Life is painful and impossible and breathtaking and beautiful. I have to write what I feel.

That’s where Victoria Banks' third album Indigo comes from. "These songs aren’t written to fit a genre, or to meet an expectation of a sound,” she says. “They’re built from bare-bones midnight recording sessions in my attic. They’re things that I need to say." 

Victoria’s list of accolades as an artist is long. Her self-produced, self-penned records When You Can Fly and Never Be the Same made her 2009’s most nominated female artist in Canadian country music, earned her the 2010 CCMA Female Artist of the Year award, and sent her out on tour with superstars Reba McEntire, Wynonna Judd, Lonestar, Randy Travis and Johnny Reid. 

Now a staff songwriter at Nashville’s RareSpark Media Group, Victoria’s impressive catalogue of hits includes 3 cuts by Sara Evans including “Can’t Stop Loving You” (a duet with Isaac Slade of The Fray), and the ASCAP and SOCAN-award-winning “Saints & Angels.” She penned Jessica Simpson’s Billboard record-breaking country debut “Come On Over,” X Factor winner Tate Stevens' “Ordinary Angels,” One More Girl’s breakout hit “When It Ain’t Raining,” Doc Walker’s chart-topping “I’m Gonna Make You Love Me” and Johnny Reid’s smash “Dance With Me,” for which Victoria was named 2010 CCMA Songwriter of the Year.

Cracker Barrel Old Country Store® and fan-favorite country music artist Neal McCoy announce the upcoming CD release of Pride: A Tribute to Charley Pride: Deluxe Edition, which will be available on Nov. 3rd exclusively at all 633 Cracker Barrel Old Country Store® locations and online at crackerbarrel.com. 

Pride: A Tribute to Charley Pride: Deluxe Edition contains two exclusive bonus tracks not found on the original edition that was released in 2013 by Slate Creek Records. The album contains Neal’s versions of 13 songs made famous by the legendary Pride. Highlights include Neal performing duets with three of country music’s greatest voices. He sings “Roll On Mississippi” with Trace Adkins, “I’m Just Me” with Raul Malo, and Pride’s signature song (which earned songwriter Ben Peters a GRAMMY Award in 1972 for Best Country song), “Kiss an Angel Good Mornin’” with Darius Rucker.   

“I wanted to open people’s eyes about Charley and remind them of all that he has accomplished,” says Neal. “I thought the best way to do that was to just put his music out there and let people hear what great country music sounds like."

In 1981, Charley Pride was introduced to Neal after the younger singer won a nightclub talent contest in Dallas and soon hired the newcomer to be his opening act at his concerts. Neal continued to work for Pride until 1986 when he left to pursue a recording contract. Neal's hits include “No Doubt About It” , “Wink" and "The Shake." He is currently touring with Blake Shelton on the “Ten Times Crazier" Tour."

Sakstachewan's JESS MOSKALUKE is the 2014 CCMA Female Artist of the Year. It's been an amazing year for her with her single Cheap Wine and Cigarettes going gold. She performed the song on this year's CCMA broadcast. The album Light Up The Night also features the popular single Good Lovin' and the new single Used. Jess had a Nashville showcase in August at The Rutledge. CMT has begun playing the video for her latest single Used.

Toronto-based band THE LOVELOCKS received a 2014 CMAO Rising Star Award nomination and then won the CCMA Discovery Award. Celebrated by BlogTO in July 2014 as one of the top 5 alt-country bands to watch in Toronto, The Lovelocks are comprised of musical partners in crime Ali Raney and Zoe Neuman, two city girls who love country music. Their sound has been described as "The Dixie Chicks go Lumineering with a Mumford & Sons-ian alt-country, roots-inspired approach filled with soaring vocals, sweet harmonies and sultry string." The current single from their debut EP is the catchy & happy Dance featuring their signature harmonies and melodies lead by Ali’s fiddle.

Jess Moskaluke and The Lovelocks are on the roster of MDM Recordings Inc. headed by Mike Denney.

TWOSHINE COUNTY is made up of singer-songwriters and multi-instrumentalists Daron Schofield and Dennis Hann. They are high energy, veteran performers who have united to bring their guitar-infused, raw and honest music to country music fans from coast-to-coast. Inspired by influences like Garth Brooks, Merle Haggard, the Beatles, Kris Kristofferson and U2, Daron and Dennis recently recorded their first four-song EP at 2013 & 2014 CCMA Award Winning Recording Studio - MCC Recording Studio in Calgary, Alberta.

Releasing their second single Whole Lotta Love to radio in August 2014, the country duo brings forth considerable singing/songwriting experience spanning over several genres, creating a sound that is upbeat, compelling and distinct.

Tune in and get to know Daron and Dennis and the music of TwoShine County!

Ottawa-born Country artist KIRA ISABELLA will release her new album Caffeine & Big Dreams on October 14th. It features the powerful first single Quarterback and the new single Gone Enough. She wrote the majority of songs on this album and teamed up with several hit songwriters including Deric Ruttan, Rivers Rutherford and Chris DuBois.

Kira was named the 2013 CCMA Female Artist of the Year and the 2014 CMAO Female Artist of the Year. She was nominated for a 2013 JUNO Award in the Breakthrough Artist category. In September 2014, Kira was nominated for in the CCMA Female Artist category. She recently kicked off the very first concert at Tim Horton's Field in Hamilton opening for Keith Urban and Darius Rucker. She's about to begin her first headlining tour "The Shake It Tour" later this month - featuring country duo Autumn Hill - starting in Kingston, Ontario.

