Podcasts about ccmas

Send us a textWe sat down with Kyle McKearney to talk about his journey through the alternative country music scene, from growing up in Northern British Columbia to making waves in Nashville and beyond. Kyle shared how his early musical influences, including his family band, shaped his sound and led him to where he is today.He opened up about his evolution as an artist—moving from rock to Americana and country—and why creating music for personal joy has become his focus. Kyle also reflected on Calgary's supportive music community and the special bond he shares with his wife, Sarah, who is a key collaborator in his career.We got into his recent career milestones, including his music being featured on Heartland and winning Alternative Country Album of the Year at the CCMAs. He also talked about the highs and lows of songwriting, the creative process, and the balancing act between family life and touring.Oh, and did you know Kyle has a passion for construction and renovation? Turns out, music isn't the only thing he builds.You can follow Kyle McKearney on Instagram, and Facebook.We're so excited to bring back Season 4 of On The Porch with Front Porch Music. If you liked this episode, please rate, review and subscribe … It's the easiest way to support our show. Grab a drink, pull up a chair, and join us On The Front Porch, every other Tuesday.On The Porch with Front Porch Music is a Front Porch Production and hosted by Logan Miller and Jenna Weishar. On The Porch with Front Porch Music is produced by Jason Saunders. The theme song for this podcast was written, produced, and performed by Owen Riegling.This week, British Columbia's alternative country father-son duo Son of John provide the intro. You can listen to their new song "Jesus & Johnny Cash" is out now. Learn more here >>> Support the show

Send us a textParker Graye first joined us “On the Porch” for Season 1 Episode 4, in 2022. Since then, Parker has solidified herself as an emerging talent in Canadian country music. She's played Boots and Hearts, earned a Top 40 with her single “Good at Gettin' Gone”, and participated as a semi-finalist in SiriusXM's Top of the Country competition. In March 2024, Parker released her debut EP, Lyin' to Me, which earned her top slots on DSP playlist and her first billboard at Yonge and Dundas Square with Amazon Music. At the 2024 CCMAs, Parker was a featured artist on the CCMA Songwriters Unplugged sessions.We recapped these big milestones with Parker in our latest conversation. We also talked about her transition to Nashville, building her circle, and evolving as a songwriter. Parker has some big goals for the next year - but one thing is certain, she's ‘leaving room for the magic'. Parker's current single “Halfway” has surpassed over 1.1 million streams in just four months across streaming platforms.Connect with Parker Graye on Instagram and TikTok. Support the show

(SEASON 3. EP 41) Thrilled to welcome Kelowna's Makayla Charleen to Country with Celine! She just released her latest single, “Marlboro Might,” co-written with David Borys this September, and she shares the story behind the song, which is inspired by a particular saloon in K-Town. Excitingly, the track was also added to Apple Music's ‘New In Country' editorial playlist!  Makayla is gearing up for an exciting 2025, especially with the CCMAs taking place in her hometown! Tune in to find out where you can catch her performing for the rest of this year! SOCIALS  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/makaylacharleenmusic/ Web: https://makaylacharleenmusic.com/ _______________ FOLLOW & KEEP UP with COUNTRY WITH CELINE: Insta: https://www.instagram.com/countrywithceline/  Web: https://countrywithceline.ca Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/country-with-celine/id1563285858 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0ULNqzQp0Tw0Jv4g0Rtjxz

Biden, Starmer discuss letting Ukraine use Western missiles in Russia. The first week back in the office for federal public servants faced glitches -- and opposition. K.D. Lang will reunite with The Reclines to perform at the CCMAs tonight.

The Canadian Country Music Awards are back in Edmonton for the first time in 10 years. While the city isn't always considered the most countryfied city on the Prairies, our love for country music runs deep. CBC's Tristan Mottershead joins host Clare Bonnyman to break down the CCMAs and the national country music scene.

