In The News (February 2022)

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”. The deadline for submissions is the 20th of each month.

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New Moon Junction Releases 3rd Single

New Moon Junction, the Ontario-based trio of Barb Doran, Tamara Maddalen, and Matt Rogers introduced themselves to the Canadian Country music scene last year. They quickly made a name for themselves and have been called, “Ontario’s best kept secret”, “Country’s Hottest Trio”, and “Canada’s Lady A”.

The new single, “Don’t” is about the longing of lost love and how hard it is to let go. Delivered with their unique blend of harmonies and a seamless combination of new and old school country crafted to perfection by Multi-platinum selling producer Jeff Dalziel.

As the group continues to expand their fanbase and gain momentum you can expect to hear more great music coming your way.

www.newmoonjunction.com

(Source: Member Submission)

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“Trust Issues” is the Newest Single from Robyn Ottolini

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Matt Morson Spotlights Ontario Talent with “Who We Are” Music Showcases

Ontario artist Matt Morson shines the spotlight on his fellow artists with two confirmed showcases in April.

April 9th – Collingwood – Simcoe Street Theatre

Featuring Collingwood’s own, Rebecca Rain, Nobleton’s Matt Morson, Oakville’s Paige Rutledge and Barrie’s rising star, Brian John Harwood. Get close and personal with the artists as they discuss their music, their new releases and future plans.
Tickets at eventbrite.ca

April 24th – Richmond Hill – Richmond Hill Centre for the Performing Arts
Featuring Nicole Rayy, Emily Clair, Matt Morson and closing the show The Redhill Valleys. Hosted by country personality Dave Woods from “In the Country with Dave Woods”.
The show is sure to put a step in your boots and a smile on your face.
Packed with entertainment, interviews and of course great live Country Music in the ‘Ole Opry style’ truly an entertainment experience for the entire family to enjoy.
Tickets at rhcentre.ca

Both shows are VEC Entertainment Group Productions, and proudly supported by the CMAOntario and KX Country. Additional shows to be announced.

(Source: Member Submission)

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Curve and 49th Entertainment Sign Carson Janik

Curve Music (former CMAOntario Director Brian Hetherman¹s company) and Nashville-based 49th Entertainment (led by Terry Sawchuk) have teamed up to announce the signing of fast-rising 17-year-old Ontario country artist Carson Janik. This venture is a new label, management, and production partnership, and includes a distribution deal with Warner Music in North America. CEO of Curve Music/Cerberus Management, Hetherman’s cv includes roles as A&R director at MCA/Universal, Head of Universal Publishing, and CEO, VP of FACTOR, and he’ll handle operations in Canada. Producer, songwriter, and mixer Terry Sawchuk has worked with the likes of Alanis Morissette, Jake Owen, Phil Collins, Sarah Bareilles, and Mutt Lange, and he wrote Owens blockbuster (3x platinum hit) Barefoot Blue Jean Night. He’ll look after Nashville operations.

(Source: FYI Music News – Edited)

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Brian John Harwood’s New Single ft. Jason McCoy Available February 18th

Rising Ontario country artist Brian John Harwood is joined by Juno nominated & CCMA award-winning Canadian country icon Jason McCoy for his new single “Savin’ Up for a Friday”. This working-class anthem is bound to live rent-free in your head after just 1 chorus. “This is a song for everyone who’s working their a** off out there. Cheers to Friday nights!” Brian says. This single, produced by Dustin Bird (Open Road Recordings) and written by Brian, Jason and Dustin, is destined for tailgates & bonfires across Canada, Friday Feb. 18th.

(Source: Member Submission)

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Johnny Reid Is Primed To Launch 100+ Canadian Concert Dates

Johnny Reid’s earlier postponed concert tour is back on and is scheduled to start in March.

Love Someone: An Intimate Evening with Johnny Reid is a monster of a tour too, topping more than 100 shows with multiple show dates from Vancouver Island to Newfoundland.

Opening nights are March 15 and 16 at Club Regent Event Centre in Winnipeg. The final dates according to the schedule are at the Regent Theatre in Oshawa, Oct. 27 and 28.

The six-time Juno Award winner will be promoting his eleventh album, Love Someone, released in October 2021 through UMC.

(Source: FYI Music News)

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SOCAN Foundation Announces Second Annual Her Music Awards

The SOCAN Foundation in partnership with Bandzoogle recently announced the second annual Her Music Awards.

