Artist of the month : Andrew Hyatt   Known for literally and figuratively wearing many hats, Andrew Hyatt remains grounded despite an ever-evolving career. With tens of millions of streams and video views, multiple Top 10 radio hits, and a growing list of accolades—including the 2022 Canadian Country Music Award for Rising Star and a win in SiriusXM’s Top of the Country competition—Hyatt has solidified his place in the Canadian country music scene. He has also earned numerous nominations from both the Canadian Country Music Association and the Country Music Association of Ontario, and has previously toured with Dallas Smith, Dean Brody, and Tim Hicks. This year, Hyatt invited fans deeper into his world with the release of his EP, Andrew Hyatt and the Ten Year War, […]

  Artist of the month : Sully Burrows Because his grandfather played with both the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Pittsburgh Penguins, it would be easy to predict a run at the NHL. And although he did play competitive hockey, music stole the puck and steered Sully Burrows into playing covers at the local Boston Pizza.   Winner of this year’s CMAOntario Breakthrough Artist award, the Parry Sound native started writing songs at age 15, was picked up by powerhouse booking agency Paquin Artists, signed with the Partner Records Label at age 17, and dropped his debut single “Youth” (co-written with Owen Riegling) in October of 2024. The song reveals his well-developed sense of perspective: “You always think you have time, but things can change, […]

  Artiste du mois : Gabrielle Goulet Après quelques années loin des projecteurs, Gabrielle Goulet signe un retour attendu dans le paysage country francophone. L’auteure-compositrice-interprète franco-ontarienne a passé l’hiver en studio à travailler sur de nouvelles chansons, qu’elle présente déjà sur scène tout au long de l’été. Un nouveau single est également prévu dans les prochains mois, annonçant un virage musical à la fois assumé et actuel. Depuis ses débuts, Gabrielle s’est démarquée par son authenticité, son énergie scénique et sa capacité à créer des chansons qui résonnent. Plusieurs de ses extraits ont atteint le Top 10 du palmarès radio BDS francophone, contribuant à solidifier sa place dans le paysage country canadien. Elle a été la première artiste à recevoir le prix Artiste ou groupe […]

  Artist of the month : Lucas Mason Lucas Mason captured the attention of millions when he first stepped on stage at Scotiabank Arena with Zach Bryan in March 2024. Not your typical humble beginnings story, but that doesn’t mean Lucas hasn’t been passionate about music from a young age.   Raised in a musical household, Lucas began playing piano, guitar, and singing from an early age; long before he found himself singing “Heading South” in front of thousands of people.   Since that breakout moment, Lucas has embraced the momentum, bringing his own blend of americana, country, and folk to stages across Ontario, including the Niagara Wine Festival, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats Halftime Show, The Horseshoe Tavern, Cicada Fest, North of Nowhere Music Festival, and […]

  Artist of the month : Alexa Goldie In a genre rooted in storytelling and soul, few voices carry the authenticity and commands attention like Alexa Goldie. Born and raised in Kingston, Ontario, Alexa brings a fresh, fearless energy to country music—a genre she’s redefining one heartfelt lyric at a time. Now splitting her time between Ontario and the vibrant heart of country music in Nashville, Alexa is an emerging artist with big dreams and a whole lot of talent. Alexa’s journey thus far has been a rather unique one. At 12 years old, she was scouted at talent competition in the GTA. She went to Los Angeles to record and ended up staying there for a few years to lean more into songwriting. In […]

  Artist of the month : Jessica Sevier   Jessica Sevier is literally checking in – with her new single, “Motel”, released March 14 th. Co-written with Andrew Allen (multi-platinum singer-songwriter) and Ron Lopata (Jully Black, Scott Helman, Matt Dusk),“Motel” is the mission plan for turning the tables on a toxic and abusive partner. “Your right hand left a hole in the wall and now you’re calling out for me to stay. The old me mighta played that game, but it’s changing, oh I’m changing”. It’s obvious that Jessica had a vision for her path – as a child, she took piano and classical voice lessons, leading to classical voice studies at Western University in London, ON. Hungry to learn more about the recording process, […]