(SEASON 3 EP 31 - MacKenzie Porter) MacKenzie Porter is BACK on Country with Celine to share EXCLUSIVE detail on her debut record ‘Nobody's Born with a Broken Heart' dropping this Friday! She also gets personal and shares how life has been like a new mother to her baby girl Bowen

Presented with The Hockey Podcast Network and Draft Kings Sports Book App. Promo code THPN This week our very good friend Aaron Pritchett, he of Canadian Country Music fame, joined the show to chat all things hockey, Canucks, CCMAs, and the simple things like who would be his band made up of Canucks. The guy is a beauty and always has great stuff to talk about. We get into round one of Canucks vs. Predators, what it will take to win that series and more. Aaron chats about what it's like to play an amped show, what the crowd does to keep you going and how the playoffs make the players go to another level. We take a brief run around the league as well and check out the Eastern conference series as well. TUNE IN AND LETS GOOOO! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sam Hunt joins iHeartRadio's Myles Galloway on his Summer on the Outskirts Tour to talk about touring Canada in the summer, 'Hailey From Toronto' and if he has VIP access at Walmart! Sam Hunt reflects on 10 years of touring, how he feels about his current setlist, and highlighting his amazing band's talents! Sam Hunt also tells us who his favourite Canadian artists, and how excited he is to be playing at the CCMAs!

Got the chance to talk with up and coming Canadian country singer Katelyn Lehner about her turn from track star to singer as well as her brand new EP "10 Bucks." We talked about her time in Calgary during the CCMAs and her upcoming shows in Saskatoon including the EP release show as well as New Years Eve gig w/ Tenille Arts. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/katelynlehnermusic/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katelynlehnermusic/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/9kjmlstar Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/29DPtr6GzknO4fZmFy9KJM?si=gZvgZVYGQSqgCwlx8mbffQ Tickets for her EP Release Show: https://www.showpass.com/katelyn-lehner-debut-ep-release.../ Tickets for NYE show w/Tenille Arts: https://tickets.siga.sk.ca/eventperformances.asp?evt=1127

In partnership with the Canadian Country Music Association, host Sarah Burke led a panel of industry women through a thoughtful discussion about gender parity in country music for a special live recording of the Women in Media Podcast in Calgary, Alberta.  Nicole Iantorno - Manager of Sponsorship & Events, SiriusXM Meghan Patrick – Artist Morgan James – Music Director for Now Country / Program Director of NCI FM, Host Desiree Dorion – Artist Amanda Kingsland – Director of A & R, Universal Music  In the spirit of reconciliACTION and the upcoming National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on September 30th, panelists have donated some proceeds from their panel honorariums to the Downie Wenjack Fund: The Gord Downie & Chanie Wenjack Fund is part of Gord Downie's legacy and embodies his commitment, and that of his family, to improving lives of First Peoples in Canada. In collaboration with the Wenjack Family, the goal of the Fund is to continue the conversation that began with Chanie Wenjack's residential school story, and to aid our collective reconciliation journey through a combination of awareness, education, and action. Read more: https://downiewenjack.ca/  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today's show: we talk to Conservative MP Stephanie Kusie about her party's new leader, Pierre Poilievre; can public art be -- quote -- "scary?" We speak with the Calgary visual artist at the heart of a mural controversy in Vernon, BC; how the town of Taber plans to boost its economy, and its population; our Mack Meyer hits the red carpet at the CCMAs to chat with some of Alberta's top country music talent.

On today's show: what the latest hike in interest rates means for you; Calgary's film union weighs in on the Mayor's trip to Hollywood; a Tik-Tok user living with ovarian cancer joins us to discuss spreading awareness through social media; and singer-songwriter, SACHA is one of the nominees at this year's CCMAs and she joins us to talk about her career.

Meet Robyn Ottolini, our new Canadian Country Music Queen. We talk about her new single "Say It", raccoons, sharks, festival life, being nominated for the CCMAs and more! Show Notes and Images: https://shewillrockyou.com/2022/08/01/meet-the-artist-robyn-ottolini/ Visit Our Website: https://www.shewillrockyou.com Follow us on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@shewillrockyoupodcast Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shewillrockyoupodcast Shop Our Merchandise: https://she-will-rock-you.creator-spring.com/ --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/she-will-rock-you/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/she-will-rock-you/support

Pam is joined by Canadian Country Music Hall of Famer, ACM and CCMA winner Michelle Wright. The two sit down to talk about Michelle's upbringing and experiences in the country music industry, as well as her new album Milestone coming out August 26. Be on the lookout throughout the episode as we share some of the tracks from her new album as well. Michelle has been a powerhouse in country music industry taking home honors at the CCMAs for Single of The Year for “Take it Like a Man”, Female Vocalist of the Year, Entertainer of the Year, Album of the Year, and in 2011 was inducted into the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame. Check out more and stay up to date with Michelle at www.michelle-wright.com.

