this issue

Doc Walker

Jake Matthews

Twin Kennedy

Chad Brownlee

Shania Twain

Jacquie Drew

Boom Chucka Boys

Ryan Laird

Robyn & Ryleigh

+

Maritime Festival, River Fest & Karma Concerts

Royalty Records Strikes a Sisterly Chord by Signing

Robyn & Ryleigh

Royalty Records is proud to welcome Canadian country

music act, Robyn & Ryleigh, to its growing roster of Cana-

dian country music talent.

"I first 'officially' met Robyn & Ryleigh at OCL Studios just outside of Calgary. It was obvious to me that they were in their element. The energy and passion were the first things I noticed. Then they performed a couple tunes for me and that was what did it. I saw just them stripped down and real."

- Rob Smith, President/CEO of Royalty Records

Royalty Records, an Edmonton-based record label and a

distribution partner of Sony Music Canada, has a 40 year

history of working with Canadian artists like Gord Bam-

ford, Hey Romeo, The Boom Chucka Boys and Tristan

Horncastle. Robyn & Ryleigh reflect the talent and dedi-

cation that Royalty Records is looking for.

For Robyn & Ryleigh, this signing marks the biggest mile-

stone yet for the Langley, British Columbia sisters of the

same name - following a pair of 2012 BCCMA Award nom-

inations and the 2013 release of their first full-length al-

bum and debut single, "Just Another Sundown", which

played on Canadian country radio and was picked up for

video play by The Heartland Network (The Nashville Net-

work) in America.

The duo said, "We are beyond excited to join Royalty Rec-

ords! The first time we met Rob, we knew this was going

to be a great fit. The entire Royalty family shares our love

"Over the past several months, I have gotten to know Robyn & Ryleigh and see their authentic passion and desire to not just be great singers or great entertainers or great writers, but their dedication to be all three.”

- Rob Smith

of music and we are thrilled to be taking our next big step

with them."

Robyn & Ryleigh's dedicated management team

at Raincoast Music has been with them since their earliest

career steps and that relationship will continue into the

future.

Inspired by a recent songwriting trip to Nashville and a

year of performances across BC and Alberta, Robyn &

Ryleigh are poised for their first single release for Royalty

Records this Spring, followed by their second album later

in the year.

For more information about Robyn & Ryleigh and Royalty

Records, please visit them online at:

"Raincoast is proud to be working with Rob Smith and Royalty Records on the next stage of Robyn & Ryleigh's career. Rob has a strong track record of thoughtful attention to the development of the artists on his roster. We welcome the collaboration."

- Paul Shatto, co-founder of Raincoast Music

RobynandRyleigh.com

RoyaltyRecords.ca.

The Boom

Chucka Boys

“Ramble On”

Q: Where did you produce it?

A: We cut the record at MCC Stu-

dios in Calgary, AB. Which we are

very proud of. 100% Canadian made!

Q: Song you thought would never make it but did?

A: The title track RAMBLE. We wrote it with the album in

mind, but it wasn’t shortlisted. It was the night before we

wrapped the session that we called Gord and asked if we could

add it. It just seemed to fit. He agreed and BOOM, it made it.

Q: Song you relate to the most on the album?

A: The song I’m most connected to is ‘Runaway Heart’. Only

because I started writing it years and years ago. Then when we

were writing it got dusted off and we cut it.

Q: Tell us about your recent ACMA Group of the Year and

Rising Star win?

A: It was incredible. When you’re nominated you say, ‘if we

don’t win, no big deal.’ But when you win you say ‘OH YEAH,

it matters!’

Q: You started your Canadian tour on the 19th in Calgary,

were you excited to get out on the road?

A: Absolutely. For me personally, I’ve waited my whole per-

forming career for this. My first official ‘tour’.

Q: Are all your tour dates with Gord Bamford?

A: All but 2 nights. We’re stopping in Moose Jaw, SK on the

way back for 2 nights on our

own.

Q: Any summer festivals

planned?

A: Absolutely. We are con-

firmed at Manitoulin Coun-

try Fest, and Rockin’ River

Fest in BC so far. With more

to come!

Q: Tell us about “Turn

This Car Around”, did you

write it? Why this song as

a first single?

