100.1FM The Ranch Local Spotlight

June 10th, 2021 - Windsor Ontario's, Nick Hedden, joins Jackie on air to chat about everything he's been up to recently, writing,  his brand new summer jam "Summer of You" and even TikTok! 

Aaron Goodvin joins Jackie on air to share his brand new single "Boy Like Me." They also chat about Rascal Flats tour shenanigans and the story of when Aaron met his wife!

"Aaron Goodvin’s new Reviver Records/Warner Music Canada single in the United States is set to establish a new beat in country music for 2021.  

“Lonely Drum” is the song that lit the fuse of a national radio phenomenon in Canada and a global obsession resulting in “Lonely Drum” flash mobs from Australia to Switzerland to Las Vegas and an award-winning line dance craze in over a dozen countries, from Taiwan to France to right back here in the US.   

This game-changing single for Aaron’s career is already a platinum-selling success in his home country of Canada and led to his win of the

CCMA Songwriter of the Year award for “Lonely Drum” as well as CCMA nominations for Single of the Year (Lonely Drum) and SiriusXM Rising Star.

Aaron first appeared on the country music scene as a writer on Luke Bryan’s multi-platinum selling album, Crash My Party, and his star power continued to rise as cuts with Jon Pardi, Cole Swindell, and Josh Gracin followed.  

His radio success in Canada followed with a steady stream of five Top Ten singles including the BillBoard #1 hit “You Are,” eight CCMA nominations, and a Juno nomination for Country Album of the Year for his most recent album release, “V.”   

Aaron is as comfortable on the stage as in the writing room, touring with Rascal Flatts on their 2019 Forever Summer Playlist Tour as well as appearing at major festivals and headlining his own shows across Canada and the United States.

Aaron Goodvin makes his home in Nashville where he lives with his favorite songwriting muse and North Carolina native, wife Victoria. They share their home with Olive and Telly, a well-loved pair of pups who make frequent guest appearances on Aaron’s streaming shows and social posts."

A newcomer to the music scene, this week our Local Spotlight shines on Dorchester boy, Coty Robinson, and his debut single "Waste Of A Summer."

"A big man with a big voice, Coty Robinson is ready to introduce himself. 

A native of Dorchester, Ontario, Coty Robinson is no stranger to a microphone. Having the opportunity to be one of the home game in-house announcers for his home team, the Dorchester Dolphins, gave him valuable experience winning over a crowd.

After the loss of his mother at a young age, Coty dove headfirst into music as a way to cope with the pain and heartbreak and to honour her memory. For Coty, connecting with music was a way to express his own experiences, struggles, and emotions. 

 When he was unable to find the words to say, a song always could.

In 2019, Coty challenged Canadian country star Brett Kissel to a game of backstage beer-pong over Twitter. Kissel accepted, and Coty triumphed over the singer. After being egged on to sing in front of Brett by some friends, Coty sang an acapella verse and chorus of a Luke Combs hit for Brett and his band. They were blown away. Brett and Coty stayed in touch, leading to Coty performing at the London show of Kissel's 2020 Drive-In Tour.

 A fan of country music first, Coty’s biggest aspiration is to bring the joy of connection through music and song and be able to share the experience with others.

​Coty Robinson is set to record and release his debut EP in 2021. The album was recorded at OCL Studios in Chestermere, Alberta with JUNO award-winning producer and four-time Canadian Country Music Association Guitar Player of the Year, Matty McKay.

The EP will feature songs Coty has co-written about life, love, loyalty, friendship, and small-town living."

Born and raised in Chatham, Ontario, now residing in London. This week's Local Spotlight shines on 2020 CMAO Rising Star,  Aaron Allen!

Jackie and Aaron talk about the upcoming CMAO's, a new top secret project Aaron's working on, and more!

"Aaron’s story will sound familiar to many.  Faced with some serious personal challenges as he entered his teenage years, country music became his lifeline and songwriting the outlet for his pain and frustration.  Allen made a promise to himself that he would make country music his career, even though – thanks to his wife – tattooing eventually helped pay the bills. “All I had was my voice and a guitar so country music was really the only way to go for me,” Allen says.  “I’ve always loved how simple and direct great country songs are.  They go straight to the heart and that’s what I’ve always tried to achieve with songs I write. I feel like my favourite artists are speaking specifically to me and I hope people have that feeling when they hear my songs.”
Keeping the momentum going Aaron released his new EP Highway Mile on April 3rd, 2020 produced by Jeff Dalziel."

