On Thursday, June 18,  Broom Factory will host a hometown concert shaped less like a traditional multi-act bill and more like a shared musical conversation.

Titled Through the Looking Glass, the evening brings together Kingston roots-pop singer-songwriter Alex Mundy and Americana duo Friday’s Child, the musical partnership of singer-songwriter Krista Van Slingerland and multi-instrumentalist/engineer Evan Massey. Rather than following the familiar opener-headliner format, the show has been designed as a true co-bill: two distinct acts woven into a single, story-driven concert experience.

Rooted in Americana, folk, and modern roots music, the performance promises strong vocals, emotionally honest songwriting, and a collaborative approach built for an intimate listening room. For Kingston audiences, it is also something of a homecoming. Presented by Flying V Productions, the June 18 date is the hometown stop on a nine-date tour, and Broom Factory is a venue that already holds personal significance for everyone involved.

A co-bill built around story.

The idea behind Through the Looking Glass grew out of a shared love of songwriting and storytelling. While Friday’s Child and Mundy each bring their own musical identity to the stage, the goal is to create a seamless experience rather than two separate performances.

“The Through the Looking Glass show does feature two distinct acts, but we’ve really woven them together to create one cohesive musical experience,” says Van Slingerland. “The idea grew out of our shared love of Americana and roots music, and our deep passion for songwriting and storytelling.”

Instead of a traditional concert structure, audiences can expect what the artists describe as a curated “story night,” with both acts taking the lead at different moments while supporting one another throughout the evening.

“There’s no opener or headliner — we are both taking the lead in this show,” Van Slingerland explains. “We felt that could offer audiences something a little different — a more connected, intentional experience.”

The format allows the artists to move fluidly between instruments and arrangements while letting the songs speak to one another. Piano, acoustic and electric guitar, dobro, and pedal steel may all play a role, depending on where the evening’s narrative takes them.

“At the heart of it,” Van Slingerland adds, “we’re also just fans of each other’s music.”

Friday’s Child: Beauty in the fault lines

Friday’s Child is the musical partnership of Van Slingerland and Massey, who have spent seven years writing and performing together across multiple projects. Their music blends close harmonies, thoughtful songwriting, and the kind of chemistry that develops through years of collaboration.

In 2024, their bluegrass tune “Wildflower” was licensed for the feature film 115, directed by Dave Macon. In 2025, amid the personal upheaval of their divorce, the pair recorded their first full-length album as Friday’s Child, raising $7,000 in 30 days through Kickstarter to fund the project.

The result is Broken Home (Vol. 1), a recently released debut album shaped by shared history, change, and resilience. Its lead single, “Fault Lines,” received Canadian radio airplay, while the duo’s appearance on the Kingston Live podcast became the show’s most-listened-to episode of 2025 on Spotify.

The story behind Friday’s Child is deeply personal, but the songs themselves are carefully crafted works of Americana that balance heartbreak, humour, tenderness, and endurance.

For Van Slingerland, performing those songs requires both vulnerability and perspective.

“To me, every song is like a photograph that captures a specific feeling and moment in time,” she says. “Performing is a place where my emotionality can become a superpower.”

That emotional honesty can make performances feel immediate and authentic, but it also means revisiting difficult moments.

“I put myself back in the moment when the song was written to deliver something I hope comes across as authentic,” she says. “And while I think that makes for a great performance, it can also be challenging on a personal level to relive those moments over and over.”

Her way through it is part craft, part perspective.

“I just remind myself that I’m playing a character on stage,” she says, “because at the end of the day, I’m so glad to share my life in this new way with Evan and bring it to life for audiences.”

Alex Mundy: A voice with something to say

Alex Mundy has spent nearly a decade building a reputation as a songwriter whose music combines emotional honesty with memorable melodies and a voice often described as raw and powerful.

In 2019, she was selected as one of the winners of Kingston’s YGK Emerging Musician Competition. That same year, her single “Oleander” was named a semi-finalist in the International Songwriting Competition in Nashville, where judges included artists such as Coldplay, Dua Lipa, and Tom Waits.

Her songs are rooted in personal experience but crafted with a universal quality that allows listeners to find themselves in the stories.

“When I have something to say, music is my megaphone,” Mundy says. “The writing process is my therapy. Everything makes more sense once I’ve written it into a song.”

Mundy is currently working toward the release of her debut album in 2026. Her first single from the project, “Where We Are,” was recently featured on WPBS, while its music video screened as part of the Kingston Canadian Film Festival.

For Through the Looking Glass, she brings that same commitment to storytelling into a collaborative setting where listening is just as important as leading.

From breakfast conversation to the Broom Factory stage.

The collaboration between Mundy, Van Slingerland, and Massey began unexpectedly at a Canadian Olympic Committee conference near Toronto.

Mundy was attending through her work with the Smith School of Business, while Van Slingerland was there providing mental health support to athletes. The two happened to sit beside each other at breakfast.

“We started talking, and pretty quickly realized we lived near each other, both played music, and had a few mutual connections,” Mundy recalls.

That chance encounter led to shared meals, exchanged songs, and eventually a friendship built around music. After Mundy joined Van Slingerland and Massey on stage at The Broom Factory last year, the idea of touring together began to take shape.

“It’s been a really meaningful collaboration for all of us,” Mundy says, “partly because we love each other’s music, but also because there’s a lot of trust and friendship behind it.”

That trust is central to the show’s concept. Rather than presenting songs as isolated performances, the artists aim to create an evening where stories connect and build on one another.

Mundy says all three artists draw heavily from lived experience, even when inspiration comes from books, films, or someone else’s story.

“The goal is always for the story to come first,” she says. “The performance is really about finding the best way to carry that story to the audience.”

Sometimes that means stripping arrangements down to their essentials. Other times, it means allowing the music to expand and create a larger emotional moment.

“Especially in an intimate listening-room setting,” Mundy says, “I think vulnerability works best when it feels honest rather than forced.”

Why the Broom Factory matters.

For all three artists, Kingston is home in some meaningful way, making The Broom Factory a fitting venue for the tour’s hometown stop.

Known for its intimate atmosphere and attentive audiences, the venue has become one of Kingston’s most respected listening rooms.

“Playing Kingston — especially The Broom Factory — feels really special for all of us,” Van Slingerland says. “We’re lucky to have such wonderful friends, family, and local businesses supporting this show, including Fancy That, The Rocking Horse, and Improbable Escapes. It means a lot to live in a community that really shows up for live music.”

The venue also carries personal history. Van Slingerland and Massey launched their album there last summer, with Mundy contributing keys and harmonies. Bassist Elijah Abrams, who will perform during the show, also built the venue’s stage and was married there.

In many ways, the concert reflects the relationships and connections that have developed within Kingston’s music community.

“We love that it’s such an intimate space for live music,” Van Slingerland says. “It feels like the right room for this kind of show.”

A night meant for connection.

Ultimately, the artists hope Through the Looking Glass offers audiences something more than a standard concert experience.

“At the heart of it, we’re three people who really love to write, arrange, and perform music,” they say. “We love telling stories, we love sharing those stories with other people, and we hope they resonate with audiences in a real way.”

That spirit may be the clearest invitation of the evening. Through the Looking Glass is not simply about hearing songs; it is about experiencing the connections between them — the friendships, histories, heartbreaks, and moments of recognition that make live music meaningful.

For audiences who appreciate thoughtful songwriting, close listening, and performances built around story, Broom Factory promises an ideal setting.

“There’s something really joyful about supporting each other’s songs so directly,” the artists say, “not just sharing a bill, but actually helping shape the evening together.”

On June 18, that shared story comes home. Details and tickets avaialble here.