A: We didn’t write it. It was

written by Ryan Tyndell

(who wrote ‘Springsteen’ for

Eric Church) It just felt like

a BCB tune.

Get to know the boys...

One food you can’t live with-

out - Gonna say Peanut butter

and coffee.

Best advice you ever received

from your grandparents -

When playing crib, always play

for pegging points.

Last book you read - The Maze

Runner series. Fast paced and en-

tertaining. A nice fictional es-

cape.

Since everyone has such fabu-

lous hair…what is your favorite

hair product - Murrays Pomade.

Greasy and great:)

Favourite Gord Bamford song -

Blame It On The Red Dress.

Shania’s Canadian Tour Dates

6/7 — Vancouver, BC, Pepsi Live! At Rogers Arena

6/9 — Vancouver, BC, Pepsi Live! At Rogers Arena

6/11 — Edmonton, AB, Rexall Place

6/12 — Edmonton, AB, Rexall Place

6/14 — Saskatoon, SK, SaskTel Centre

6/15 — Winnipeg, MB, MTS Centre

6/19 — London, ON, Budweiser Gardens

6/20 — London, ON, Budweiser Gardens

6/22 — Hamilton, ON, FirstOntario Centre

6/24 — Toronto, ON, Air Canada Centre

6/25 — Toronto, ON, Air Canada Centre

6/27 — Ottawa, ON, Wesley Clover Parks

6/28 — Montreal, QC, Bell Centre

Shania gets ready to

“Rock This Country”

After a decade away from the road, Shania Twain is finally

heading out on tour.

“I’m finally, after 11 years, I’m going back on tour,” the

“Man! I Feel Like a Woman” singer said.

“It’s the after-party tour. That’s how I see it,” Twain said.

“It’s the after-party to all of these years.”

Unfortunately, Shania says this will be her farewell tour

and will officially be her last.

“This is a very, very important time on the road for me,”

Twain said. “I just feel like I’m ready to hang my hat up in

that regard. I just really want to go out with a bang.”

According to a release, Shania will be bringing Wes Mack

along with her from June 5 through June 28, and Gavin

DeGraw from June 30 through August 23.

Ryan Laird & Bigger Than That! Bullying Prevention & Youth Empowerment Campaign

Tours the Canadian West Coast

Founded in 2014, the BiggerThanThat!™ School Program

is a powerful & entertaining musical program designed to

prevent bullying, build self-confidence and empower chil-

dren to reach for their dreams by demonstrating a real life

success story. Our program's founding artist, Ryan Laird,

is a two time Canadian Country Music Awards Nominee

who is living out his dream after overcoming childhood

bullying that is often so commonplace in today's schools.

Ryan shares his life story while offering an entertaining

and engaging music concert, consistently delivering a

message of encouragement and empowerment.

From mid February to the end of March, Ryan Laird will

be visiting 32 schools across the western coast of Canada.

Along with visiting schools, Ryan will also be a featured

guest at a Bullying and Cyber Bullying Prevention event

held by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. On February

18th Ryan will also be performing during the intermission

of the Vancouver Giants game at the Vancouver Pacific

Coliseum, where there will be 5,000 students in attend-

ance from all across British Columbia.

"I’m hoping to motivate as many kids as I can to never stop chasing their dreams and never let a bully stand in their way of success and happiness in life! I’m thrilled to have visited thousands of youth across our great nation over the past couple years. After hearing their stories about bullying experiences and the many dreams that they aspire to in their lives, I was inspired to use my voice as an artist to provide message driven music concerts which empower youth to dream big and conquer negative influences. This is BiggerThanThat!™ "

-Ryan Laird

Bullying Prevention & Youth Em-

powerment West Coast Tour

Dates:

March 12th 9:30am: Poplar Ridge School, Red

Deer AB

March 12th 12:15pm: Glendale Sciences and Technology School,

Red Deer AB

March 13th 9am : John Barnett School, Edmonton AB

March 13th 1pm: East Elementary School, Leduc AB

March 16th 10:15am: Sherwood School, Edmonton AB

March 16th 1:20pm: Highlands Junior School, Edmonton AB

March 17th 9am: East brook School, Brooks AB

March 17th 2pm: Brooks Junior High School, Brooks AB

March 18th 9am: Schuler School, Medicine Hat Area AB

March 19th 1:30pm : St. Michael's School, Lethbridge Area AB

March 20th 1pm: Condor School, Condor AB

1-844-344-4371

Contact@BiggerThanThat.org.