Aaron from The Washboard Union joins Jackie on air to talk about their brand new single "Never Run Out Of Road."

"On their new album Everbound, The Washboard Union secure their status as one of Canada’s preeminent country bands with 10 songs that celebrate the simple joy of life. The follow-up to their 2018 album What We’re Made Of—which earned the trio their first JUNO Award for Breakthrough Group Of The Year—Everbound keeps the good times rolling with an irresistible blend of roof-raising anthems and poignant ballads.

The impeccable three-part harmony and top-notch musicianship once again displayed by Aaron Grain, Chris Duncombe and David Roberts is only one aspect of The Washboard Union’s appeal. With about 30 songs in the running to make Everbound’s final cut, the group was determined to offer only their best material, aided by the keen ears of Nashville producers Gordie Sampson, Thomas “Tawgs” Salter and producer Karen Kosowski, who also co-wrote the album’s uplifting first single “Country Thunder.” Accompanied by a video starring puppet versions of Aaron, Chris and David, its quick rise up Billboard’s Canada Country chart made the song their highest charting single to date.

There are sure to be many more converts in the wake of Everbound as The Washboard Union continue to prove that creativity is not limited by the use of traditional instruments. Although they will still be called country, The Washboard Union will always sound exactly like who they are."

Growing up just down the road and now taking the country music world by storm, this week we shine our local spotlight on Callie McCullough!

"A modern songwriter inspired by timeless bluegrass and old-school country music, Callie McCullough has chased her unique muse for years, making contemporary roots music that nods to the legends who came before her. It's a sound anchored by intimate ballads and McCullough's gorgeous voice, whose Alison Krauss-worthy tone and Dolly Parton-sized beauty stand in contrast to her dry humor and larger-than-life personality. 

With 2020's After Midnight, McCullough makes her debut as a solo artist. The six-song record was tracked in her adopted hometown of Nashville, where she resettled after spending nearly a decade on the road with other projects. Emotional and eclectic, After Midnight also features first-class picking from members of the Grammy-winning bluegrass band Union Station and western-swing super-group the Time Jumpers. The result is a collaborative and intimate EP that laces McCullough's voice with touches of dobro, fiddle, mandolin, banjo, and acoustic guitar, mixing the fresh energy of a rising star with the finesse of a hotshot backing band."

Hot off the press of her 2 CMA Ontario nominations, on this episode The Ranch Local Spotlight shines on Peterborough's, Elyse Saunders!

Jackie and Elyse talk all things about her musical journey and her brand new single "Wine Down"!

"Country music has always felt like home for Elyse Saunders. From the dynamic stages of Toronto to the bright lights of Nashville, the Peterborough, Ontario native has followed a path of steadfast determination and artistic inspiration – regularly captivating crowds with her powerhouse vocals, engaging live show personality, and interactive charm.            

Priding herself on being an artist who never stops, Elyse discovered a passion for music early on when she met her first mentor, producer/songwriter Cyril Rawson (Keith Urban, Gretchen Wilson). After recording her debut self-titled album with him in Nashville, she released a string of singles to Canadian radio and showcased her music during an opening spot for ACM artist Deric Ruttan in front of 10,000 attendees. 

On stage she’s performed at over 350 shows with industry showcases like Canadian Country Music Week, Indie Week, and 2019’s Canadian Music Week with Nice Horse, Kira Isabella, & David James. She also rocked 2019’s Powassan’s Smoke ‘N’ Spurs ahead of Eric Ethridge and The Washboard Union, and opened for Terri Clark and Jason Aldean at Sunfest. 

On the release side, her 2017 single, “Rise” went Top 20 after Toronto’s DJ Danny D released a dance remix of the song on Z103.5. The single continues to build momentum today with an upcoming television placement at the 2020 Summer Olympics. Her 2019 release “Feel You Leaving” was selected as a semi-finalist for the International Songwriters Competition out of 19,000 submissions globally. 

After a series of songwriting trips in Nashville and new recordings in BC with producers Dan Swinimer, Paul Shatto, and David Wills, Elyse Saunders released “Free” in the summer of 2020, the first single and title track from her next album.   