CCMAs have come and gone and much like a few years ago a got to go as media to cover the festivities. This episode is Part 2 of 2 for my CCMA interviews which includes Ty Hunter of the Hunter Brothers, Ty Baynton, UK artist Katy Hurt, Dustin Bird and Mallory Johnson. Ty Hunter and Mallory were both up for awards in London. the lead singer of the award winning family band The Hunter Brothers, none other than Ty Hunter. Ty was the lone brother in London and represented the family well. Now we had to reschedule the original interview but even with a busy schedule we made it work and got it done. Ty Baynton who after running into him and both of us having some down time at media row he said want to do it, and we did an on the spot interview with no prep just shooting the shit. Learn all about his music. Katy Hurt is a UK artist who is spending a lot of time across the pond in North America these days and has even made it through Winnipeg winters, something that should be a requirement for citizenship. Katy Hurt who has two songs on the go and gives an insight into the UK country music scene. Dustin Bird is a former CMAO rising star nominee who is killing it when it comes to his music on streaming services and even co-wrote a song for the Hunter Brothers new Holiday album. This up and comer will be one to keep an eye on and out for. I may have saved the best for last with Ms. Mallory Johnson. She was nominated for a new award at the CCMAs this year, and even after being interviewed by me in 2019 she was up for doing it again, still not sure why. Recently she took home hardware from Music Newfoundland since interviewing her in London, an amazing talent who with fellow Canadians Twin Kennedy brought a powerful song and message with “Wise Woman.” Thank you once again to all the artists/groups for their time, to the reps who organized the interviews for the artists as well as Penelope PR for once again giving me a media pass and the opportunity to be at media row and take pictures during the CCMA events. Hopefully I am afforded the chance/opportunity to do it again in the fall in Calgary for the 2022 awards.

Today Kayla tells you why she is so stressed about Elf On The Shelf, Stacey talks about her crazy TV experience at the CCMAs..... and THE BEST PART: we tell you the WINNERS of our joke contest!!! Then we finally tell you a joint confession that we think is really bad and we have decided to finally admit it on the podcast. Please don't break up with us. 

CCMAs have come and gone and much like a few years ago a got to go as media to cover the festivities. This episode is Part 1 of 2 for my CCMA interviews which includes Nice Horse, Kendra Kay & Jason Benoit, Manny Blu, Shawn Austin, The Prairie States and Cory Marks. Nice Horse, Shawn and Cory were all nominated for awards this year. Nice Horse, an all female band from Calgary, who were up for Interactive Artist of the year for a 4th time, and Brandi and Krista were up for Video Director of the year for the groups video “High School.” I got to talk with 3 of the 4 members Brandi, Katie and Krista as the fourth horse Tara is currently on the road performing with another act. They are hilarious as they are talented love getting to hear them perform as I did in London. Kendra Kay and Jason Beniot, two award winning singers who came together for a holiday song "How Great Thou Art" now available today (Dec 3rd) on streaming platforms. This was a very enjoyable interview that was hilarious and fun to be a part of. Country Punk ? Well that is Manny Blu, a former MMA fighter turned country musician is bringing his own blend and take on country music and even has a brand new EP “Country Punk” coming out New Years eve. Shawn Austin, a 2021 CCMA Rising Star Nominee is the flag ship artist for the Big Loud/ Dallas Smith venture Local Hay. His debut single for imprint Tailgate to Heaven with Chris Lane has done insanely well over the fall. Next I got to speak with 3 of the members of the Edmonton group The Prairie States. These guys have a great sound and were one of the first groups in Canada to get in NFTs. This group kills it at the Alberta Country Music Awards and looks to break in on the national award scene soon. Last but certainly not least in part one of CCMA interviews is someone I've been dying to interview. He was up for Alternative Country Album of the Year with Who I Am, and who is he ? well he is Cory Marks. The North Bay native has charted well in the US on both the rock and country charts with his blend of the 2 genres but somehow has only found success on the rock charts here in Canada, but that doesn't phase him. Next Week is Part 2 featuring Dustin Bird, Ty Baynton, UK artist Katy Hurt, Ty Hunter of the Hunter Brothers and Mallory Johnson

The CCMA Awards and Canadian Country Music Week are back in London this weekend (Friday, November 26th-Monday, November 29th) and we have the scoop on all the amazing events that are happening!  We were able to chat with Tiffany Astle, the head of communications for the CCMAs, about what can be expected this weekend!  In this episode, we talked about bringing the CCMAs back to London for the second time (the first time being in 2016), why it's important for Canadian country artists to have their own awards, all the amazing FREE events that are happening for Country Music Week, how to get your non-country music fan friends out to the shows and so much more! 