In 2011, Kira released her first single Love Me Like That. The song was a runaway hit crossing over into the Canadian Hot 100 Chart, while also earning a 2012 Canadian Radio Music Award in the Country category at Canadian Music Week. Kira's other hit songs to date include A Little More Work, A Real Good Radio & Blame It On Your Truck - with the list guaranteed to grow with the release of her new album.

In 1999, Ontario Country artist Shelley Buffitt released her debut album My First Love. The acclaimed album received airplay world-wide and garnered Shelley the 1999 Nashville Tracker Magazine "Female Vocalist of the Year" (European market). Shelley was nominated at the OCMAs for Female Vocalist of the Year, as well as Album of the Year in 1999.

Riding on the success of her debut album, Executive Producers at Five Star Productions decided to release Bad Side of Town in 2000. This was a wise move as that year The Ontario Country Music Association recognized Shelley's contribution to the Canadian music scene by nominating her for Female Vocalist of the Year, Rising Star and Duet of the Year (with the multi-talented songstress, Kelly Vohnn.)  The album features the musicianship of Wendell Ferguson. This same year, TVOntario filmed a documentary about Shelley and her music on their show Studio 1 with Steve Paikin. 

In July 2014, Daddy’s Little Girl - a song from Shelley's album Beyond This Woman - was released to Canadian Country radio.

Alberta's PAUL BRANDT -  the most awarded male Canadian Country Music artist in history - climbed the charts once again this summer with his song Forever Summer. It's another title on his long list of hits which include My Heart Has A History, I Do, That's The Truth, Small Towns & Big Dreams and Didn't Even See The Dust. 

A former pediatric registered nurse, Paul had a passion for words and poetry early in life, and began to write music at the age of 13. He also had the goal of one day becoming a doctor. While reaching for his medical dreams during his college years, Paul started entering and winning talent competitions, one of which was the Youth Talent Showdown at the Calgary Exhibition and Stampede. He credits these contests as events that altered the course of his life.

Just As I Am, his 11th studio album (released October 2012), features well-known Gospel songs. The album includes collaborations with artists including Patty Loveless, Ricky Skaggs, Dan Tyminski, John Anderson, The Whites, The Isaacs, Jon Randall Stewart and High Valley.

Producer, musician & songwriter Doug Romanow works his musical magic at Noble Street Studios in Toronto. He's worked with Ontario Country acts like Johnny Reid, Ann Chaplin, Cadence Grace, Mike Butler and Tori Hathaway - and even pop star Justin Bieber - to name just a few. He's the Musical Director for the Canadian Country Music Association's Gala Dinner & Industry Awards Show. Doug is also a songwriter with a long list of co-writes with artists he's produced - along with songs written with Michelle Wright, Patrica Conroy and Eddie Schwartz.  He visits Nashville regularly to write and produce. 

Doug began in the music industry in the 1980s by playing keyboards and writing for indie bands. He developed skills as an arranger and programmer, and in his early twenties began taking over the helm of recording projects. His love for Country music began at an early age.

I visited Doug at Noble Street Studios for a tour and a conversation taped in the studio. Tune in to hear the multi-talented Romanow discuss producing, songwriting and much more! You'll hear songs produced by Doug from Ontario Country artists Ann Chaplin, Mike Butler and Tori Hathaway.

MYRIA WEBBER is a Canadian Country Music singer/songwriter. Born in farm country and raised in apple country in Quebec, Myria is the only child of her French Canadian mother and English Canadian father. She has been singing and performing since she was seven and is happiest to be on stage and share her music with others. Her love of music is a family affair as both her grandfathers were musicians too. 

Myria’s country music influences include the likes of Miranda Lambert, Casadee Pope, Blake Shelton, and Scotty McCreery to name but a few. The more and more she has immersed herself in the country music scene, she has become a fan of many artists from all eras, both north and south of the border. 

Myria’s latest project is the recording of her self-titled EP recorded this summer in Nashville produced by Eddie Gore at Steve Cropper’s Insomnia Studios in the heart of Music Row. 

Her first single to country radio is called "Movie Kiss."

After spending his teens and most of his 20s playing in rock bands, Ontario's TERRY FERNIHOUGH made a decision to quit, and put his energy into what he really loved, which was writing songs. Terry explains that he was "too rock for country in the 80s, and too country for rock." Then everything changed. Some called it "New Country", some called it "Country Rock". Terry just called it good music. As time has moved forward, his tastes have broadened even further into more traditional country, folk, and even contemporary country, which has moved even farther away from its traditional base. He feels very fortunate to write with some of the most talented artists on the Canadian country music scene. These artists have been nominated for CCMA Awards, ECMAs, provincial country music awards in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Ontario, and two of them are even Juno nominees. Terry will talk about songwriting and will share two of his songs recorded by Canadian country artists Donny Parenteau & Sarah Beth Keeley.

MELODY LOVEJOY is a country recording artist and songwriter based in Edmonton, Alberta. Influenced by her love of rock driven music and her country roots, Melody’s voice combines the smoky overtones of a rock diva with the clear emotion of a country songstress to bring a punchy, yet emotionally connected performance. Melody has performed on stages as small as your living room and as large as the Jubilee Auditorium. Notable performances include the 2010 Grey Cup Huddle Town Stage, The Honda Indy Ultimate Street Party and the Taste of Edmonton. Her debut album is set to release soon with the lead single I'm Letting Go which will hit Canadian Country radio on September 16th!