Artist of the month : Lucas Mason Lucas Mason captured the attention of millions when he first stepped on stage at Scotiabank Arena with Zach Bryan in March 2024. Not your typical humble beginnings story, but that doesn’t mean Lucas hasn’t been passionate about music from a young age.   Raised in a musical household, Lucas began playing piano, guitar, and singing from an early age; long before he found himself singing “Heading South” in front of thousands of people.   Since that breakout moment, Lucas has embraced the momentum, bringing his own blend of americana, country, and folk to stages across Ontario, including the Niagara Wine Festival, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats Halftime Show, The Horseshoe Tavern, Cicada Fest, North of Nowhere Music Festival, and a […]

  Artist of the Month: Amber-Jo Bowman Amber-Jo Bowman is a captivating emerging Canadian country singer-songwriter based just north of Stouffville, Ontario. Her latest single “Still Got Time” is available now. The single has received editorial support from Amazon Music, including features on Breakthrough Country and Just North of Nashville, along with Spotify’s Fresh Finds Canada. It’s currently also spinning on SiriusXM’s Top of the Country Radio. “Still Got Time”, the reminder that your timeline is up to you and no one else, follows the summer release “Mad About You”, a whimsical love song about falling hard. Her musical narrative unfolds against the backdrop of a family farm where her early love for singing, hearing her dad harmonizing along with the radio, and self-taught guitar […]

Artist of the Month: Brad James If you like Keith Urban, Brothers Osborne, Dierks Bentley, Midland, and The Glorious Sons, you’ll like Brad James! Earning recognition for his authentic sound and relatable lyrics, the musician from Hamilton has steadily carving out a space for himself in the Canadian country music scene. From James’s previous release “Ain’t Enough Bars” (and social media posts!), it’s clear that he enjoys experimenting, by blending modern sounds with traditional elements. His style is an amalgamation of rock and country.  However, if you follow him on TikTok (www.tiktok.com/@bradjamesmusic) you’ll never know who’s song he might just do a cover of! Brad’s journey into country music is one of passion, perseverance, and a deep love for telling stories through song. A memorable […]

    Artist of the Month: Abby Stewart By: Matt Ersnaught Let’s just open this file by doing a little name-dropping: Kelsea Ballerini, Hunter Hayes, Dan + Shay, Dean Brody, Dallas Smith, Jade Eagleson, Aaron Pritchett, Cold Creek County, Brett Kissel, Tebey, Michelle Wright, Emerson Drive, Tim Hicks… and the Kingston Frontenacs. Huh? Abby Stewart has opened for every one of those names above, with the exception of Kelsea Ballerini – that’s a little different connection. That’s because Abby’s single, “Love’s Gone”, was written by Ballerini (with Nancy Peacock and Brad Ellis). It’s logged over 31,000 YouTube views since its release a year ago. You might have seen her performing the tune onstage at events like Boots and Hearts, Havelock Country Jamboree, Ottawa Bluesfest, Trackside […]

  Artist of the Month: Cory Marks By Alexa @alexascountryparty If you’re in North Bay and see a Cessna 150L or Yak-52 flying above… it might be country/rocker Cory Marks! When he’s not putting his private pilot license to use, or making music, you can catch him on the ice playing hockey. Fun fact: Marks (legally Marquardt) is the also younger brother of professional hockey player Matt!   Unlike many artists, Marks hasn’t dreamt of a music career his whole life. It wasn’t until he was at a bar during his college years where friends encouraged him to sing for the first time publicly. Since then, he’s had the opportunity to tour with Toby Keith, Five Finger Death Punch, ZZ Top, Travis Tritt, and Brantley […]

CMAOntario Artiste du mois: Michel Lalonde  Originaire de l’Est ontarien, Michel Lalonde est bien plus qu’un musicien : il est une figure incontournable de la musique franco-canadienne. Que ce soit à travers son groupe légendaire Garolou ou ses projets en solo, Michel a marqué la scène musicale avec sa voix chaleureuse et ses textes profondément humains. Dans son nouveau spectacle, “De Glen à Garolou”, Michel déroule, tel un conteur, le fil de ses souvenirs, nous invitant à revivre les étapes marquantes de son parcours. Ce voyage musical mêle souvenirs, anecdotes et chansons emblématiques, de ses débuts modestes avec Glen aux succès retentissants de Garolou. À travers ce spectacle, Michel incarne la mémoire vivante d’une culture, un lien entre le passé et le présent, où chaque […]