By Stevie Connor.
For the first of these exclusive monthly articles I would like to explain what it's all about.
I write a lot of articles about Canadian artists, and also about artists from many countries around the world for The Sound Café . Mainly these artists are established and have large followings in their home country and also internationally. With The Sound Café HQ being based in Ontario, Canada, I get sent many e-mails from performers that I am not that familiar with from across this vast country, in an array of genres, and I wanted space to shine a light on some of these very talented artists.
To define 'emerging' can be a little tricky, some singer-songwriters, bands, musicians can spend a few years playing locally before they are recognized regionally, and may take a number of years of hard work and touring to be acknowledged nationally, so, to clarify this column, I am going to feature artists who I think are beginning to 'emerge', or already have 'emerged ' from their local or regional scenes.
I decided to create a column exclusively for The Sound Café , it's called 'Rising from The Great White North', where I'll showcase 'emerging' talent from across Canada. I hope you enjoy the first of my monthly features and come back and visit again.
This article will be a regular monthly contribution, published exclusively in The Sound Café with the intention of providing you with information on artists that you might not have heard of, but I think are truly worthy of exploring further.
This is what happens when four of the industry's finest from British Columbia, Canada get together to create a traditional bluegrass blend of heart-wrenching lead vocals and dead-on harmonies backed by instrumental talent.
Described as having a voice that “stops traffic”, the group’s co-founder is lead vocalist Tianna Lefebvre, a 4-time BC Country Music Association Award winner – including the Female Vocalist of the Year and the Horizon Award winner – who has performed with renowned artists such as Shania Twain, Michelle Wright, and Russell deCarle.
The band’s fiddle and mandolin player – and co-founder of this husband and wife-led band – is Mike Sanyshyn, who holds four Provincial Fiddle Champion titles and placed in the top 3 at the prestigious Canadian Grand Masters Fiddle Championship.The CCMA and BCCMA Fiddle Player of the Year has toured with Grammy-nominated artist Deric Ruttan, and worked with legendary artists Ian Tyson, The Good Brothers, Lucille Starr, and Randy Bachman.
Rounding out the band are two more shining talents and its newest members: BCCMA music award winner and Juno nominee Charlie Frie’s upright bass and vocals lay a soulful foundation for the band’s effortless harmonies, while Juno nominee and Canadian Folk Music award winner Eric Reed (guitar/banjo) adds a traditional sound through his seasoned background as a multi-instrumentalist and producer/recording engineer.
Jackson Hollow won the BC Country Music Association Gaylord Wood Traditional Country Award four times, and experienced a breakthrough year in 2021. First chosen for an IBMA International Showcase in June, their performance garnered the interest of Mountain Fever Records, a Virginia-based bluegrass label, who signed them shortly after. With a complete album produced by Tom McKillip and 4 tracks by the group , They released their debut single, “Travelin’ Heart”, which reached #10 on the US Bluegrass Today Charts and was September’s 2nd most played bluegrass song on Sirius XM’s Bluegrass Junction. Their next single, “Shallow Rivers”, released in November, became a fan favourite, reaching #6 on the Roots Music Report, #12 on the US Bluegrass Today chart, and rising to #3 among Sirius XM’s Bluegrass Junction’s most-played singles that month.
Following a similarly successful 2022 – including the US Bluegrass Today charting single “Look Who’s Talking Now” and a Josie Music Awards nomination for Bluegrass Single of the Year, Jackson Hollow released their debut album, “Roses”, in March of 2023, and continue to build their appeal through an authentic and timeless sound that connects with people across generations and borders.
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About Stevie Connor:
Born in Edinburgh, Scotland, Stevie has been moving in music circles since he could walk and has played all over the world.
He moved to Canada in 2009 and gave up a playing career, he formed a company with his wife and commenced putting on shows in soft seater venues which saw them being nominated for a national cultural award. Ten years ago Blues & Roots Radio was formed, winning four business awards in five years, and he found himself working with amazing artists from many countries around the world, which led to the creation of The Sound Café in June 2020. He is a selfless supporter of artists in Canada, in various ways, through his podcast, his internet radio station, PR company, website design, and most recently through his online music magazine, The Sound Café .
Over the last decade Stevie has been honoured to sit as a juror on national music awards panels, including The JUNO's, The Canadian Folk Music Awards and The Maple Blues Awards.
He is also writing a book about his journey in music, which he is hoping will be finished in 2024.
First Journalist Of 2023 To Be Featured On The Muck Rack Leaderboard
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