Desiree Dorion is a country music singer/songwriter from Manitoba, whose love for country music was instilled at a young age, as her family always had it always playing on the radio. At the age of five, she was already familiar with the country classics, and began writing music with a diary her mom gave her. 

Her talent for performing was recognized when her aunt signed her up for a talent show held at the Opaskwayak Cree Nation when she was 11 or 12 years old, where she won first place.

Since then, Desiree’s love for performing has only grown, and her latest album, That’s How I Know, released in February 2023, is proof of that. 

Desiree has had songs ready from back in 2020, none that were included in her past album, Break the Chain, which was released during the pandemic.

That’s How I Know includes singles from the past year, including “Sometimes I Drink,” which she compiled into an album that is fun, upbeat, and authentic. She also wanted to include slower ballads that tell honest stories, which is exactly what her new single “Love You to Death” does.

The inspiration for “Love You to Death” came from Desiree’s personal struggles with a loved one who was dealing with addiction. She found a statement made on the show Intervention to be profound – “I love you but I can’t love you to death” – and used it as the title of her new single. 

“For me this song was therapeutic and i didn’t know if it was something that would ever see the light of day,” she said. Desiree understood that the song isn’t a typical mainstream country release and knew it could sit on an album but wasn’t sure if it could stand on its own as a single.

Desiree listened to an interview with Charles Kelley from Lady A about his struggle with alcoholism, and the single he released to tell his story.

“It was that interview that inspired me to release this song not only as an album track but as a single. It’s an important conversation that we can and should be having,” she said.

As summer approaches, Desiree has some exciting shows lined up so make sure to check out her tour dates and new album, That’s How I Know!

Taylor-Rae’s love for country music started at an early age thanks to her dad, who would sing classic hits from Garth Brooks and Shania Twain with her on karaoke.

It was Shania Twain’s energy on stage that really inspired Taylor-Rae to bring that same fire to her own performances.

For her vocal inspiration, Taylor looks up to Martina McBride, using her songs as her vocal bar to improve her own skills. She believes Martina is one of the best of all time in country music, and wants to follow in her footsteps.

Her latest single, “If This is Love” came out in February of this year and is a true country music storytelling song.

She had many ideas going into the writing session for “If This is Love” and she was going to her friends house to write. Little did she know that her friend’s house was conveniently located around the corner from her ex-boyfriend’s place, which spark a conversation on relationships that don’t work out because the people aren’t right for each other.

When writing songs she tries to be as honest a she can and “If This Is Love” is a song she was always going to write and the right place and right time made it come together the way it did.

“Its the most excited I have been about a song in awhile,” she said.

“I love writing the songs that pull you in through the emotional side of things. One thing i’m learning is everyone has the same feelings and experiences we just don’t always talk about it,” said Taylor-Rae.

A goal for Taylor-Rae is to grow more traction with her music and play the Grand Ole Opry, which she is hoping to put into action with a recent move to Nashville. She’s got new music on the horizon, set to release on an album in early 2024, and is excited to continue playing live shows.

So be sure to check out “If This is Love” on your favourite streaming platforms and stay tuned for more releases from Taylor-Rae!

Brittany Kennell’s love for music started young. At the age of seven, she discovered the piano and began writing her own songs. From there, she performed at local community shows and any opportunity she could land to perform. Though she always had a passion for music, it wasn’t until she turned 16 that she decided to pursue it as a career.

In 2016, Brittany auditioned for The Voice and competed on Team Blake. For her, it was a chance of a lifetime, and she went in with the goal of giving it her best and enjoying the experience. The lessons she learned during that time have stayed with her ever since.

Recently, Brittany released her latest single, “House and A Dog,” which she co-wrote with her friend Nathan Meckel during the pandemic over Zoom. The inspiration of the song came from questions she would be asked about when she was planning to have kids and settle down.

“House and A Dog” celebrates the joys of being independent and single, a message that Brittany hopes will empower other women to embrace their independence and feel comfortable being on their own.

“I wanted to share the message with women that to be able to live on your own is so cool and badass and allows you to get to know yourself better,” she said.

Listeners have responded positively to the song’s relatable lyrics, and the music video’s colourful and playful visuals capture the song’s fun and carefree message perfectly. 

“For me this song is all about fun and acceptance with where you are in life and I felt like having bright, fun colours was a way to represent that message,” she said.

Brittany is currently wearing many different hats in her music career. She is working on finishing an album, planning to release singles that are ready to go, and getting ready for festival season approaching!

Watch the lyric video for “House and a Dog” and stream the song on all platforms!

Brian John Harwood and Jason Blaine teamed up to create their latest single, “Nothing More Country Than That,” to show the real meaning of country music. They believe country music runs deeper than the stereotypical cowboys, pickup trucks, and bolo ties – it’s about the values of family, loyalty, and honesty.