Dallas Smith is joining the

Riverfest 2015 Lineup along with 4 other

Amazing Local Artists

Can you believe it's less than 5 months until Riverfest

2015?! Time flies and we can't wait for a hot summer night

on Saturday, August 1st when we'll be rockin' out to Dierks

Bentley and our newest artist Dallas Smith! With big hits

like "Tippin' Point," "A Girl Like You," "Wastin' Gas" and so

many more August just can't come soon enough.

We have also added CCMA award winner Sean Hogan to

the 2015 lineup. He has so many hits including "Angeline,"

"Slow Turning," "Sure Fire Love," and we can't wait to hear

new favourites off of his latest album "Phoenix".

We're also excited to be adding amazing local artists Rod

Black, Twin Kennedy's and Cash Crawford. Be sure to

check out their profiles and YouTube channels as we're sure

that'll get you as excited as we are. There are still lots of sur-

prises to get you even more excited for Riverfest 2015. We

can't wait to see y'all this July! Only 150 days to go!!

Jess Moskaluke

What song are you most excited to sing on tour? “Cheap

Wine and Cigarettes” always gets my favorite crowd reaction,

but I'm really excited for people to hear “Night We Won't For-

get”, too!

Favorite Chad Brownlee song? “Left”!

Favorite Bobby Wills song? “Strong As It’s Ever Been”? Ha-

ha, just kidding. I still love “Show Some Respect”.

Favorite on tour food? I don't know yet... Guess I will find

out soon! :)

Coolest thing you have ever done while on tour? Hmmm.

I've done lots of cool things on smaller tours... Seeing the Ala-

mo was pretty neat.

Chad Brownlee

What song are you most excited to sing on tour? "When

The Lights Go Down"!

Favorite Jess Moskaluke song? "Cheap Wine And Ciga-

rettes"

Favorite Bobby Wills song? "Crazy Enough"

Favorite on tour food? Breakfast at an all day breakfast joint!

Coolest thing you have ever done while on tour? Stopped

for an impromptu go kart race!

When The Lights Go Down

Upcoming Tour Dates

03 / 16 / 2015 - Belleville, ON

03 / 17 / 2015 - Toronto, ON

03 / 19 / 2015 - Thunder Bay, ON

03 / 20 / 2015 - Winnipeg, MB

03 / 21 / 2015 - Regina, SK

03 / 22 / 2015 - Saskatoon, SK

03 / 24 / 2015 - Red Deer, AB

03 / 25 / 2015 - Lloydminster, AB

03 / 26 / 2015 - Prince Albert, SK

03 / 27 / 2015 - Calgary, AB

03 / 28 / 2015 - Enoch, AB

03 / 29 / 2015 - Swift Current, SK

03 / 30 / 2015 - Kamloops, BC

03 / 31 / 2015 - Kelowna, BC

04 / 02 / 2015 - Vancouver, BC

04 / 03 / 2015 - Victoria, BC

04 / 04 / 2015 - Nanaimo, BC

Bobby Wills

What song are you most excited to sing on tour? ““Crazy

Enough” is a highlight for me most nights… it is so cool to

have people singing along!

Favorite Chad Brownlee song? “Hood Of My Car” - Great

groove

Favorite Jess Moskaluke song? “Never Better”

Favorite on tour food? Chicken fingers

Coolest thing you have ever done while on tour? Getting

to do a show with Burton Cummings in Beverley Hills for the

Golden Globes. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Join Jake Matthews on the

Road and the Radio New Single Out Now, on iTunes & Country Music Radio!

Hockey and Music Collide... Award winning country music artist

and former NHL draft pick Chad

Brownlee kicks off his When The Lights

Go Down Tour in Summerside, PEI at

the Harbourfront Theatre to-

day! Combining his two loves – music

and hockey – Chad and his team have

partnered with Sher-Wood hockey

sticks to launch a charitable online auc-

tion in support of the Tim Horton Chil-

dren’s Foundation™ (onsite interview &

camera/photo opportunities listed be-

low). For a complete list of the 26 Ca-

nadian tour dates by market or to bid

on the auction please visit:

whenthelightsgodowntour.com or chadbrownlee.com.

