The Beginnings Western Medicine
The start
Western Medicine Show Bio
It’s Friday June 20th , 2025 , we have just finished Western Medicine’s last recording session .For the last two years Shannon Elizabeth and Ray Elliott have been writing and rehearsing and performing songs from our self titled album , Western Medicine . 13 songs , recorded in Saskatoon . Engineered and produced by Ryan Andersen of ryanandesen.ca .Sound-man, engineer and producer . What you will hear is Two guitar’s ,vocals from Shannon Elizabeth , Stevie Brown And Ray Elliott. Our friends Laurel Sapp and Aiden Armstrong join us on Little Pine . Luke Goetz , pedal steele . Wyndham Thiessen cello , that is all .A bare bones , honest Recording . Great Plain’s , Bad land’s and mountain songs . Saskatoon SK, Missoula MT,Jasper AB,Loon Lake SK . Peepeekisis SK , Waterhen SK , Little Pine SK ,Claresholm AB, Sakimay SK.An alt country collaboration with some of Saskatoon’s finest players. Two years in the making , Fall of 2023 we began recording what was supposed to be a three song EP. Here we have an album in the can . Ready for the real work of a release.
This is Western Medicine , Players and singers
Laurel Sapp
New Saskatchewan Based Songwriter Laurel Sapp is a self-taught Indigenous musician from Little Pine First Nations since 1995. Her decision to get back into playing again after a promise made with her children to pursue music again. Tragedy struck with the loss of all her 3 children within four years in 2011 to 2015.
Little did Laurel realize that music would become her source of healing and picked up the guitar and absorbed all her thoughts, feelings and heart into writing again. Ten years later, with her creative song writing adeptness, her songs became real and raw truths of joy, resilience, courage, hope, love, loss, dreams and everyday life that people can relate to. With her raw and soulful vocals, she continues to work on cultivating her signature style of country and folk that she feels drawn to with her music.
Since July 2025, Laurel is currently working on her first album in studio with Producer/Owner Matt Stinn of Rainy Day Recording Co in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. In collaboration with Matt’s professional expertise in mastering music and production, it was a perfect fit to help her with making an album of 8 originals. Songs such as “Devils Crossroads”, “Let’s get it on”, “Fire and Desire”, “Who will lead em home”, “Just what to do”, “No more looking back”, “That will be easy” and “Stand up again” are the songs she carefully selected. Each song is attributed to her raw truths. It is anticipated several singles will be released in the new year of 2026 and a album thereafter.
With the blessings of awarded custody of her 12-year-old grandson Aiden, it has given Laurel another chance to prove life is still beautiful. They have both healed together. They have moved forth together with a strength and a bond like no other. This past summer, both Laurel and little Aiden have collaborated with Artist/Songwriter/Storyteller Ray Elliot on a song “Little Pine” that he had specifically written about their story. Both Laurel and Aiden have their parts singing on the song. It is set to be released on all music platforms. A beautiful story! A beautiful beginning!
With Laurel’s real and raw story telling, her high energy and stage performance, her ability to capture audiences notes worthy mentions of her resilience as a continued Songwriter and New Artist. She continues to write songs from the heart and attributes the promise she made for her music journey in memory of her 3 children, their father and her mother and a new beginning for her and her grandson Aiden.
Laurel Sapp, Indigenous Artist and Songwriter
Shannon Elizabeth, singer-songwriter was born and raised on the Canadian prairies. She grew up in rural Saskatchewan outside the charming town of Balcarres on Peepeekisis First Nation. She is of Cree and Metis decent. Holding true to her country born roots, her music reflects that of Americana Roots Rock with a Southern Country twist. In her early life she grew up within the family band playing shows all over western and central Saskatchewan. Influenced by her grandparents she was no stranger to the art of singing and the stage as early as nine years of age. Shannon discovered her love for writing songs earlier in her young adolescent and adult life, first publishing poetry. A few of her musical influences are Loretta Lynn, Bruce Springsteen, Jewel, Vince Gill and Emmylou Harris. To date Shannon has released a 6 track debut EP “ Way to Memphis” in 2017 with NewSun Records in Nashville, Tennessee. Shannon gained popularity with her songs “Reckless” and “Borderline Crazy” on the airwaves and later charted nationally on the Indigenous Countdown. Shannon is currently working towards another album showcasing her talents for songwriting and music artistry. She continues to travel and work in Nashville, Tennessee. Throughout the year she plays to a wide variety of audiences at various music festivals and venues in Canada and the United States, with her country folk band Western Medicine
Stevie Brown
Care of Ray Elliott
I think I have know Stevie Brown for about 10 years now our musical introduction happened at Bud’s on Broadway . The open stage on Saturdays , often she would come and watch her father Hollis or show up to see Free wheeling Frank Kelly . An old family and bandmate of her father .