“Free” marked her successful re-entry into the Canadian radio market which included CBC Country/Sirius XM and “Wild & Free Jamboree” – a Facebook live concert presented by KX Country FM. To date, the single has earned over half-a-million streams on Apple Music, over 100K YouTube views on the official music video, and it remains on regular rotation on Stingray Music’s Country Music Video TV channel. The music video also garnered Elyse “Video Of The Year” award with Mississauga Music Awards and a current nomination at the Canadian Independent Music Video Awards.   

With her newest single, “Wine Down”, Elyse has set the stakes even higher. On release date, it made the #1 spot on Amazon’s Breakthrough Country playlist and landed Elyse the cover photo spot as Amazon’s Music “Break-out Artist.” A Top 100 pick for AmericanSongwriter.com, “Wine Down” is steadily growing on Spotify with over 50K streams and over 9,000 monthly listeners leading into what promises to be an engaging and impactful radio release."

The Ranch Local Spotlight shines on Waterloo's, Drew Taylor!

"Singer/songwriter Drew Taylor was born and raised in Waterloo, Ontario. Although he is Canadian, Drew spends quite a bit of time in the states, specifically Nashville! He says it feels like home to him and it’s also where he does most of his songwriting. 

Over his 8 year career in the music industry he has opened for artists like Kane Brown, Tanya Tucker, Paul Brandt, Clay Walker, Love & Theft and more.

Drew Taylor just released his new single “Waiting on Love”, featuring the super talented Kristina Nichol. It’s a love song with a Pop Country feel.

His singles “Wayback” and “Waiting on Love” have both been added to the
MUSIC ROW COUNTRY BREAKOUT CHART"

This week The Ranch Local Spotlight shines on...

Lisa McEwan!

"Lisa McEwen  has written songs for some of Country Music’s biggest names, she has collaborated with some of Country Music’s finest songwriters, and she is an unforgettable Artist in her own right - releasing her latest single, “I’M HERE NOW”, available on all online stores. 

After pursuing her life-long dream of moving to Nashville and signing her first publishing deal, Lisa now calls Ontario, Canada her home. If she’s not singing around the house with her 3 young children, you can bet you’ll find her performing for the fun folks at Community Living or writing music at her piano, with her guitar, or over Zoom with her friends all over the world.  Just a few of the many things this talented songstress does to keep her busy!

Born in Oakville, Ontario, Canada, Lisa attended Humber College - majoring in vocal performance. Following graduation, she and  her parents loaded up in their Volkswagon camper van and crossed the border, heading for Nashville. She had a dream to write and perform -and she’s never looked back. 

Formerly signed as a staff writer to BMG Music Publishing as well as Tom-Leis/Wright Hook Music in Nashville, TN, Lisa has had the opportunity to write with and share the stage with some of country music’s top writers & Artists,  including Steven Dale Jones (“One More Day” – Diamond Rio), Josh Kear (“Before He Cheats” – Carrie Underwood), as well as Carolyn Dawn Johnson, Patricia Conroy, Michelle Wright & Phil Barton to name a few. Lisa has written for Katie Armiger, penning the single “Trail of Lies” which broke records for Katie's career by breaking the Top 20. Katie Armiger’s “I Will Be” was also featured on ABC’s hit television series Bachelor Pad. Lisa’s writing credits also include the Inspirational Country Music Award nominated song, “In the Shadow of my Steeple” for Aubree Bullock, "Back In the Day" (Heartland), “Good Kind of Crazy”  (Tristan Horncastle) and “Love Revival” (Maiden Dixie). 

Lisa was asked to write the theme song for MiaThrives (https://www.melissathrives.com/miathrives/) - a charity that supports children with the skin condition EB (Also called Butterfly Children) 
“Fearless When You Fly (Butterfly Child)” was the result. With the encouragement of friend and cheerleader Melissa Idiens, Lisa now writes personalized songs by request for people - A Song Gift. 

Since moving back to Ontario to raise a family, Lisa continues to write and perform as well as host “Music & Mindfulness” workshops and one-on-one mentoring sessions to help people of all ages develop their songwriting skills. Her philosophy that “music is good for the soul” carries her and others through this beautiful journey we call life. "

Hot off the press of the release of her debut single "What You Leave Behind." This week we shine our Local Spotlight on 15 year old Isabella Caskenette from Milverton!