The Her Music Awards is a program designed to celebrate and support female-identified, mid-career Canadian music creators who are on the verge of taking their creative careers to the next level. The Awards are administered by the SOCAN Foundation, with financial contributions made by SOCAN Foundation and Bandzoogle.

“Even before the pandemic, women in music were underpaid, underrepresented, and faced additional barriers and harassment,” said Charlie Wall-Andrews, Executive Director of SOCAN Foundation. “The Her Music Awards create an opportunity to help overcome the obstacles and to celebrate and empower female-identified music creators that are building momentum towards their career trajectory.”

Renowned Canadian artist and jury committee chair, Shakura S’Aida will host the award show on February 25th through the virtual world meeting space Aire Ouverte via the SOCAN Foundation office. Award recipients will be selected to receive two grand prizes of $5k each. New to this year are five honourable mentions of $1k each also to be awarded.

For full details and more information about the SOCAN Foundation and the Her Music Awards, visit www.socanfoundation.ca.

(Source: Press Release)

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Danielle Todd Releases New Single, “Heat of the Moment”

The uptempo, pop country song sums up what it means to be young and carefree, caught up in the joys of living. With lyrics about seizing the moment and staying wild, Danielle Todd’s latest single begins introspective and nostalgic before picking up momentum. The track is an energetic and uplifting summertime jam, sure to have you reminiscing about your own glory days. The single marks Todd’s first release in two years and will include an official music video release in late February.

“Heat of the Moment” has been a song that I’ve been hanging onto for quite some time. I’ve held it close to my heart and had always planned on releasing it when the time was right. The second verse of the song, in particular, is something that I am so incredibly proud of. It really shines a light on some of life’s darkest moments and it is a great reminder to appreciate every moment that we have. While the lyrics can be ‘deeper’ in the verses, the chorus lyrics are light and upbeat which I’ve always loved about this track. On top of that, the production turned this song into a boppin’ tune and I love how the production and lyrics can wake up some forgotten memories in your head. Nostalgia is a very hard feeling to recreate and I feel like this song achieves that. I listen to it and I’m instantly taken back to those fleeting moments in high school, first love, first weekend away with friends, that whole carefree, ‘we are unstoppable’, feeling comes right back. It is a reminder on how important it is to keep those feelings alive, make every single second count, and live in “The Heat of the Moment.” – Danielle Todd

Danielle has done everything in her power to make music her mainstay – everything from uprooting her life in Canada to move to Nashville, to working successive shifts on Nashville’s acclaimed Broadway, to writing and performing countless songs globally.

Danielle has continued to hone her sound, resulting in a pop-country mix infused with undeniable Stevie Knicks-esque inspiration. With the pop sensibilities of the likes of Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston, a touch of edginess, and a little bit of quirk that Danielle finds indicative of her sound, songs like her debut single, “Crazy,” came to be.

Released in early 2019, “Crazy,” co-penned with Bobbi Holliday and Caitie Thompson, took Danielle to higher heights, achieving accolades like Ontario’s Artist of the Month in April 2019 and winning Country 104’s “Women in Country March Madness” with Carrie Underwood as the competition. The fresh, upbeat tune even went so far as to enjoy a spot at #80 on Canada’s TRAX Report, #28 on Sirius XM’s CBC Country, and #34 on Australia’s Top 50. Her subsequent and most recent single, “Backburner,” was similarly high impact in both Canada and Australia, landing a spot at #23 on the Music Network Hottest Country Charts and introducing the ‘soft edge’ that is indicative of Danielle’s sound.

(Source: Member Submission)

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Jason Blaine’s Toronto Show Rescheduled for April 29

Jason Blaine’s previously announced Toronto show has been rescheduled for April 29th at The Opera House. Jason will be joined by Cam Bogle, Elyse Saunders and Cole Bradley.

Watch for a new record from Jason coming out next month! In the meantime, check out his newest single “Pretend You’re Mine”.

Tickets are available from The Opera House.

(Source: Member Submission)

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Canada’s Music Incubator Opens Applications For All 2022 Programs

Canada’s Music Incubator (CMI) has opened 2022 online applications for their acclaimed core professional development programs: Artist Entrepreneur (March 8-April 29), Artist Manager in Toronto (Oct 4-8), AE West in Calgary and CMI 1 on 1. Due to ongoing risks associated with Covid, the programs will be conducted virtually. Artists and managers will work hands-on with CMI and their extended network of trusted music industry professionals to develop their craft, businesses and confidence in the areas of revenue development, new release marketing, branding, social media, streaming and radio promotion, royalty collection, touring, funding, team building, contracts, and more.