June 24th, 2021 - Hanover's, Jamie Warren, joins Jackie on-air to chat about his career, traveling Canada, songwriting, his brand new single "Cows and Corn" and more!"Jamie Warren is generally regarded as the most awarded independent country vocalist in Canada (Junos, CCMAs, OCMAs). Over his 35-year career he has released 54 singles, many of them hits. He's also known as a great songwriter and if you've ever seen him perform live, maybe a comedian!?Jamie lives in Kitchener Ontario, Canada, but was raised in Hanover Ontario where he pursued an adolescent dream of playing professional hockey in the NHL…with music as a background distraction. When he realized that his natural abilities for singing and playing guitar might make it easier to attract the attention of girls, he hung up his skates. Song writing was a logical progression for a sensitive guy who wrote poetry and short stories throughout his high school years.His interest in music was likely genetic since his mother sang and played piano and his father played guitar and mandolin. Jamie had piano lessons at age 5 and guitar lessons at age 8. By the time he was 10 years old it was tradition for the Warrens to entertain after Saturday night euchre games (a Canadian card-game institution) in their smoke-filled basement. His earliest musical influences were whatever his parents listened to on the radio and the only thing his parent's radio seemed to play, was country music. To this day he's still a huge fan of Merle Haggard, Tammy Wynette and Patsy Cline. Later in high school his best friend's older brother exposed him to celebrated vocal groups like The Eagles, America, Poco and CSNY. Jamie has always had an appreciation for Texas singer-songwriters like Radney Foster, Lyle Lovett and Rodney Crowell.Jamie attended Conestoga College to study Broadcasting. His goal was to become the youngest general manager of a mid-market radio station, but he emerged instead with a desire to sing for a living. What changed his mind? Jamie won a regional talent show at London Ontario's Western Fair which sent him to Memphis Tennessee for an international competition where he placed second. Jamie then stayed in Memphis, while he worked a one-year gig at Libertyland Theme Park as an entertainer.  He still feels a connection to Memphis, the city that kicked off his career."For more visit: https://jamiewarren.com/home/ 

Meghan Patrick was down to her last few dollars when she landed the record deal that would change her life forever. “I was so broke I had to borrow gas money just to get to the signing,” she says with a laugh. “I was still driving my first car, a used pickup truck, and it died right when I pulled into the parking lot at Warner Music Canada. It felt like the end of an era, like the truck was saying, ‘This is where I leave you.'” Now, Patrick's landed herself another high profile record deal, this one with American label Riser House, and, fittingly enough, she's poised to make her highly-anticipated US debut with a tribute to that faithful old truck. Recorded with producer Jeremy Stover (Justin Moore, Eli Young Band), “My First Car” offers up a perfect introduction Patrick's infectious blend of southern rock and classic country, packing the breakout Canadian star's life story into three infectious minutes of pure FM radio gold. Like much of Patrick's writing, the song is equal parts humor and heart, balancing gritty honesty and warm nostalgia as it celebrates the simple joys of growing up in the kind of small town where getting dressed up on a Saturday night means putting a fresh set of mud tires on your pickup. “My first drink was a warm Busch Light / And my first scar is from an old dirt bike,” she sings in a larger-than-life voice matched only by the track's blockbuster production. “My first love grew up on a farm / My first buck is tattooed on my arm.” “Everything in that song comes straight out of my own experiences,” says Patrick. “I wanted it to be a way of telling my audience about who I really am, about how I was raised and the things that I carry in my heart.” A back-to-back CCMA Female Artist of the Year winner with several Top Ten singles to her name already, Patrick never imagined she'd grow up to be a country singer, Though she was raised on her parents' eclectic record collection, which contained everything from Neil Young and Hank Williams to Led Zeppelin and Aretha Franklin. As a solo artist, she began playing open mic nights, which quickly gave way to bar and club gigs, and within a year of signing to Warner, she was playing arenas on the road with Tom Cochrane and cutting her debut album, ‘Grace & Grit,' with Vince Gill and Justin Niebank in Nashville. The record garnered an avalanche of awards and acclaim for Patrick, who set a record by taking home both the Sirius/XM Rising Star and Female Artist of the Year honors at the CCMAs, and it significantly raised her profile ahead of her 2018 follow-up, ‘Country Music Made Me Do It,' which yielded her first #1 single, “Walls Come Down.” “‘Country Music Made Me Do It' was a big turning point in my life,” says Patrick. “It was the first record I made after moving to Nashville full-time, which was a really important step for me because I wanted to put myself in the mix with the best of the best. Living here still leaves me humbled and inspired and challenges me to grow as a writer every single day.” Patrick's most recent collection, the Juno Award-winning ‘Wild As Me' EP, showcases that continued growth, with the exhilarating title track quickly racking up over a million streams on Spotify alone and setting the stage for her eagerly awaited American introduction with “My First Car” and its similarly intoxicating follow-up single, “Goes Good With Beer.” “I'm hoping America will embrace me as something a little different,” Patrick reflects. “There's a real Southern rock edge to the music I'm making, and I think audiences are hungry for that right now, especially in a live setting, which is my happy place. As soon as it's safe to get back on the road, I'll be touring like crazy again because I was born to be a performer.” With ‘My First Car,' Meghan Patrick proves she was born to be a star, too.

