of traditional Country, Swing, and Tex-Mex."
- BC Music Magazine
"McAlister and his band have locked into a spicy, play-it-again alchemy."
- FFWD Magazine, Calgary
"Live they are blistering hot. They play like family; instinctively and intuitively"
- Scene and Heard, Durham, ON
"Well-respected among Western Canada for being one of the best bands to showcase and unconventional style..."
- ObscureSound.com
"There will be no chance of gimmick-laden promotions, gratuitous headlines or salacious scandals to help generate some much-deserved interest for the Calgary born-and-bred singer-songwriter’s latest collection of ‘spaghetti western meets Leonard Cohen’ brilliance."
- The Tyee
"(How I'll Remain) is a collection of 10 straight up country-rock tunes standing tall on the shoulders of storytellers such as Alabama, and Johnny Cash"
- The Uniter, Winnipeg
"While there's a definite hard-edge Roots feel to much of McAlister's music, he delivers the material with enough grit and twang to attract country listeners' attention."
- Country Music News
"...sympathetically captures a love of pre-Urban Cowboy country music, but updates the sound for a modern audience...(it is) an immanently listenable country album..."
- The Red Deer Advocate
"...a great mix of old school Country music with an old fashioned urban sensibility to it as well. It's like that perfect pair of boots that you can go hiking in, and still polish up for a night on the town."
- Red Cat Records
"...a boot-stompin', tobacco spittin', heart-hurtin' affair...there's no room for filler here; every song stands up to further listening."
- VUE Weekly, Edmonton
Reach Out to Kent McAlister
Contact Kent McAlister for bookings
Experience Kent McAlister
Dive into the heart of country music with Canada's own talented singer-songwriter. Explore Kent’s latest tracks.