Category Archives: Festivals

Old Dominion Big Valley Jamboree Photo by Katherine Colwell

Hey! That rhymes.

The second full day of Camrose’s Big Valley Jamboree is upon us!

The 8th and final slot in the Boots and Hearts Emerging Artist showcase went to Rebecca Rain. Rebecca was featured last week as part of the 3 Wildcard artists but since we featured all three artists in one post we offered Rebecca a second set of questions so she could have a dedicated post as a member of the top 8.

Making his way from the small town of Gander, Newfoundland to Canada’s country capital of Calgary, Alberta, Brad Saunders is what country music has been waiting for. With unparalleled grit and an unrivalled mastery of musical entertainment, Saunders has relentlessly persevered in his pursuit of continual success in the music industry – dazzling audiences with his own unique blend of bravado and his natural ability to command a stage with his high energy live show.

Born and raised in Toronto Ontario, our next Boots and Hearts Emerging Artist Showcase finalist, David Boyd Janes, is quickly making himself known among the country music community. His solo career into country music began only last September 2017 and already he has made some serious waves.

Launched into the music scene after winning the 2013 Hamilton Music Awards Rise to Fame Competition, you can now find Mackenzie Leigh Meyer all over Ontario: performing at major festivals where she has shared bills with Canadian greats like James Barker Band, Doc Walker and Chad Brownlee.

Mackenzie certainly made 2018 a major year. Kicking things off opening for Shae Dupuy on her “Let the Good Times Roll” Tour, Meyer spent the summer gracing the stage at major country festivals like Mississauga Waterfront and Hagersville Rocks, and landed herself the opening slot for Jess Moskaluke and label mates at the MDM Recording Showcase during this year’s CCMA’s.

Our next finalist, Brady Kenneth, was born and raised in Manitoba, Canada and started his journey in music around the age of 13. Taking the stage in a small talent show in High School solidified Brady’s love of performing. Brady established himself in the local music community as the lead singer of a hard metal band, playing bar shows in Winnipeg. That band lasted for 8 years before Brady found himself drawn to the country genre and undertook a solo career as a country music singer. With influences like Eric Church, Easton Corbin and Josh Turner and a playlist ranging from Beethoven to TuPac and Chris Stapleton to Ariana Grande, Brady began writing songs that made people smile, dance and sing-along.

We continue our Boots and Hearts Emerging Artist features with Stouffville, Ontario’s Amber-Jo Bowman. Music has been a part of her life for as long as she can remember. It is a deep passion which brings her an abundance of fulfilment, joy and purpose. Amber’s wish is to touch people’s hearts with her lyrics and melodies, hoping they will find their own meaning and connect with the stories she tells through songs.

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.

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.