Shawn is a full-time musician and songwriter splitting time between Vancouver, Toronto and Nashville. Shawn has had success in Canada as an artist with more than 6 million collective streams to date and was nominated for the Rising Star Award at the CCMAs in 2019. Shawn grew up in Vancouver and was on track for a career in professional baseball until a knee injury ended his career. At the time it was hard for Shawn, but he now realizes it gave him the boost to focus on music. Before completely focusing on music full-time, Shawn worked as a financial advisor while playing 10 gigs a week. Shawn credits his wife for being his biggest supporter and inspiration.

Shawn is a full-time musician and songwriter splitting time between Vancouver, Toronto and Nashville. Shawn has had success in Canada as an artist with more than 6 million collective streams to date and was nominated for the Rising Star Award at the CCMAs in 2019. Shawn grew up in Vancouver and was on track for a career in professional baseball until a knee injury ended his career. At the time it was hard for Shawn, but he now realizes it gave him the boost to focus on music. Before completely focusing on music full-time, Shawn worked as a financial advisor while playing 10 gigs a week. Shawn credits his wife for being his biggest supporter and inspiration.

You may have heard of the RISE Conference or The Ace Class and today we are chatting with the founder herself, Mandy Balak. Mandy is a master of community, connection and growth. She shares some of her challenges as an entrepreneur, where she draws inspiration from to grow her business, some of her best time management and success tips and more. She is also giving us ALL of the details on her upcoming RISE Conference at the beautiful Chateau Lake Louise this April! You can use the "GLOWGETTER" code to get a 15% discount off your ticket at www.jointherise.com just for listening in today! Are you ready? Let's glow! LET'S CONNECT ON INSTAGRAM: www.instagram.com/ashleymeadahl  

Do you have BIG plans, ideas or goals but you aren't sure how to achieve them? Have you considered going after your passion as a business but you don't know where to start? Today, I am opening up about my business journey, what I've learned from almost 12 years in my current business, some of the struggles I faced as an entrepreneur and how I made a BIG transition of change. Are you ready? Let's glow! I would love to hear your takeaways from today's episode! MSG ME ON INSTAGRAM: www.instagram.com/ashleymeadahl  

Do you feel alone in the world of Entrepreneurship? Do you work from home? Do you ever feel disconnected from others? Today's guest is Connie Jakab, a mental health awareness advocate, a speaker, coach and coming this spring 2020, a published author! She is chatting with us about little changes we can make to feel strong and how we can take care of ourselves, while also supporting others. Are you ready? Let's glow! DM ME ON INSTAGRAM: www.instagram.com/ashleymeadahl   I would love to hear your takeaways from today's episode! Don't forget to screenshot and share that you were listening in on Facebook and/or Instagram.

