February 2023 – Page 2 – Country Music Association of Ontario

February 10, 2023

Bree Taylor

Bree Taylor is a multi-nominated country artist with a unique sound and infectious energy. With a career built on authenticity and resilience, Bree has become known for her contagious upbeat music and relatable lyrics. Despite her hearing impairment, she has made a name for herself as a rising country superstar, with a recent win for FAN CHOICE AWARD 2022 with Mississauga Music and has had 3 songs chart to number 1 on the Canadian Indie Country Charts. Bree’s debut album “DAUNTLESS” is a testament to her fearless spirit and unapologetic nature, making her a must-see songwriter and live performer.

February 8, 2023

Artist of the Month: Rosewood Ave

From the twang-thang sound flowing out of husband/wife duo Rosewood Ave, it would be easy to think there’s a spiritual connection between Iroquois Falls, ON and the US Midwest, but somehow, Dave and Sabrina’s combined DNA just comes out that way. And like many good stories, it all started with a disaster. A paper mill shutdown can’t be classified as a good thing, but it relocated Dave’s family into a house across the street (or should we say… Ave?) from Sabrina’s and it didn’t take long for the sparks to fly. The value-add showed up when they discovered their voices meshed over shared musical taste. They married in 2017 and two years later, had become confident enough in their musical abilities to approach some music […]

February 8, 2023

Ontario’s Country Music Pioneers: Murray McLauchlan

// by Larry Delaney // (#71 in the Ontario Country Music Pioneers Series) Murray McLauchlan and the music he makes cannot be pigeon-holed into one category… he pretty much covers all popular musical genres – Folk, Pop, Rock, Cabaret – and, oh ya, COUNTRY. In fact, his “Farmer’s Song”, and its recording, is about as Country as it gets!! Murray McLauchlan was born June 30, 1948, in Paisley, Scotland. He came to Canada with his family when he was five years old, settling in Toronto. By the time he was in his early teens, he was learning his craft as a singer/songwriter/musician while haunting the coffee house scene in Toronto. After a brief stay in New York, Murray returned to Toronto and in 1970, he […]

February 8, 2023

In The Spotlight with Dave Woods: Nicole Rayy

Over 40K social media followers can’t be wrong! They know that Nicole Rayy has been delivering solid singles & captivating music videos since her introduction on the Canadian Country Music scene in 2012. Her biggest singles include “All Woman”, “Broken Boys”, “Feels Like Yesterday”, “House Of Cards” & “Graveyard”. The numbers don’t lie – over 3 million catalogue streams to date, with her single “Feels Like Yesterday” garnering over 600K streams alone. A four-time CMAOntario nominee, Nicole has received praise from country music outlets like The Boot, Complete Country and Top Country while finding her music added to popular playlists like Spotify’s New Music Nashville, Women in Country, Live Country and Best Country Songs of 2021 as well as Amazon Music’s Breakthrough Country and Fresh […]

February 8, 2023

Kasey Nugent

February 8, 2023

In The News (February 2023)

This section of the newsletter is comprised of news stories, press releases and links to Internet articles that are sent in by our members who believe they will be of general interest to the membership. We include them as a courtesy to our members but do not verify or edit their content. Their inclusion does not constitute an endorsement by the CMAOntario nor do their contents reflect the views or opinions of the CMAOntario. If you would like to have something included in the newsletter, please send us a short synopsis, a photo or graphic and the hotlink that can be included in the news listing. Submissions can be sent to verle@cmaontario.ca. Please make sure the Subject Line reads “For inclusion in the CMAOntario Newsletter”. […]

February 6, 2023

Jessica Sevier

Toronto born vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Jessica Sevier is an up and coming country music artist with lots of accomplishments under her belt. Sevier has released many singles since her debut “Ghost of Tom” in 2019, with her music being collectively streamed over 1 million times.   Sevier’s success has gained the attention of some of Sony/Atv and Liz Rose Music’s most talented writers, landing her single “Confetti”. Recorded down in Nashville with Grady Saxman (Luke Combs, Tenille Arts) this record has been nothing but a success with gaining regular rotation on Canadian country radio as well as SiriusXM, and surpassing 400k streams since its release in March 2022. As well, “Confetti” reached the #1 spot on the Canadian Indie Country Radio Charts. Sevier’s most recent […]