She is returning to play at this year’s Australian Blues Music Festival in Goulburn, from February 9-11, with The Rooster Davis Group.

Vriend is well-known for her literary writing style, which reveals the influence of songwriters such as Paul Simon, Leonard Cohen, Bob Dylan and Cat Stevens.

She combines this with a booming voice, which has been compared to Dolly Parton and Aretha Franklin. 

Vriend loves coming to Australia. 

“I have been there 12 times in the last 10 years,” she said.

“I have played at the Goulburn Club before and I loved it there.” 

She hails from Edmonton, an area of prairies and snow and long winters. 

“I love the oceans and the beaches there in Australia, it is too cold here.” She said. 

Vriend has played a lot as a solo artist, but for the Blues Festival is being joined by the Rooster Davis Group, who she has played with extensively. 

“I played solo for years and while I love the solo experience the groove that a band brings to RnB is so much more,” she said. 

She says her influences as a singer include Sam Cooke and Marvin Gaye and she has a unique blend of raw emotion and groove. 

Ann has won the nation-wide "She's The One" contest at Ottawa Bluesfest and has been nominated for "Pop Album of the Year" at Toronto Independent Music Awards and Edmonton Music Awards. She has toured extensively in Europe, Australia, and Canada, and sold over 16,000 CDs off the stage

The lineup for this year’s festival includes: The Foreday Riders, Fiona Boyes & The Fortune Tellers, Claude Hay trio, The Groove Kings, Jesse Valach & Blues Mountain, Catfish Voodoo, Phil Manning, Pearlnoire & Don Hopkins, Sweet Felicia & The Honeytones, Blues Preachers, Halfway To Forth, Nick Wildgoose, Eddie Boyle, Daniel Hopkins, Dreamboogie, Doc White, Grip, Lazy Eye, Miss Whiskey, Wilson & White, White Lightning, Big Erle, Simon Kinney- Lewis Band, The Mighty Bluzicians, Cass Eager, Bailey Judd, Dorothy-Jane with Richard Steele, Leaving Reality, Iseula Hingano and Jarrod Shaw.