Brian started writing the song in 2020, and when he thought of Jason Blaine, he knew they would make a great team. During their Zoom sessions, they threw around ideas about what country music really means and wanted to capture that feeling in their song.

After writing the song together, they both fell in love with it and wanted to collaborate and record together.

“It’s a highlight for me to work with someone i’ve looked up to,” said Brian.

Brian and Jason recently filmed a music video for “Nothing More Country Than That,” and describe it as music lovers coming together, having fun, and celebrating country music.

“Real friends and long-time fans were a part of the video, which helped capture the energy of the song and video,” said Jason.

Listen to “Nothing More Country Than That” and follow Brian and Jason to stay up-to-date on their music and shows!

Local Manitoba country music artist JR Charron has started off the new year releasing his highly-anticipated new single, “Who You’re Gonna Be.”

JR’s talent and dedication to his music were recognized when he won the Manitoba Country Music Award for Fan’s Choice in 2022.

“That was the most incredible honour and I was not expecting it. I don’t think I have the most fans but I do have the most loyal fans,” he said.

His new single, “Who You’re Gonna Be” is a heartfelt ballad inspired by JR’s personal experience of anticipating the arrival of his son. He wanted to create a song that would resonate with anyone who has ever experienced the excitement and uncertainty of parenthood.

JR carefully chose the image for “Who You’re Gonna Be” to reflect the meaning of the song. The cover features a photo of his son, while keeping the mysterious theme of the unknown possibilities of who he will grow up to be.

“Cover art is an emotional attachment of a song,” he said.

JR has been hard at work in the studio, recording new music that he hopes to share with live audiences on a small tour this year.

“After a few quiet years, we are back and will hopefully put out tons and tons of music we can play for live audiences,” he said.

Make sure to stream “Who You’re Gonna Be” and follow JR on all platforms to stay up-to-date on his upcoming shows and new releases!

Kendra Kay’s debut album Homegrown Heart is out now! The album consists of ten songs including the title track, “Homegrown Heart.”

“I am so excited for this next chapter. It has been a long time coming,” said Kay.

Kendra started recording the music for Homegrown Heart in 2019, so some of the songs don’t feel new to her since she has had them ready to go for so long.

“I am so excited to get this body of music out. It is really a defining moment for me in my career,” she said.

Over the past two years, Kendra had time to figure out who she is as an artist and was able to piece together the right songs to show the world what she is all about with her debut album.

The album is filled with many talented songwriters and collaborators including, Meghan Patrick, Maren Morris, Ryan Hurd, Carly Pearce, Madeline Merlo, and many more.

Kendra released the title track, “Homegrown Heart” back in the fall of 2021.

“The song, ‘Homegrown Heart’ is who I am and my roots on the farm. I have always kept true to who I am and I think that is something that sets me a part in the industry because I am authentically country,” said Kay.

She wanted to make sure she showed that she is proud of where she came from in her debut album.

“Homegrown Heart is the meaning of me being me,” she said.

The song, “Scars like Mine” stands out for Kendra on the album. The song is about finding someone who loves you for who you are and the scars you have.

“I am excited about all of the songs and they all are special to me, which is why they all made the debut album,” said Kay.

Homegrown Heart holds a strong storytelling aspect with each song telling its own individual story.

Every song shares a piece of who she is and go through the motions she has been through in the past few years.

“Every song tells a little bit about the person that I am and what I have been through.”

Make sure to listen to all of the incredible songs on Kendra Kay’s debut album, Homegrown Heart!

Manitoba duo of brothers, Banned & Outlawed (Jon and Daniel Hnatishin), have been keeping busy writing and releasing new music to start off the new year.

2022 was a big year for the duo with many shows and performances throughout Canada, which they look forward to continuing in 2023.

Banned & Outlawed released three new singles earlier this month, “A Song You Can Drink A Beer To,” “Dirt On You,” and “Good Ole’ Boy.”

“It is a long time coming and we are happy to be able to release them,” they said.

They are currently working on music videos for these songs including, “A Song You Can Drink A Beer To,” which is out now!

When writing songs they try to stay true to what they are writing, which helps them put emotion into the songs when performing.

They recorded these songs throughout the pandemic and have more recordings they are going to release this year as well.

Although they didn’t have a huge part in the writing process of these songs, they wanted to make sure they changed some elements to make them their own.

When choosing songs to record, they always go back to their influences, Jason Aldean and Eric Church and listen to the stories and meaning of the songs and see if it is something they can relate to.

Check out the duo’s three new singles and the music video for “A Song You Can Drink A Beer To.”