One of the questions I get asked most is how I stay organized when my schedule is so busy and I am always on the go. Today, I am going to share my TOP 5 Favorite Business Apps that I have implemented into my Business to not only stay organized but become more focused. I am also going to share how they can work for you too! Are you ready? Let's glow! DM ME ON INSTAGRAM: www.instagram.com/ashleymeadahl   I would love to hear your takeaways from today's episode! Don't forget to screenshot and share that you were listening in on Facebook and/or Instagram.

Have you dreamed of building your own Empire? Have you dreamed of building a supportive community with over a million followers? Today's Guest, Angela Desveaux, founder, editor in chief and creative director of WedLuxe, a global media brand that offers print, digital, social and live event platforms. Her Pinterest account alone reaches over 8.2 million viewers per month.  Angela walks us through some of the challenges she has faced while building her business, what has helped her overcome these challenges, what advice she would give to someone starting a business and to someone looking to grow their business and so much more. Are you ready? Let's glow! SEND ME A DM ON INSTAGRAM: www.instagram.com/ashleymeadahl  

Do you ever feel stuck when working on your goals? Have you lost focus or motivation? Today, I want to share a variety of ways you can keep your energy going, how you can recharge your battery, boost your creativity, find new inspiration, to keep you moving forward. Are you ready? Let's glow! I would love to hear your takeaways from today's episode and if you are interested in my upcoming Women in Biz Retreat! CONNECT WITH ME ON INSTAGRAM: www.instagram.com/ashleymeadahl  

It is an honor to introduce you today to one of our friends, Brett Kissel, who was recently named male artist of the year by the Canadian Country Music Association. He is a rising international superstar who also won an award from the Worldwide Radio Summit in Hollywood and was named International Artist of the Year — an accolade he shares with A-listers like Adele and Ed Sheehan. He has won two Juno Awards, 12 CCMAs, he has got an honor from Canada's Walk of Fame, as well as many other prestigious awards. In today's episode, you will hear how Brett built his music career from the age of seven and how a strong work ethic has brought him to his present-day success.

Filthy Friday: Not a new segment on Mornings at the Cabin. That's more of a Calgary thing. Speaking of Calgary, Cabin Country host Samantha Stuart is there right now for the CCMA's! We check in with her as well as talking a bit about the Cabin Family Feud audition video, which will most definitely NOT land us a spot on Family Feud Canada!

My guest today is Clayton Bellamy who with The Road Hammers have won 5 Canadian Country Music Awards, a JUNO award, and SOCAN Songwriter of the Year. They are the best selling Canadian country band of all time. He has an exciting new project called Clayton Bellamy & The Congregation whose sound is a high-octane blend of gospel, R&B, and riff-driven hard rock. Detailed show notes: http://dianefoy.com/001 http://www.claytonbellamyband.com/ http://theroadhammers.com/ “Commandment #11 (Love Someone)” video https://youtu.be/dkJPtzQ_SoM Join the Sing! Dance! Act! Thrive! FB Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/singdanceactthrive/

Brittany Brodie is a singer-songwriter who appreciates every genre of music. From a young age, she’s always known she wanted a career in the music business and her strong work ethic and positive attitude has made her the artist she is today.   Brittany grew up on traditional country music from Vern Gosdin and Dottie West to Hank Williams and George Strait. In later years, she was listening to The Dixie Chicks, Lee Ann Womack and Rascall Flatts. With an appreciation for all genres of music, she found inspiration from The Spice Girls. “They were a game changer for me. They inspired me in more ways than I ever imagined. I owe them a lot.”   Brittany has a love of all that is musical and a full vocal range means you’ll find her singing a wide variety of tunes. “I will be driving along in my car listening to Katherine Jenkins (classical) and then some Bryan Adams (Summer of ’69) … one of the greatest songs ever.” This talented Ontario Country artist is here to talk about her music career, the recent CCMAS and her two latest singles Together Never Alone & Phoenix.  

