London-born and US-raised, Katy Hurt weaves together the sounds of Country, Americana, and Southern Rock, drawing inspiration from icons like Bonnie Raitt and Sheryl Crow. Since her 2016 debut, she’s earned critical acclaim and performed at major festivals, including C2C at The O2 and the Isle of Wight Festival. After spending time in Canada, she released chart-topping singles like “Sounds Good in a Bar” and “Wish I Could Give You Up,” produced by Juno Award winner Murray Pulver.

Now, Hurt is gearing up to release her long-awaited debut album, Gimme A Break, out May 23. While she’s previously released EPs, this marks her first full-length record—and it’s a deeply personal one. She’s always aimed to infuse her projects with a sense of who she is, crafting music that offers something for everyone. Whether you’re having a good day or a hard one, she hopes this album will have a song that speaks to you.

Hurt co-wrote every track on Gimme A Break, staying true to the storytelling roots she’s developed since she began writing songs at thirteen. Finding collaborators like Gab Zsapka, Murray Pulver, and Rhianna Rae Saj was a turning point—musicians who brought fresh perspectives and made the creative process not only inspiring but genuinely fun.

In 2020, Hurt traveled to Winnipeg, Manitoba, to work with Pulver. They spent two weeks diving into her catalogue, revisiting everything she had ever written, and recording the album in a raw, live setting—with all the musicians playing together in the same room. That organic approach brought a vibrant energy to the record, captured in just two weeks.

The album’s latest single, “Before the Ice Melts,” is what Hurt calls her “red flag song”—about knowing someone isn’t good for you, yet feeling drawn back again and again by a magnetic, hard-to-resist connection.

Though Gimme A Break is just about to launch, Katy’s new releases are far from over. She has a catalogue of new songs already waiting to be released and is eager to take this music on the road!

Stay up to date with new releases and tour dates from Katy Hurt at https://www.katyhurt.com/.

Brandi Vezina is making waves with her bold storytelling and unapologetic grit. A proud Métis artist from Manitoba, Vezina’s music blends heartfelt narratives, modern country influences and emotional depth. 

2024 has been a milestone year for Vezina, with standout performances at BreakOut West and Country Music Week, as well as earning a spot in the Women in Music Canada Entrepreneur Accelerator. She was also honoured as the 2024 recipient of the Vince Fontaine Legacy Award. 

Her latest release, “Thinkin’ Bout You”, co-written with Styles Haury and Buddy Elliot, reveals Vezina’s softer side and proves her versatility as a songwriter. The goal was to write something nice and sweet about missing someone, showing a different side of her.

Her newest single “Country Glam” comes out on Friday, March 28, just in time for the first leg of the Grit & Glamour Tour kicking off in Fort Francis on April 4. 

“The song is for all of the dreamers, rebels and people who don’t want to sit in a box that people want them to,” she said. “It’s about going for what you want and not letting other people’s expectations tell you what you are supposed to be.”

She started writing the songs for the EP in the fall of 2022. There is a song that means the most to her and is going to show her roots/Americana side. She wrote it with a local Winnipeg artist, Scott Nolan. They wrote the song about Vezina’s hometown, Pine Falls, and how their mill closed in 2009. The song looks at it being 16 years later, what has happened to the town, how heartbreaking it is when the main industry leaves and what it does to the town and the people.

“I mean it from my bones, it’s a hard one to sing because I wrote it about my uncle who passed away and he loved Pine Falls and passed in their hospital. It’s been very therapeutic because I wrote it for him and his friends,” she said.

The Grit & Glamour Tour starts off with three dates in April and will continue in the fall after the release of the EP. The shows are curated so they are intimate, acoustic and meant to showcase her storytelling capabilities. Vezina will also host an album release party in Winnipeg!

So many exciting moving parts for Brandi Vezina and make sure you are on board for all of them!

Amanda Couture is a powerhouse vocalist and songwriter, recognized for her bold, dynamic voice and energetic performances. Over the past year, her music has gained traction, earning spots on editorial playlists on Apple Music and Amazon Music. As a songwriter, she reached a major career milestone when Annika Catharina’s “Bandit” soared to #1 on SiriusXM Top of the Country. Now, she’s stepping into the spotlight as a finalist in The Opener at Cowboys Calgary. With her captivating stage presence and undeniable songwriting talent, Amanda is quickly becoming a rising star in country music.

Growing up in a household filled with country music, Couture developed a deep love for the genre early on. Inspired by Taylor Swift’s storytelling, she started writing songs at a young age but became more serious about her craft in the last five years.

Her latest single, “Red Lights,” dropped on Friday, March 14. The song captures the magic of getting to know someone new—those unforgettable, cinematic nights that feel like they could last forever.

“The idea is you’re praying for one more red light, one more missed turn, one more detour—just so you can spend a little extra time with that person,” she said.

The music video for “Red Lights,” which is out on Friday, March 21, takes a performance-based approach, allowing Couture to put her face to her music and showcase the passion behind her lyrics.

Last summer, Couture recorded three songs with The Renaissance producers in Vancouver, with “Red Lights” leading the trio. The remaining two tracks are set for release later this year.

Balancing a growing music career with being a mom to a nine-month-old, Couture remains dedicated to her craft, making time to write at least once a week. Looking ahead, she hopes for more opportunities to perform live—especially with a full band—but for now, she’s focused on enjoying the journey one step at a time.

Check out “Red Lights” and stay tuned for new music coming from Amanda Couture!

Daylin Jørgensen’s musical journey has taken her through various genres, but country music has always felt like home. She started by covering country songs, ventured into pop, then found a blend of pop-country, but ultimately, country music is where she felt most connected as a songwriter and artist.

