At 17-years old Emily Reid was exposed to the songwriting community when she moved to Nashville. Shortly after, she moved to Toronto and immersed herself in the Canadian country music scene and her music career took off from there.

Emily recently released a new single “First Impressions,” which is a self-written and self-produced song. The song came from her experience in the music industry so far being a label and feeling pressured and misrepresented.

“It was my fault being a young women, very impressionable and feeling like I was showing up at events not being 100% myself,” she said.

During COVID, Emily sat down and the song poured out of her in 30 minutes. She made a demo and realized this song is really true to her and decided to produce the song herself as well.

“Part of the story is handing your power over to other people and I thought it would be really meaningful to produce it myself and not hand over the keys to someone else. If I am going to make a second first impression i want it to be 100% me, my story, and sound,” she said.

“First Impressions” is the first song Emily released that she wrote 100% by herself since 2015 and is her first self-produced song ever. Following “First Impressions” Emily self-produced her entire upcoming EP and has worked on production for other artists as well.

“It feels like an underrepresented space for women and is a space I want to confidently step into and there was no better way to do it for myself first,” she said.

Standout lyrics from “First Impressions” are:
“And my skirts got shorter and my lashes longer
And my waist got thinner and my defenses stronger
And the hardest part of the lesson
Is you can’t make a second first impression
And it wasn’t even me who was making”

Emily Reid’s upcoming EP coming out September 8th is composed of four songs all 100% written and produced by her. It is a dear diary story with different experiences that are intimate and vulnerable with a look into her heart during the last few years of her twenties. There are themes of love, being misrepresented, and misunderstood and getting her feet back on the ground and standing in her own truth.

Her next single from her upcoming EP “Kyle’s Wife” came out August 18. This song is about being introduced at a party as someone’s spouse instead of your own name. The songs shares the important message that when you are married you are not someones property and you keep your own identity.

Although Emily has written many incredible songs for herself, she also shares her songwriting talents with other artists including the song “Boys” recorded by Dean Brody and Mickey Guyton.

Emily originally recorded the song for herself but realized it would be such a powerful message to come from a man. Dean Brody loved it and got Mickey Guyton on it, which was her first number one.

Lyrics from “Boys”:
“Cause they don’t know the difference
Between real love and one night
A good girl and a good time
Between all the way and just taking it slow
Between one more shot on a Friday
And one knee down, baby one day
Between holding her and never letting go
That’s the difference between a man and boys”

“Dean singing it melts and breaks my heart because it’s a stronger message coming from a man because they’ve experienced these things and I was unbelievably grateful for the opportunity,” she said.

Emily is releasing music with such empowering and powerful messaging for everyone to relate or learn from. Make sure to listen to “First Impressions,” “Kyle’s Wife,” and her upcoming EP out September 8!

Canadian country music artist Alee is a CCMA Rising Star Nominee, whose debut full length album “Bad Habit” received over 3.5 million streams on Spotify, and had a #1 single “Moonshine” on Canadian country radio.

Alee recently released her new collaboration with Troy Cartwright “Aint For The Beer,” which is the first song she wrote in 2023. The song is about meeting new people that interest you in the oddest of places… like a Monday night in a bar.

Alee has been friends with Troy for awhile now. In 2020 she got a call to collaborate on one of his songs. The collab was exciting to her because their voices meshed so well together and knew she wanted him on one of her songs.

Once she started writing “Ain’t For The Beer” she decided to write the second verse specifically for Troy and hope he would agree to record it.

From day one Alee has always been immersed in country music and writing her own songs. “I think its easier to cut a song you’ve written because you know its coming from the heart.” she said.

Earlier this year, Alee released another single “Better With You,” which is a song she wanted to have a fun and lighthearted tone.

“I am a big fan of a good heartbreak song and I love being able to feel something and when it comes to heartbreak everyone can relate in some way whether it be from a relationship or not,” she explained.

On this album she is working with music producer, Eric Arjes, who encouraged her to write step out of the heartbreak songwriting and write happy songs that match her personality.

“I was so happy to have someone help guide me on this album and it has been very fun to push myself and do something different.”

After looking at photos of her friends and family the song idea came to her that it doesn’t matter where you are or how you feel you always feel better around the people you love and that is what “Better With You” is all about.

A song of hers that has always stuck out as a favourite is “Moonshine” which was released in 2015. That was a song she wrote for her grandpa who is the reason she got into country music because he would always pull out his guitar and play country classics.

“Moonshine was a song to honour him and the person and storyteller he was and I still think of him every time I play it,” she said.

make sure to check out Alee’s music on all streaming platforms and her new collab with Troy Cartwright “Ain’t For The Beer!”

In just one month, Emma Peterson achieved an incredible milestone with over 50,000 streams and 10,000 music video views for her latest single “Got It Back”!

