Our next feature artist is hoping to go full circle. Dylan Burk was born in Tennessee and now calls Milton, Ontario home. Winning the Boots and Hearts Emerging Artist Showcase would bring Dylan back to where he started.
Getting to know Boots and Hearts Emerging Artist Finalist Justin Tyler
Each year Boots and Hearts showcases some of the worlds biggest and best country artists on their stages for one weekend in August. But Boots and Hearts, and it’s partners, also play host to one of the most reputable emerging artist competitions in the country.
Tebey, Tim Hicks, The Reklaws and the James Barker Band are just a few of the artists that have the Boots and Hearts Emerging Artist showcase to thank for their success. This year we’ve got 8 more artists vying for the coveted title and over the next week or so we’re going to introduce you to each of them.
Boots and Hearts Emerging Artist – The Wildcard Picks
We’ve been covering the Boots and Hearts Emerging Artist Showcase pretty much since it first started. It’s been an annual tradition to interview and feature each of the finalists, so you get a chance to know them before they become household names like previous finalists Tebey, Tim Hicks, The Reklaws and The James Barker Band to name just a few of those who once fought for the prestigious annual title.
Chatting with the Reklaws
Last month we managed to catch up with our friends Jenna and Stuart Walker, aka The Reklaws at two events. Watch the interviews below.
Lydia Persaud Bring Debut Album to the NAC Tonight
As a staple of Toronto’s music community for years, if you were looking for a collaborator, musician Lydia Persaud was your go to. Now she’s stepping forward with her debut album and she leaves no mystery of her intent when it comes to the title. Let Me Show You, she says.
Released in May via Next Door Records, she’s bringing her new songs to the NAC’s Fourth Stage tonight. Ahead of the show, we had a chance to chat up her influences, putting the new album together and shifting from her work with wild cover band Dwayne Gretzky to this solo tour.
Catching Up with SiriusXM Top of the Country Finalists – Tim and the Glory Boys
Last but far from lease, Tim and the Glory Boys. One of two veteran musicians taking part in this years SiriusXM Top of the Country competition. Tim is a Canadian singer, songwriter and recording artist from Winnipeg, Manitoba and now based in Abbotsford, British Columbia, best known as the co-founder and lead singer of Starfield who are four-time Juno Award nominees, Western Canada Music award recipients, winners of 10 GMA Canada Covenant Awards (CGMA) and two Dove Awards. Neufeld’s first solo album, Trees, won the 2014 Juno Award for Contemporary Christian/Gospel Album of the Year as well as the award for the 2013 CGMA Modern Worship Album of the Year. Neufeld and the Canadian bluegrass trio, The Glory Boys, embarked on the Trees Tour in which the band performed in 60+ Canadian cities. Neufeld’s second album, The Joy, was released in September 2014 and earned him a 2015 Juno nomination.
Catching up with SiriusXM Top of the Country Finalist – Dan Davidson
We first met Dan Davidson last summer at Festival Country de Lotbinière where he opened for Meghan Patrick. Dan immediately made an impression on both us and the audience, his energy was infectious and he knew how to work the stage. We talked to Dan after his performance and he was surprised at how many people knew him and his music in Quebec and that his fans lined up for a chance to meet him and get a photo taken before the show. In the year since Dan has toured across Canada with Brett Kissel and his new EP “Juliet” came out Feb 21, 2019 and debuted at #1 on the Canadian iTunes Country charts.
Getting to know SiriusXM Top of the Country Finalists – Sons Of Daughters
So let us tell you a little bit about Sons of Daughters…Sons of Daughters are a modern, gritty, country duo comprised of Chrystal Leigh and Jimmy Thow, hailing from Vancouver, BC, now based in Nashville, Tennessee.
Getting to know SiriusXM Top of the Country Finalist – Jade Eagleson
Jade Eagleson should be a familiar name to Canadian country fans by now, after-all he’s toured Canada several times in the last 2 years. It all started for Jade back in 2017 when he was, a finalist and ultimately selected as, the winner of the Boots and Hearts Emerging Artist competition and performed on the main-stage in front of thousands of screaming country music fans.
Getting to know SiriusXM Top of the Country Finalist – Matt Lang
We were lucky enough to meet Matt Lang last summer on his home turf at the Festival Country de Lotbinière. Little did we know then that he had only just started to learn English. At the time he was just a name to us but when we passed each other, he was on his way to the stage and I was on my way to interview Brett Kissel, he stopped introduced himself and took the time to say hello. This single action spoke volumes to me about his character. Brett and I interrupted our chat to listen to parts of Matt’s set and, I think, we both knew that there was something special on the stage. Fast forward almost a year later and two other industry friends of ours, Tebey and Jill Snell, also took notice of Matt’s talent and quickly made him the first artist signing to their new label.
