Owen Riegling has been picking away at a guitar since he was eleven years old. Growing up on a 100-acre farm outside of Mildmay, Ontario, Owen’s childhood consisted of playing hockey, riding dirt bikes, and a life written about in country songs.   Country music didn’t really cross his radar until it hit the mainstream. He was more into rock music, and the Best of Steve Miller Band. It was Eric Church and Tyler Childers that captured Owen’s attention and drew his creative mind to the country genre. It was from artists like these that he learned he could bring together the elements of both rock and outlaw country that he loved and give them a modern spin that would resonate with listeners today.   […]

(English version follows) Avril étant le mois de sensibilisation à l’Autisme, il était impensable de ne pas parler de Vincent Bishop. Ce jeune auteur-compositeur-interprète trace son chemin dans l’industrie musicale loin des sentiers battus. Ses paroles sensibles et intelligentes, sa pédale « loop » qui ne chôme pas et son charisme qui sourit à travers chaque composition lui créent un style autant envoutant qu’accrocheur. Multi-instrumentiste, Vincent fait souvent appel à de rythmes entraînants et des mélodies légères pour transmettre des messages importants sur la différence et la discrimination dans ses chansons, ayant lui-même été diagnostiqué comme atteint du syndrome d’Asperger, un trouble du spectre autistique (TSA). Il est également très impliqué dans les écoles, où il offre des ateliers et des conférences pour sensibiliser les jeunes. Son […]

When any artist or band can list Garth Brooks and Asleep at the Wheel’s Ray Benson among their many fans, they must be hitting a lot of home runs. Easily Canada’s premier Western Swing group, The Western Swing Authority’s pedigree is overflowing with the talent of its A-list members – some of the country’s finest touring and studio musicians. Celebrating their 13th year of swinging this April, it’s truly a labour of love for this crew and it shows if you’ve ever witnessed a live WSA gig. If you haven’t, order their DVD The Western Swing Authority – LIVE in Full Swing – A High Brow Hootenanny, settle into your couch and be prepared to book therapy for sore cheeks the next day. That might […]

Jason Blaine may sing about being “Born to Love”, but he really was born to entertain and has a track record to prove it. Growing up in Pembroke, Ontario, Jason and his family moved to Nashville in 2006, where he got to work as a songwriter. His single “Rock In My Boot” would be released just one year later and would thrust him into the spotlight as his first number one song. It’s also one of 25 Billboard charting tracks for Jason to date. His love for country music has solidified his role in the industry as a top songwriter, artist and entertainer. Countless CCMA, SOCAN, and CMAOntario awards, over 10 million streams across DSPs, and seven albums (soon to be eight) round out Jason’s […]

Anyone who follows Genevieve Fisher would probably notice that she doesn’t use the brakes much. Nope. Her foot’s on that long skinny pedal most of the time, taking some corners on two wheels. If you’re counting, you will notice that Genevieve has charted 9 top 50 singles, with “Take It On Home” and “You Me We” climbing into Canada’s Top 20 and Top 30 respectively. She even invaded the Top 40 with two singles simultaneously: her duet with David James, “Then There’s You” and her solo release, “Playing Favourites”. London-born and raised, her Indigenous heritage qualified her to register three number one hits on the North American Indigenous Music Countdown chart. Genevieve has carefully built a creative team around her, writing with some of country […]

If it looks like Nate Haller has too much to celebrate, well… that’s all his fault. OK, let’s do a little inventory: Nate’s debut track, “Lightning in a Bottle”, released earlier this year, invaded the Top 10 at Canadian country radio; he was named as iHeart Radio’s Future Star; his current tracks have amassed over three million global streams; he was featured on Spotify’s RADAR program; then he signed a management deal with Starseed Entertainment (James Barker Band, The Reklaws, Jade Eagleson). If we stopped there, wouldn’t that be more than enough to pop some champagne? You would think so, but the story gets deeper. “Lightning in a Bottle,” was actually the #2 most added track in its week of release (week of 04.20.21) at […]