“Got It Back” was pitched to Emma by her producer David Thomson, who wrote the song along with very talented songwriters in Nashville. As a songwriter, Emma gets nervous recording songs she didn’t write because authenticity is a crucial part of writing and recording music for her and she ended up sitting on the song for about a year. It is important for Emma to feel like she can connect to a song and make sure it aligns with her values before recording it.

“Got It Back” is about finding your confidence and getting independence back after a relationship where you lost pieces of yourself.

“It is a very empowering song, which is what made me want to record it in the end,” she said.

Emma recently released the music video for “Got It Back,” which received over 10,000 views in one month! The video follows the theme of finding your independence and gaining confidence with your friends around you.

The release of “Got It Back” starts a new chapter for Emma and acts as a bridge to the next era of her music career. Although she is unsure what this new era looks like, she is recording lot’s of new music and is excited for what’s to come!

Over the years of releasing music, Emma feels she has developed as a songwriter, person, and women while figuring out what direction she wants her music to head into. She is influenced by all genres of music, which you can hear in pieces of her music. Although “Got It Back” does have a country pop sound to it, you can still hear the classic country sounds going back to her roots.

Emma is excited when she get’s the opportunity to person “Got It Back” live because she is so confident and proud of the song.

She just wrapped up her first ever arena performance for the World Police Fire and Ice Games and Canada Life Centre in Winnipeg, MB and is excited for more upcoming performances.

Make sure to stream “Got It Back” — a new summer hit you won’t be able to get out of your head!

Photo Creds: Dwayne Larson Photography

David James is a local country music artist from Winnipeg, Manitoba, who recently released a new single “Lost.” “Lost” is a classic love song about the person you can’t get out of your head that you don’t want to live without.

“We had a lot of fun recording it in the studio and I am so happy with how it turned out,” he said. Danick Dupelle, grammy nominated music producer helped bring the song “Lost” to life working with David.

David has been dropping releases since 2015 when he signed with MDM Recordings. He’s released two EPs and a bunch of chart-topping singles along the way.

“It’s hard to believe my first single was eight years ago when the whole idea of recording my own music was very new to me.”

Recording his own music was a whole new world to him back then as he was just finding his way around the industry and figuring out how to create and record his own music. “But I’ve grown so much since then, and I’ve learned to believe in myself and the stories I have to tell through my music,” he said.

“I have been so lucky over the years to record so many fantastic songs – songs i’ve written and songs i haven’t. I think some of the most under-appreciated people in the industry are songwriters, who often go unnoticed,” he explained.

Recently, David has been releasing remixes of past singles including, “Downtown Kids” and “Sun Set On It.” He has done a few acoustic shows and tours in the past and received a great response from fans so decided to record the songs a little differently. Acoustic versions allow fans to hear their favourite song in a new/stripped down way, which can allow people to hear the story of a song better and appreciate the lyrics.

David is currently working on a new album and writing lots of songs for it. He has never released a full length album before and is something he has always wanted to do.

“I am enjoying the experience because usually you write a few songs and go out and play shows but when you record a lot of songs at one you get synergy between songs and allows you to create an album where everything relates to each other and tells a story,” he said.

David is really excited about this album and for the opportunity to tour with it as well.

He is focusing his time to working on this album and is taking full advantage of that.

Make sure to stream David James’ new single “Lost” and all of his other incredible singles.

Don Amero recently released his latest single “Go Girl,” which came to him from some great Nashville writers. At first he was hesitant to record the song because he couldn’t relate to the lyrics and it wasn’t his story. But as he kept thinking about it he thought about a friend who went through a mature breakup, where they both truly want the best for each other, which was beautiful to see. Don thought that this song really told that story and wanted to record it so it could be told.

“I always have to feel a connection to a song, and if I can’t then I won’t be able to authentically sing it,” he said.

Don had passed on numerous songs in the past, even potential chart-toppers, simply because he couldn’t authentically connect with them.

“Go Girl” is a track that will be included on Don Amero’s forthcoming EP set to release in the fall.

He wrote a majority of the songs on this EP and has released two singles off of it so far, “Ain’t Too Late” and “Go Girl.”

“As long as you are living and breathing there is always more songs coming as a songwriter. I wait for life to give me something and I go off and write about it,” he said.

Beyond his musical passions, Don has kept busy this past year with his podcast, Through The Fire.

“To be able to have these deep moments and conversations with people is really rewarding for me,” he said.

Don felt honoured that his podcast guests trusted him with their personal stories, allowing him to share them with his audience.

Aside from being a singer, songwriter, and podcast host, Don had now added “author” to his list of accomplishments with his book, These Roots of Love.