The online guitar auction will launch today; auction partici-

pants will bid for an irreplaceable, handmade guitar, crafted

of Sher-Wood wooden hockey sticks built by Jeff Robin-

son. Chad will perform using this exact guitar throughout the

tour and will autograph the guitar for the auction winner! The

online auction will close on April 7, 2015. The proceeds of the

auction will be donated to the Tim Horton Children’s Founda-

tion™ to send kids to camp. A foundation close to Chad’s

heart, he annually visits the camps to share the joy of music

with young campers, leading music workshops across the

country.

Join Chad as he reveals the guitar onsite at the Tim Hor-

ton Children’s Foundation camp in St. George, ON here.

The guitar body is made of over a dozen wooden shafts glued

together, and various hockey items, such as parts of a puck

have been used to create this one of a kind item. Inspired by

the name of Chad’s latest album, the guitar is aptly titled “The

Fighters” as a symbol of confidence and strength the Founda-

tion’s camps instill in children to overcome adversity in their

lives. In the spirit of hockey, the three musicians will also be

playing a shinny hockey game with radio contest winners’ on-

site in the following markets:

Summerside - Presented by 95.1 FM CFCY Moncton - Presented by XL96.9

Glace Bay - Presented by The Eagle 103.5 FM Oshawa - Presented by KX96

Barrie - Presented by KICX 106 Sudbury - Presented by KICX 91.7

Toronto - Presented by KX94.7 Winnipeg - Presented by QX 104

Regina - Presented by Big Dog 92.7 Lloydminster - Presented by Lloyd 95.9 FM

Calgary - Presented by Country 105

Country Music’s Newest Sweethearts

There is no force stronger than that of sisters. They’ve changed

their name, they’ve traveled across the country, and now Victo-

ria, BC sisters, Twin Kennedy, are ready to share the depths of

their hearts with fans with the release of their debut album It’s a

Love Thing. Comprised of nine heart-felt, honest tracks, the

duo bears it all in their new release – proving the true affection

that exists between the twins and their music.

Produced by multiple award-winning country music heavy-

hitter George Canyon and notable west-coast producer Graham

Sharkey, It’s a Love Thing is a beautiful account of the natural

ebb and flow that is inevitable in the journey of love. From the

uplifting opening track “Get Back Up Again” to the heartbreak-

ing vulnerability of “That’s What I Should Have Said,” Twin

Kennedy has compiled a track listing that is self-described as a

true extension of their lives. After the incredible success of the

“These songs are real to us, they tell the stories of our

lives, and we know that this will resonate with our friends

and fans,” the sisters explain. “With this record, we put it

all out there, we didn’t hold anything back and we have

been true to ourselves and our values with the themes

and musicality of the record.”

title-track single, It’s a Love Thing will be available in its entire-

ty to fans across the country on April 7th, 2015.

After spending the past two months traveling across Canada

visiting radio stations with a simultaneous acoustic tour, Twin

Kennedy is getting ready to head back out on the road to cele-

brate the release of It’s a Love Thing. With 12 west coast dates

stretching from Calgary, AB to their hometown of Powell River,

BC, the sisters will be accompanied on stage with a full band,

bringing an even bigger, richer Twin Kennedy experience. But

this experience doesn’t stop on the main stage – in select tour

stops, the duo will be presenting a number of school perfor-

mances and workshops to students.

In addition to their continued touring, the sisters are ecstatic to

have been selected to perform an official showcase during To-

ronto’s Canadian Music Week in

May, and have just been an-

nounced as an opening act

for Big and Rich at the Rockin’

River Music Festival on Sunday,

August 2nd. As these perfor-

mances are just the beginning

for Twin Kennedy, fans are en-

couraged to follow the sisters for

future summer announcements.

twinkennedy.com

It’s a Love Thing Track Listing

1. Get Back Up Again

2. That’s What I Should Have Said

3. It’s a Love Thing

4. Secondhand Gold

5. Interlude

6. Feels Like Freedom

7. Over

8. Keep On Dancing

9. I Never Will

It is official! Maritime Countryfest (MCF) 2015 is set for Satur-

day, June 20 at Officers’ Square in downtown Fredericton. Chart

-topping, multi-platinum selling recording artist, Johnny

Reid will headline the festival. Special guests include, country

rockers, The Road Hammers, acclaimed country star, Joe

Diffie and Kentucky country-folk duo, Sundy Best.