Brothers Cory and Jeff Papineau have made a life out of turning lemons into lemonade and with that in mind, the Ottawa-born country music duo’s name, Lemon Cash, is perfect for them. The singer-songwriters come together with a lifetime of musical pursuit, shared experiences (good and bad), and a love of everything they put into their music. The brothers hail from a musical family – singing, writing and performing together (even for the answering machine) years before forming Lemon Cash, initially as an alt rock cover band. At the urging of their family, Cory and Jeff made the move to country (keeping some of the rock edge where it’s needed). With artists like Patsy Cline, George Jones, George Strait, Dolly Parton, Tim McGraw and Garth […]

What happens when three experienced country music voices come together to try a new vibe and sound? New Moon Junction happens. Barb Doran, Tamara Maddalen and Matt Rogers came together to create the new country music trio, offering something new to fans and listeners who may have already known them on their own. And that was intentional.  “That was the idea right from the start. Typically, my music is quite serious – even depressing at times – but the great thing about the three of us together is that we very much focus on being positive and upbeat.” said Doran about the group’s sound and mission statement. In 2021 (so far) the trio has released their first 2 singles. Real Good Kinda Thing came first […]

From small-town Shelburne, ON and ready to make waves in country music, Jessica Sole has arrived. Her new single, Think Of Us, was released to digital platforms and country radio in mid-August, and is already picking up steam through playlists, streams, and spins. The track has landed on curated playlists at Amazon Music, and made it to Sirius XM CBC Country, cracking the Top 40 on the CBC chart just two weeks after its digital release. With inspirations like Kacey Musgraves, Miranda Lambert and Taylor Swift, Jessica Sole has dug into her songwriting and sound, carving out her space and building her audience as she goes. Those inspirations shine through in Think Of Us, with early Swift-esque storytelling and charm from beginning to end. On […]

Sometimes things come together really fast and you can’t stop them once they start rolling, and that’s the story of Smoke & Ashes in a nutshell. The new Canadian country music duo describes their coming together as a match thrown on gasoline, ever since their first songwriting session in April 2021. Now, just a few months later, the pair have released their first single, High On Sunday, and are preparing to release their debut EP later this year. Smoke & Ashes is the partnership of industry veteran (musician, singer, writer, producer, and more) Pete Lesperance and the 2020 Country Music Association of Ontario Awards’ Rising Star winner, singer-songwriter Aaron Allen. If High On Sunday is a taste of what we’re going to get on the […]

If you don’t know Charissa, now is a wonderful time to get yourself introduced. The Burlington, ON singer-songwriter draws from the sounds and vibe of Americana and classic Soul to craft her style, and it’s working. For Ontario country fans who don’t know her yet, that introduction can happen live at the 2021 Country Music Association of Ontario New Faces Showcase and Concert (September 3, 2021) at the Ancaster Fairgrounds in Hamilton. Charissa will perform alongside emerging favourites, including Robyn Ottolini, Aaron Allen, Genevieve Fisher, and more! Still in her mid-20s, Charissa is no stranger to the stage, with more than a decade under her boots already. In fact, you can go back to the summer of 2009, when a 12-year-old Charissa wowed the judges […]

Elyse Saunders is a Peterborough, ON native and a 2-time 2021 Country Music Association of Ontario Awards nominee. This talented singer-songwriter has spent the last few years working hard to share her music with country music fans in Canada and beyond. The 2021 Rising Star and Female Artist of the Year nominee’s most recent release, Sunshine State Of Mind (May 14, 2021), is timed perfectly, as we head into the summer months – still searching for our way back to comfort and togetherness and a sense of normalcy. It’s a smooth track, designed for Saunders to show off her vocal skills, groove through the lyrics and take you to another place while you listen. In a social media post a week after the single release, […]