AV & The Inner City, the all-female, diverse vocal group born in Edmonton’s inner city during the pandemic, has announced their self-titled debut EP (out October 3, 2025). Their story is uniquely Canadian, rooted in community, resilience, and the power of togetherness. What began on the front porch of AV’s home, where neighbours gathered weekly to hear her perform, has since grown into an award-winning act.
Led by internationally recognized artist AV (Ann Vriend), the diverse Roots/Soul collective has quickly become one of Canada’s most exciting emerging acts:
- Winners of the 2023 Edmonton Folk Festival Emerging Artist Award
- Featured in Porter Airlines’ in-flight magazine
- National airplay on CBC and radio stations across Canada
- 20,000+ Spotify streams in their first three months
From Edmonton’s inner city to national airwaves, AV & The Inner City represent the best of Canadian artistry: authentic, diverse voices coming together to create something bigger than themselves.
AV & The Inner City Announce Self-Titled Debut EP: A Soulful Testament to Resilience, Community, and Collective Voice
Formed on AV’s front porch in Edmonton’s inner city, Canada’s most unique, all-female vocal ensemble delivers their powerful first body of work, rooted in shared struggle, hope, and harmony
“Soul and gospel singing ruled… This was an act that could have closed the Main Stage any night.” – Vic Bell, Calgary Folk Festival
“AV & The Inner City are more than a vocal group — they’re a movement. A mirror to the times. A celebration of what happens when voices from all walks of life come together to sing not just in harmony, but with purpose.” - Stevie Connor, The Sound Cafe
Featured in Porter Airlines Magazine, SiriusXM, CKUA, more!
Release Date: Friday, October 3 2025
Edmonton, AB – September 23 2025 - Award-winning Canadian vocal group AV & The Inner City are set to release their highly anticipated, self-titled debut EP on Friday, October 3 2025.
Formed during the height of the pandemic on the front porch of bandleader AV (Ann Vriend)’s home, AV & The Inner City evolved over the course of 60 weekly grassroots community singalongs into an award-winning, all-female vocal powerhouse group. Blending Soul, Roots, Blues, and non-religious Gospel, the vocalists came together in Edmonton’s inner city neighbourhood of McCauley – an area often defined by poverty and addiction - which soon transformed into a weekly beacon of connection and hope. Reflecting a mosaic of Canadian diversity and talent, the members of AV & The Inner City include Laurelle K, Mira Angela, Crystal Eyo, Alenka Lundell, Jenn Dahlen, and AV, along with former members Johwanna Alleyne and Debbie Houle. Combined, the group comes from Indigenous, Black, Filipino, LGBTQ, immigrant, and working-class backgrounds, uniting organically over their shared love of singing and community. Together, they deliver soaring harmonies and emotionally charged performances which embrace themes of belonging, resilience, struggles of injustice, and the courage to face adversity, topics deeply woven into the group’s very formation.
Even before releasing a single track AV & the Inner City were captivating audiences across Alberta. They earned an Emerging Artist Award at the 2023 Edmonton Folk Music Festival, and the media quickly took notice; with features on CBC Radio, SiriusXM, CKUA, The Edmonton Journal, Edify, and Porter Airlines’ Re:Porter Magazine. Their music has since collected tens of thousands of streams, while their live shows continue to build their reputation. Known for their commanding stage presence, the group has earned high praise from industry veterans, with former Nickelodeon promoter Vic Bell declaring: “Soul and gospel singing ruled… This was an act that could have closed the Main Stage any night.” Their recordings have also received strong national support, including CBC’s Marvin’s Room and Saturday Night Blues, alongside features in interviews and podcasts across the country.
Two years in the making, the group’s self-titled, six-track debut EP, AV & The Inner City, represents both a culmination and a beginning: the first official release since their unplanned formation. “This was never supposed to last beyond one summer porch concert series,” shares band leader AV. “But it gave us hope, and audiences said it gave them hope, too. These songs are about the communities we come from - the stigma, addiction, racism, classism, sexism - but they are also about joy, catharsis, and the contagious energy of singing together.” Exploring themes of struggle, social justice, and healing, the debut EP from AV & The Inner City captures the spirit of a group born from community connection that continues to thrive on it.
Combining intricate harmonies, raw lyrical honesty, and stripped-back arrangements, AV & The Inner City’s debut EP offers music that is deeply personal, yet profoundly communal. By centering stories of resilience and struggle while simultaneously celebrating catharsis and joy the project is as relatable as it is aspirational.
The EP’s focus track, “Runnin’ Outta Places”, delivers a clever social critique of displacement, inequality, and capitalism’s endless pursuit of growth. Sparse yet relentless, its acapella-driven chorus recalls playful playground chants against gritty hip hop street beats, with a lush bridge that climaxes in a grand catharsis.
Showcasing the vocal group’s expansive creativity and skillful lyricism, the four previously released singles shine on their own, yet interlock seamlessly to form a unified statement. “Low & Lowly”, the group’s debut single, is a hymn-like, non-religious Soul/Roots ballad about embracing life’s highs and lows, offering both solace and celebration. An upbeat love song to music, “Music Always” pays homage to the power of music and its ability to transcend language. With an irresistible groove and soaring harmonies, “Lion at the Gate” is a bold anthem of courage in the face of intimidating obstacles; followed by “The Failer”; a marching dirge-like anthemic exploration of the human need for certainty, and the strength it takes to live with nuance, imperfection, and doubt.
From a modest neighbourhood gathering to a nationally recognized vocal group, AV & The Inner City has grown into a powerful ensemble, whose music transcends both genre and circumstance. In an era when much of the industry chases speed and trends they stand apart as something rare and vital, proving that authenticity and unity can rise above stigma, and can create something extraordinary. Their debut crystallizes years of relentless work, grassroots connection, and fearless honesty, with voices that carry the weight of real lives lived, and the resilience of communities too often overlooked. Yet woven through their harmonies is an undeniable joy and generosity, a reminder of why music matters: to connect, to comfort, to inspire, and to heal. With AV & The Inner City, the group delivers an urgent and unforgettable statement that redefines what it means to make music from the ground up, culminating in a landmark debut from one of the most vital new forces in Canadian Roots and Soul.
Upcoming Shows:
October 5, 2025 - Edmonton, AB - Porch Concert Series Finale
October 11, 2025 - Nanton, AB - Mosquito Creek Music Fall Concert Series
October 17, 2025 - Lethbridge, AB - Owl Acoustic Lounge
October 18, 2025 - Calgary, AB - Bow Valley Folk Club
"AV & The Inner City" will be available everywhere on October 3 2025
Connect with AV & The Inner City:
https://annvriend.com/pages/av-and-the-inner-city-1
https://www.instagram.com/avinnercity/?hl=en
https://www.youtube.com/@AVandTheInnerCity?app=desktop
https://open.spotify.com/artist/5UBKW4TzZRZO2bWuLtD2sb