“When life throws questions my way, I turn to art, and writing was one of them.” Don shared the heartbreaking story of losing his brother-in-law to cancer and wanted to encourage the young children who had to say goodbye to their dad, which led him to the storyline of how trees live and die but still carry so much love when they are gone.

“The heart of the book was wanting to take care of these tender hearts in my life and I thought this book would be a tool for people who are caring for these young hearts,” he said.

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Make sure to listen to “Go Girl,” Through The Fire, and pick up a copy of “These Roots of Love!”

Katelyn has been performing and singing her whole life, which has been her passion from a young age. She had her first on-stage performance at the age of three, and ever since, country music has been the genre she gravitated towards.

“I have always loved the songwriting aspect of country music and is something that is really important to me as an artist,” she said.

In particular, Katelyn has been drawn to the strong female voices in music, such as Carrie Underwood and Shania Twain. She also pays close attention to artists who write their own music, like Kelsea Ballerini, Maren Morris, and Griffen Palmer.

In the fall of 2022, Katelyn released her debut EP titled “10 Bucks,” which has been nominated for Country Album of the Year at the SCMA Awards!

“I am super proud of these four songs. I wanted them to all be different and show a different part of me and my personality,” she said.

Music has always been a happy and safe space for Katelyn, and she hopes her EP can bring the same joy and lightheartedness to others.

Given her passion for songwriting, Katelyn wrote three out of the four songs on the EP. This allowed her to put her own thoughts and experiences into the music.

Recently, she released the title track, “10 Bucks,” a playful and sassy song that has quickly become a favourite among her fans.

“When creating the music video, I wanted to bring out the fun and highlight my personality,” she said.

Katelyn’s most recent single, “Cross The Line,” has just been released. This song holds a special place for her as it’s the first one she had full creative control in the studio.

“It’s about those moments when you find yourself in an awkward friend zone, and you decide to take the chance and shoot your shot with that person,” she explained.

Make sure to check out Katelyn Lehner’s EP and new single Cross The Line!

Growing up in a small town, Devin was surrounded by aspects of country music. He started writing music at 14, gravitating towards storytelling songs that resonate with listeners. It took a few years for him to realize that his upbringing had shaped him into a country songwriter.

At 18, Devin dove into country music, developing a deep love for the craft of songwriting.

In 2022, he released his debut album, “Good Things,” aiming to take listeners on a journey through his life experiences.

As his first album he wanted it to take the listener on a journey and story of everything that he had experienced in life up to that point.

The album’s theme revolves around the idea that everything in life takes time, regardless of the path you choose. “You go through the party stage, bad breakups stages, and then it all settles out and you realize all those things take time to figure out,” he said.

As a fan of watching artists play stripped down, acoustic versions of songs, Devin wanted to give listeners insight to what the songs on the album sounded like the day they wrote them and released acoustic versions on Good Things.

“In country music you can take the production, band, and everything away and if you strip it down to a vocal and acoustic guitar and it can stand alone on its own is what makes country music what it is,” he said.

Devin recently released his latest single, “The Other Guy,” which explores the theme of following one’s heart, regardless of consequences.

The music video for the single is out now! Devin enjoyed putting the story to life through the video and seeing all the behind the scenes of the creation of the video.

Devin’s talent has not gone unnoticed, as he was nominated for seven Country Music Alberta Awards. He was honored to win the 2023 Horizon Male Artist of the Year award and acknowledges his team’s contribution to his success.

Don’t miss out on Devin Cooper’s music, including his new single, “The Other Guy!”

Griffen Palmer, a talented singer-songwriter from Pickering, Ontario, gained recognition after appearing on NBC’s Songland with his song “Second Guessing.”

This experience was instrumental for Griffen, allowing him to pitch his song to some of the greatest songwriters and Florida Georgia Line, who later recorded the song.

Originally, “Second Guessing” was created as a wedding gift for Griffen’s friends, but it became a hit for both Florida Georgia Line and Griffen Palmer himself. After the success of “Second Guessing,” Griffen released his own version and included it on his debut album, Unlearn, which was recently released on April 28.

Unlearn has ten tracks, including “Second Guessing,” “Unlearn,” and “25 to Life,” which tells the story of Griffen’s early 20s. The album captures new experiences, relationships, and the ups and downs of love, providing little snapshots of his life from the past five years.

Griffen hopes his fans will connect with his music on a personal level, and he describes the title track, “Unlearn,” as the most personal and vulnerable song on the album. For Griffen, a debut album is an opportunity to let people know more about him and his story, and he believes that “Unlearn” is the clearest way for someone to get to know him.

Recently, Griffen completed his first US tour with Lily Rose, where he experienced performing in new cities with people singing his lyrics back to him. He looks forward to more opportunities to perform and connect with his fans.

Make sure to stream Unlearn on all streaming platforms and visit https://griffenpalmer.com/ to catch a live show!

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!