Soul singer Krystle Dos Santos takes a rootsier route with Orchard Sky

j benson photo

By Steve Newton

I first discovered the soulful sounds of Vancouver-based vocalist Krystle Dos Santos a couple of years ago, when she was curating and producing Underneath the Harlem Moon, a monthly “soul-era Harlem cabaret” at Gastown’s Guilt and Co.

The Edmonton native has still got that goin’ on–the next cabaret night is July 1, presented by the Vancouver International Jazz Festival–but recently Dos Santos has formed the southern-roots inspired country duo Orchard Sky with guitarist Mitch Smith.

In 2023 they released a six-song EP on Alberta-based Royalty Records, and earlier this year put out the slide-driven stomper, “Good Intentions”.

On July 18 Orchard Sky will release another single, “Broken Hearted People”, a moody country-pop ballad about healing and resilience helmed by Canadian country-music producer Bart McKay.

Dos Santos–who has appeared in the local productions of Dreamgirls, The Chelsea Hotel: The Songs Of Leonard Cohen, and her own cabaret-style musical, Hey Viola!, a tribute to Canadian civil rights heroine Viola Desmond–will be making two appearances at next month’s Vancouver Folk Music Festival.

On Saturday (July 19) Orchard Sky will perform on the folk fest’s West Stage at 12:10 pm, and on the East Stage at 3:50 pm Dos Santos will take part in the Songs That Slay workshop with Julian Taylor, Nico Paulo, and hosts Jane Siberry and Rebecca Jenkins.

This summer B.C. music lovers will also be able to catch free performances by Orchard Sky at Langley’s McLeod Athletic Park on July 1, Campbell River’s Tidemark Theatre on July 23, and Langley’s Willoughby Community Park on July 31.

(The above article was made possible by the support of Vancouver arts publicist Teresa Trovato. For information on Ear of Newt’s sponsored content email steve@earofnewt.com.)