“When I’m writing, country music really speaks to my soul. I appreciate the storytelling aspects that both past and present country artists bring to the genre,” she shared.

Her songwriting is deeply personal, with every track—released or waiting in her back pocket, they are rooted in real-life experiences. Her single “Goodbye” was inspired by a breakup, transforming a difficult moment into a beautiful song. While it wasn’t easy to write at the time, the experience turned out to be incredibly cathartic.

Now, with the release of her latest single “Ripped Jeans,“ Jørgensen is proving her ability to turn everyday moments into catchy, relatable music. The idea for the song came from an overheard conversation at the mall, where two women were discussing the price of ripped jeans. Amused, Daylin jokingly responded, “They must be about a hundred dollars!” That one comment stuck in her mind and became the foundation of the song.

She also pulled inspiration from her own family. Growing up, her grandparents would often tease, asking, “What happened to your jeans?” or “Did you get those half price?” whenever she wore ripped denim. Wanting to capture that humor and nostalgia, she wove those lines into the lyrics, making the song even more relatable for anyone with a similar experience.

The “Ripped Jeans” music video, filmed at West Edmonton Mall in a store with a massive wall of jeans, perfectly complementing the song’s fun and uplifting vibe.

“I’m extremely excited for people to see this one. I think out of all my releases, this is one of my favorites,” she said.

Daylin’s path in music hasn’t been without detours. While pursuing her career in healthcare—first as a Kinesiologist and now as a Registered Nurse—music took a temporary backseat. But after completing her RN degree, she finally had time to dive back into her passion. Attending her first CCMA Week this past fall in Edmonton reignited her creative spark.

“I was so inspired by the talent we have in Canada and the strong community we’ve built in country music. That experience pushed me to get back in the studio and write “Ripped Jeans” with some of the people I met at CCMA Week,” she said.

Looking ahead, Daylin plans to take her music career to the next level with more co-writes, live shows, and a steady stream of new releases. If “Ripped Jeans” is any indication, fans can expect more catchy, heartfelt storytelling from this rising country artist!

Check out “Ripped Jeans” and the music video now!

Banned & Outlawed, a brother duo from Hazelridge, MB, live and breathe country music. Raised on a 100-acre farm, Jon and Daniel Hnatishin have built a strong brand rooted in hard work and authenticity. Their dedication has earned them four 2022 Manitoba Country Music Award nominations, plus a Drummer of the Year nod for Daniel. They’ve toured Western Canada, sharing stages with stars like Aaron Pritchett and Dean Brody, while also playing rodeos and honky-tonk bars. Recently, they traveled to Nashville to collaborate with American artists, further cementing their place in the country music scene.

Their latest single, “Keepin’ It Western,” is a tribute to life in Western Canada and how it stands apart from the rest of the world. After spending last summer traveling across the region for shows, they noticed that the farther west they went, the more farmland surrounded them. That realization sparked the idea for the song, which captures the essence of small-town country living.

Looking ahead, Banned & Outlawed are gearing up for two more single releases as they prepare for their long-awaited debut album later this year. The project, set for release at the end of the summer, will feature a mix of previously released singles along with fresh tracks yet to be recorded — making it an exciting milestone for the duo.

We will get a new single from the duo on Friday, February 28 called “People Talk.” This song was Daniel’s idea about how there is always competition amongst family, friends or anyone you know and people like to talk about other people’s business. Sometimes people talk more about the negatives in people’s lives than the positives and they took this idea and put an old country style to it and will also release a music video for it after the release.

They are headed on the Livin My Life in a Small Town Tour with two stops and tickets are available here! They are prepping for a busy summer with festival season and an album release!

Makinna Givens has never been one to hold back, and her unfiltered honesty has become her trademark as a songwriter. Straddling the line between country and pop, this Northern Ontario native is as talented as she is independent. With a diploma in audio engineering, music production, and songwriting, Givens has carved her own path in the music industry, proving that she’s a force to be reckoned with.

Her journey began at just 15, when she picked up a guitar and started writing songs. Growing up in Northern Ontario, where the music scene leaned heavily toward country and folk, she felt deeply connected to her roots. Later, a move to London, Ontario, for school exposed her to rock and pop influences, but the genres didn’t click or feel like herself.

When the pandemic hit, Givens finally had the space to reflect on her artistry. She realized that country music was where her heart truly belonged. Now, after 10 years of songwriting, she’s released her debut single, “If We Meet Again”—a deeply personal track that Givens fully produced, engineered, recorded, and wrote herself..

Releasing “If We Meet Again” as her first single wasn’t an easy decision. The song holds a special place in her heart, and its raw, emotional lyrics made her hesitant to share it with the world. It’s also a favorite of her mom’s and carries a deeply personal meaning for her family.

“If We Meet Again” is a true story about fate and lost love, capturing an experience so specific and personal that it marked new territory for Givens as a songwriter. “I’ve never been this specific in a song before,” she said.

The music video for the single brings those emotions to life visually. Filmed in locations from her small hometown, it creates a sense of closeness for those who know her roots while still telling a universal story that resonates with everyone.

With her debut single now out in the world, Givens is hard at work on her next project—a collection of about seven songs that spans her evolution as an artist. From tracks she wrote at 16 to ones penned just two months ago, this project captures her growth and storytelling through the years.

Production on the project is already complete, and Givens is diving into the recording process. Fans can look forward to hearing new singles from the project as early as summer.

Makinna Givens is just getting started, but her passion, talent, and uncompromising honesty make it clear: she’s an artist to watch.

Check out “If We Meet Again” and stay tuned for more music from this talented rising star!