It’s only in the last couple of years we have been trading songs back and forth . Stevie is great singer songwriter in her own right . Lyrically brilliant , with a vocal hook
every ,time .Look for her to be recording her own music in the future .
You can find her online music here.
Western Medicine was only supposed to be a three song EP , songs just kept coming .I asked her if she was interested in singing on a few songs in the the fall of 2023 .Here we are now .Ten songs in the can .We are rehearsing with Shannon Elizabeth and working hard towards future live performances .
Stevie Brown , I grew up in Saskatoon, SK.
Living & breathing the Prairies, irrevocably, flowing through my soul.
As a "Southern Aboriginal" woman, born from love, to my Ojibwa, Cree Mother & my Father from the Southern States. I found growing up, that common ground between the two ways of life did not always come easy for me.
Music has allowed me to stand on my own ground.
Neither here, nor there.
Just right where I'm supposed to be.
Letting the music define who I am, and who I'm meant to be.
Forever Grateful, Stevie Brown
Ray Elliott
Hailing from the Rocky Mountains of Alberta, Ray Elliott grew up writing the stories and the music that the mountains wished to share. Moving to the prairies and making his home in Saskatoon . Ray Elliott has brought with him songs that change like the weather in the mountains and flow free like waves on wheat fields in the wind. Nothing too complicated. Just something to connect with and an experience to share.
Ray Elliott has been charming audiences for over thirty years with his story telling and his turn of phrase, both lyrically and musically. With three Ray Elliott Band albums Ray has a long history of playing in western Canada.
Aiden Armstrong
Little pine
Hi, my name is Aiden Armstrong. I live with my kookum Laurel Sapp who is the best kookum ever because she takes care of me and supports me in all my goals and dreams.
I am 12 years old. I live on a farm with 2 dogs and 2 cats. I love music and sing anytime I get the chance to usually in the truck on our drives to soccer or events.
My passion is soccer and I hope to be a professional soccer player when I am older. I enjoy drawing on my spare time and gaming out with my school buddies. I live a pretty simple life where I have a ton of friends who I visit and we do many fun activities. I love to make my best recipe “cinnamon French toast” on weekends and people love it. I enjoy baking too at home when I have free time.
I sang on “Little Pine” song with my kookum Laurel and uncle Ray Elliot. I had a part in the song where Ryan the producer was helping me with my shyness. I was very shy but after I sang a few parts on the song. I felt pretty proud of myself.
I am always looking to try new things and one of them is singing n learning to play guitar like my uncle Ray n kookum Laurel. I have met a few musicians like Gordon Bamford at the Dog Patch and that was so cool. I get to do that with kookum Laurel. She travels a lot and I get to see what she sees and that too is pretty cool.
They inspire me to believe I can do anything I put my mind to. I’m pretty happy about that and helping them sing on a song that is about kookum n my journey.
I say life is pretty good and you can achieve anything you put your mind to it if you believe. I believe!
Sincerely,
Mr Aiden Armstrong
12 years old
LUCAS GOETZ
Salt Licks, Deep dark woods
Pedal Steel
Find him at
WYNDHAM THIESSEN
From his early days touring as Bone Man Slim, to a role as Bluegrass Consultant for Shakespeare on the Saskatchewan, to a recent stint playing cello with The Eagles, Wyndham Thiessen has followed his wide-ranging musical interests down a meandering path. While his considerable abilities on various instruments (including cello, lap steel, and banjo) have made him a frequent collaborator on other musicians’ projects, his own songwriting has always been a musical center of gravity, drawing him back from his various musical sojourns. In 2023, he turned back to songwriting, crafting two dozen new songs that showcase the musicality and dark humour that have characterized all of his previous work. Wyndham performs his new stash of songs backed up by his band, The High-Flying Riders of ’73.
Find him at