Nicolas Pellerin et les Grands Hurleurs

A LITTLE HISTORY...

More than ever in a creative, danceable, and organic spirit, the group Nicolas Pellerin et Les Grands Hurleurs released Layon in March 2024!

This sixth album is like a walk along a trail, with scents, changes in elevation, pebbles, and surprising landscapes. Despite the use of acoustic instruments, a more rock-oriented energy emanates from this album. The four musicians—Simon Lepage (vocals, bass, and double bass); Louis Thibault (vocals, bouzouki, mandolin, and guitar); Nicolas Pellerin (vocals, violin, and foot percussion); and Philippe Girard (vocals and guitar)—have skillfully combined their influences to achieve this rather eclectic result. Layon was also awarded the 2025 Opus Prize for Traditional Album of the Year, a well-deserved recognition for the group.

Over time, the band has won the hearts of Quebec and international audiences with its modernized and accessible traditional music.

With the integration of folk and classic bluegrass influences, the group is sure to surprise and move audiences once again with this enriched take on traditional music! Fiddles, mandolin, guitar, foot percussion, and rich vocal harmonies blend together to explore a multitude of emotions.

IN STAGE

Now a trio following the passing of Simon Lepage at the end of 2025, the group continues to deliver captivating performances. It is indeed on stage that the trio truly shines, showcasing the multitude of instruments played, the dynamic presentation of their acts, and their exceptional musical prowess.

Recipient of the 2026 Opus Award for Best Quebec Traditional Music Performance of the Year, presented at Salle Bourgie in Montreal on February 8, 2026, the group confirms its place among the most important acts on the Quebec traditional music scene.

Since its founding in 2009, the group has built a solid reputation with over 1,200 performances to its credit. It has toured extensively throughout Quebec's established network of venues, as well as across Canada, the United States, Europe (France, Finland, Germany, Spain, Czech Republic, Switzerland), Morocco, and even the United Arab Emirates.

Among its highlights, the group has participated in prestigious events including the Edmonton Folk Festival, the Festival du Bois in Maillardville, and the Dubai World Expo. They have also performed at the National Holiday Grand Show on the Plains of Abraham and at the televised National Holiday Grand Show in Montreal.

The group has also been invited to record special programs such as La Grande Veillée (ARTV) and radio concerts (Ici Musique), composed the theme song for the 2025 Transat Québec Saint-Malo race, and was commissioned by Radio-Canada to create soundtracks for exhibitions at Place des Arts in Montreal. He has also been featured in official showcase appearances at professional conferences including Babel Music XP (2024, Marseille), Francofête en Acadie (2025, Moncton), CINARS (2021, Montreal), Le Chaînon virtuel (2020), WOMEX (Tampere, 2019), Folk Alliance International (2018, Kansas City, USA), Rideau (2017, Quebec City), Festival International de la chanson de Granby (2017), Contact East (2017, Cape Breton), etc.