When bluesman Jim Byrnes brought together members Marcus Mosely, Will Sanders, and Khari McClelland to record backup vocals, they recognized they had something special as a trio. Mosely was from Texas, Sanders was from Louisiana, and McClelland was from Detroit; each contributed his distinct sound to the trio and Canada. Thus, the Vancouver-based gospel band the Sojourners, was born. Each of them started out singing in their various churches, and they continue to value the genre’s foundations of freedom, civil rights, and community. The band’s key message is social justice, and they draw musical influence from quartet and jubilee ensembles from the 1930s’ and 1940s’. Their debut solo album was released in 2007 with the support of producer Steve Dawson.

Their second album arrived three years later, following numerous hours of working together to discover their collective voice. As they put it, “”this is not polite music.”” Using their expertise, they produced a mixed sound for the soul of R&B, doo-wop, country, and blues. Since then, they have appeared at Canadian roots and blues festivals, as well as in the award-winning Things About Coming My Way: A Tribute to The Music of the Mississippi Sheiks and the Time-Life box collection Let Freedom Ring. They were also asked to sing the National Anthem at Parliament Hill in 2008, the same year Mosely and Sanders became citizens. They have been nominated for multiple awards, including a Maple Blues Award and a Juno Award. They also won the Western Canadian Music Award for Outstanding Contemporary Christian/Gospel Recording in 2011. This soulful trio has undoubtedly revitalized Canada’s roots and blues music industry.