TwoShine County - the Calgary-based Country duo consisting of front men Daron Schofield and Dennis Hann - has just released a new single 'Love This Song."  Stevie Jewel - born in Muskoka, Ontario and now living in Nashville - has just released her new single "Memory Lane." Ryan Keown - Manitoba Country artist - has just released his new single "Amen." All three acts will being performing as part of Country Music Week and the CCMAs in Halifax in September 2015. Check out more In The Country interviews at www.inthecountryinterviews.com

After taking home the Rising Star Award at the 2014 Country Music Association of Ontario Awards, Jordan McIntosh continues to climb the ranks as one of Canada’s hottest new country stars. No stranger to the stage, the 19-year-old Ottawa native has toured with country stars Brett Kissel and, most recently, Emerson Drive. Additionally, he performed on the main stage at the third annual Boots and Hearts Festival in August. A top 6 finalist in the 2014 CCMA Discovery program, Jordan has been nominated for this year’s Rising Star Award at the Canadian Country Music Association Awards which will be held in Halifax (Sunday, September 13). Jordan’s first influence was his older sister, Melissa. “My entire family is musical, but I idolized my sister. She started to sing before I did and, being younger, I wanted to do everything she did. That’s how I found out I could sing. I never really studied music. I just sang all the time. I know there’s a one in a million chance that you can make a career of your ability to sing. That’s always kept me focused, but I couldn’t do any of this without my family.”

This week, we've got feature interviews with country singer Jason Benoit and jazz guitarist Thomas Carbou in addition to some interesting figures from Nielsen Soundscan on the state of the Canadian music industry halfway into 2015. Benoit was recently announced as the winner of the CCMA's Atlantic Canada Discovery Program, only to be nominated for the Rising Star Award of the 2015 CCMAs weeks later. It's been a busy summer for the native Newfoundlander, and we talk about his success thus far and how his singles like "Gone Long Gone" came together. As for Carbou, Mike spoke with him ahead of a performance at the 2015 Montreal International Jazz Festival. Named as one of Montreal's top guitarists to watch, his style is sure to impress. He and David Binney chat about some things they have underway. And don't miss our Canadian Spotlight Song of the Week from North Sydney, NS's City Walk. The track is called "Summer," and it's a great tune worthy of the season after which it's named.

With over 25 hit singles and 12 CCMAs in the past two decades, DOC WALKER's Chris Thorsteinson and Dave Wasyliw have seen it all - but at the end of the day, they know what - and who – is ultimately important. That’s What I Call Love, a romantic tribute to their wives, follows the top ten single Put It Into Drive, the summer jam Shake It Like It’s Saturday Night and the catchy That’s How I Like It - all from their latest album called The 8th. Manitoba's Doc Walker called on fans to submit family and love-inspired photos, giving other families and couples a chance to share their love. The pictures are featured in the lyric video for That's What I Call Love. “Our music speaks to the pride we have in our roots, and the gratitude we have to the fans,” says lead singer Chris Thorsteinson, “and that is the most important thing. At the end of the day, all we want to do is write a record that we love, and that we know our fans are going to love and want to sing along to.”

After winning her first major singing competition in 2008, Alberta Country artist CANDICE RYAN knew that performing live is what she was born to do and started on her career building journey. Music was around her from the time she was a young girl. Her father would play guitar and she would sing along to all the songs. Once she was old enough her dad gave her a guitar and taught her how to play a couple chords. In 2013, Candice released her debut EP Welcome To Our World and the first single released Cougar Blonde was picked up on over 30 radio stations across Canada. In that same year she sang on stage with Vince Gill and The Time Jumpers in Nashville at Tootsie's. She was selected as the 2013 Edmonton Oil Kings Anthem singer for their Playoff run. Within the first active year of performing live she opened up for 2 time CCMA Group of the Year Hey Romeo and was selected for 3 Showcases during the 2013 CCMAs where she won 2nd place during the Aboriginal Showcase. Candice has helped out with many charities and functions over the last few years, the one that has touched her heart the most is working with The Special Olympians. Candice released her single California Sunrise in February 2014. She is currently writing with a few of Canada’s most talented songwriters to complete her first full length album for release in the summer of 2014.

It's the height of awards season, and before The Critics' Choice Movie Awards airs on the 16th, BFCA member Marc Eastman and co-host extraordinaire Shane Leonard give their take on the nominations, and their predictions. We'll also be playing a bit of catch-up, reviewing award darling Her, as well as Lone Survivor, and August: Osage County. Find out what we think of the upcoming awards shows, and get the full scoop on what we think will win not only the CCMAs, but also the Academy Awards.