Chest Fever Releases Latest Single “ACADIAN DRIFTWOOD” from The 21st Century Last Waltz – Live at Massey Hall

Today, Chest Fever officially releases “Acadian Driftwood,” the latest single from their upcoming album The 21st Century LAST WALTZ – Live At Massey Hall. Recorded during the band’s landmark performance at Toronto’s legendary Massey Hall on November 18, 2023, the single continues the band’s weekly rollout of songs and videos leading up to the full album’s release on September 18, 2026. The August 15 release date coincides with National Acadian Day in Canada—a fitting choice for a song that celebrates Acadian history, culture and resilience.

“Acadian Driftwood” is a song with a lot of history; it tells the story of the forced displacement of the Acadian people during the 18th-century in Canada, and The Band’s original recording famously passed the lead vocals between Richard Manuel, Levon Helm, and Rick Danko. A roots-driven rendition of the 1975 song off of The Band’s Northern Lights – Southern Cross, Chest Fever’s “Acadian Driftwood” draws on the song’s distinctive blend of folk, country, Cajun and rock influences, and adds layers of musicality from Scarlet Rivera’s expressive fiddle and Cindy Cashdollar’s steel guitar. The Redhill Valleys, an Ontario-based folk trio, further expand the performance with their characteristic harmonization.

The single brings together a group of musicians whose own histories intersect with the musical legacy of The Band. Scarlet Rivera, who became internationally known through her work with Bob Dylan on the album Desire and The Rolling Thunder Revue, has helped make violin an integral part of Dylan’s mid-1970s sound, and she has since worked across rock, folk, jazz, Celtic and world music genres.

For Cindy Cashdollar, the performance represents a meaningful return to the very music that set the soundtrack to her own story; The Woodstock native developed her skills alongside local musicians including Levon Helm and Rick Danko. She has subsequently performed and recorded with artists including Bob Dylan, Van Morrison, Willie Nelson, and Ryan Adams, among others. Her connection to The Band, in particular, runs especially deep: “Growing up in Woodstock, I knew Levon, Garth, Rick and Richard very well; they were dear friends, and I also performed with them,” she recalls. “I was in an acoustic band with Rick and Levon for a year or two, and then was with Levon Helm in The Woodstock Allstars.”

She also emphasizes the unique collection of musicians assembled for the Massey Hall show: “The variety of artists was very impressive to me too. I thought that they [Chest Fever] did a great job in choosing the songs for each guest's vocals and instrumentation. And I was also very pleased to see Scarlet Rivera and Sylvia Tyson. We had all done a tour many years ago, so it was kind of fun to come full circle.”

Reflecting on the experience of performing The Band’s music decades later, Cashdollar says, “It makes you feel so much when you hear these songs, because of the way they were performed, with such integrity and such musicality. It really was a special blend of people that came together that formed The Band, and I really think it's like love, you know, it's so hard to explain to someone that's never been in love what it means or what it feels like, and I think it's the same way with music.”

“Acadian Driftwood” is a song about exile, displacement, and memory, but it’s not slow and mournful. Chest Fever, along with Cashdollar, Rivera, and The Redhill Valleys, roll through the song with a rocking and windswept ryythm. In Chest Fever’s hands, it’s not simply a recreation of a classic Band recording, but a meeting point between generations who have lived alongside its music and its history.

“Acadian Driftwood” is available for streaming on all major platforms. The full album, The 21st Century LAST WALTZ – Live At Massey Hall, will be available for streaming on September 18, 2026. For more updates, releases, tour announcements, and other exclusive content, visit chestfeverofficial.com, and follow Chest Fever on social media:

Facebook: Chest Fever Official
Instagram: @chestfeverofficial
YouTube: Chest Fever Official

X: @chestfeverog

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