Space for all sessions is limited except CMI 1-on-1, which is available year-round. For more information: https://canadasmusicincubator.com/

(Source: Press Release)

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Platinum Selling Singer-Songwriter Tebey Returns with 2022 Tour

Platinum selling singer-songwriter Tebey returns to the stage with his Shotgun Rider tour in February 2022.

In addition to the tour, Tebey also recently released his catchy new single “What Was I Drinking” on January 14th via Jayward Artist Group / The Orchard and all streaming services. The new song is about drinking in the attempt to forget the girl he can’t stop thinking about. You can listen to his new single here.

For the past few years, Tebey has been actively building an international fanbase. Doing tours and promotional visits in the UK and Germany, he has been fulfilling a dream of connecting international audiences together with his music. The Canadian country star is showing no signs of slowing down and this past summer saw him playing a handful of shows in the UK and Berlin in support of his duet “Song of the Summer” with Irish celebrity and artist Una Healy.

Tebey is no stranger to success, his single “Happened on A Saturday Night” was recently certified Gold following the Platinum certification of his perennial hit “Denim on Denim”. With over 60 million career streams to date, 473,000 radio spins and multiple CCMA nominations, his album The Good Ones reached #2 on iTunes Country Album Chart and #4 iTunes All Genre Album Chart. The title track, a duet with Quebec superstar Marie Mai, was performed on the CCMA broadcast on Global TV. Tebey’s been experiencing solid career highlights for over a decade, with four Top 5 radio singles, four Top 10 singles and five Top 20 singles as a recording artist, and six #1 songs as a songwriter.

For more information on Tebey and his upcoming tour dates, visit www.tebeyofficial.com/home#tourhome.

(Source: Member Submission)

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Emerging Country Music Songstress, Amanda Jordan Debuts her New Single, “I Choose You” on ABC’s The Bachelor

Amanda Jordan is a name that you may not be familiar with yet, however, following her debut TV performance on ABC’s “The Bachelor”, she is quickly winning the hearts of new fans and followers.  The emerging Canadian Country artist performed her brand new single, “I Choose You” for the newest Bachelor, Clayton Echard and Susie Evans on their 1-on-1 date during episode 2.

Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vVjycqY_ZK4

Written by Ruthie Collins and Natalie Stovall and produced by Scott Cooke and David Cohen, “I Choose You” is the ultimate love song, expressing a palpable realness and vulnerability that is often difficult to put into words.

To stream “I Choose You” click here.

(Source: Member Submission)

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Burlington Ontario’s Hayley Verrall Releases her Fourth Radio Single, “Side of Small Town”

“Side of Small Town” sends the message that if you love someone with classic small town simplicity and loyalty, the relationship will stand. About the song, Hayley says:

Side of Small Town’s anthem melody visualizes the small town pride you see at college football games: cheering and loyal crowds, the team showing off for its fans. I wanted to transfer those same small town ideals to relationships. If you love someone with that ‘side’ of small town, that classic small town simplicity and loyalty, the relationship won’t break.

“With her 4th single to radio, Hayley’s vocals shine once again – this time on a catchy song about holding on to love in a small town. Add to the track, strong lyrics & production marked by great guitar work and you have a recipe for radio success. Song by song, Hayley is building herself a solid country music career.” DAVE WOODS

“Hayley Verrall’s new single ‘Side of Small Town’, is a perfectly timed record for the start of 2022. Small town relationships can lead to one world love, for humanity and mother nature. Hayley’s vocals carry the message in the song perfectly. The track jumps out of the speakers carried by some awesome guitar playing.” CHRIS BIRKETT

“Such an infectious song. You hear it once and you’ll be singing it all day long. You can’t miss with this one.” DAVE RAVE

“I recently had the opportunity to play this song live with Hayley in a small town in Ontario. As she started singing it you could tell she meant every word. By the time she finished, the entire audience hoped that song was about them.” MARK LALAMA

You can check out Side of Small Town on Spotify or any of your other favourite streaming platforms.

(Source: Member Submission)

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Brea Lawrenson’s New Single Released Jan. 17, 2022

Canadian Country artist and Ottawa’s Faces magazine – 2021 Country Artist of the Year, BREA LAWRENSON releases her latest single “As Far As Dreaming Goes” from her CD Demons.

(Source: Member Submission)

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The Syndicut Presents: FROM THE ROOTS UP 2022 – MASTERCLASS SERIES

The Syndicut has launched their 2022 masterclass series, FROM THE ROOTS UP 2022.

(Source: Member Submission)