“Johnny Reid’s name is one we have been talking about since we

acquired MCF three years ago,” said Ray Haines, Promoter and

Festival Vice President. “He’s the package deal, a singer, song-

writer, storyteller and performer. In ten years, he’s had over a

million album sales, won well over 20 Canadian Country Music

Awards and four Juno Awards. His ability to connect with fans

and offer a one-of-a-kind performance makes him the perfect

fit for the festival’s 10th anniversary.” Reid has a new album set

for release in Fall 2015 with a new radio single dropping in

early May.

The big names don’t stop there! On the heels of their lat-

est album, Wheels, both country fans and rock and roll

lovers will revel in fearless high-octane group, The Road

Hammers! Featuring front man and veteran country sing-

er, Jason McCoy, the group has earned several Canadian

chart hits and CCMA Group of the Year honors in both

2005 and 2006.

Also part of this classy line up is country hit maker and

Grand Ole Opry member, Joe Diffie. With 13 albums and

over 20 Top 10 singles to his credit, Diffie dominated the

charts in the ‘90’s with songs like “John Deere Green”,

“Prop Me Up Beside The Juke Box”, “Third Rock From The

Sun” and “Honky Tonk Attitude”. With soaring vocals and

a signature sound, Diffie will not disappoint.

After a highly successful

first time Canadian Tour,

opening for Dallas Smith

this past fall, Sundy Best

will round out this year’s event with a full band perfor-

mance. Repeatedly featured in Rolling Stone Country, the

duo is promoting their latest CD, Salvation City, released

in 2014. “These talented Kentucky boys are young, fun

and offer an energy that is sure to be the talk of the town.”

added Haines.

maritimecountryfest.com

Special early bird promotion: Until Friday, April 3 (while reserved quantities last), patrons can purchase one general admission ticket at $85.00 (including tax) and receive a second ticket at half price! Also available are limited quantity VIP tickets at $115.00 each (including tax). This new VIP area will be sure to in-crease the overall patron experience with features such as a seated area with fantastic stage sightlines, a private bar and washrooms. Festival gates open at 3 p.m. with music starting at 3:45 p.m. for this all ages event.

“Hosting a premier festival is more than finding a venue and picking some great talent. We know that without the support of music lovers, we simply would not be here. While the ‘to-do’ list is a mile long, the top of that list is increasing patron support and comfort. We are working to ensure everyone has an experience they’ll remember and plan to come back year after year! Our hopes are that folks will see and appreciate that this is a top quality event, right here in our backyard. We no longer have to plan vacations away to hear great music. We are bringing it (music) here to our Capital City, our Province.” -Joe Keenan, Festival President

Countrified Canada had the chance to catch up with Canadian

country legends, Doc Walker, who have just released a

moving, love-inspired lyric video for their latest single “That’s what I call love.”

With over 30

hit singles

and 12

CCMAs in

over the past

two decades,

Chris Thor-

steinson and Dave Wasyliw have seen it all; but at the

end of the day, they know what – and who – is ultimately

important. “That’s What I Call Love” follows top-ten sin-

gle “Put It Into Drive,” summer jam “Shake It like It’s Sat-

urday Night” and “That’s How I Like It,” a romantic trib-

ute to their wives, all from their latest album, The 8th.

For the video, Doc Walker called on fans to submit family

and love-inspired photos, giving other families and cou-

ples a chance to share their love. After being released

two weeks ago, the video has already had over 7,000

views on YouTube.

Countrified Canada asked Doc Walker to share “what they call love”:

Left: Both Grandpas,

Chris and their little

girl ... Pretty special

day!

Right: Dave’s two sons, giv-

ing each other a morning

hug.

Left: Ryder and Chris

doing what they love