Well here we are, end of another year. 2021, the year started with a glimmer of hope and as the year went on the light at the end of this long COVID tunnel grew brighter and brighter…but it turns out the light was just an oncoming train called Omicron that would set us back even further than ever before. So we’re ending the year right back where we started the year…more or less locked down.
So since there’s little else to do why don’t we look back on the good things we shared in 2021 and celebrate those rather than dwell on the negative.
2021 may have started rough but as summer came along we got a taste of what normal used to be like. Live music returned with shows across Canada including the world famous Calgary Stampede, Burl’s Creek’s Endless Summer series and of course the many shows, including our unforgettable 10th Anniversary party, at Happy Green Acres.
Matt Lang performs at Festival Country de Lotbinière photo Nicolas Racine
The biggest shot of normal came in the fall of 2021 when, against all odds, Festival Country de Lotbinière put on the festival event of the year with 3 incredible days of music. There was no better booster for the moral than seeing massive crowds come together, singing and cheering in unison all weekend long. It was just what we needed to refill the reserves and get us through till the summer of 2022 when normal will return once again…or will it?
Just as all signs were pointing to the end a new twist emerged in this ongoing saga. A twist called Omicron…a new variant first detected in South Africa in late November of 2021 that is now responsible for a resurgence of COVID unlike anything we’ve seen in the past 2 years. What does 2022 hold in the cards for us now? I’d be lying if I didn’t say things are looking mighty bleak right now. But, as we’ve seen before, nothing lasts forever…even COVID. We’ve made it this far and I’m confident we’ll be back to LIVE music at some point in 2022 we just have to keep the faith.
Once again this year there were a number of artists that came onto our radar for the first time or re-appeared on our radar. Here’s 21 artists from 2021 that you should have on your radar.
21: Tide & Timbre
I spent the last few months of 2021 working on the east coast (Nova Scotia to be specific), while I was there I figured I’d checkout the local music scenes in Halifax and Sydney. It was close to the end of my trip that I had my first opportunity to catch Tide & Timbre in a small pub in Dartmouth on a stormy Saturday night. Brothers Nathan and Jeremy make up this country / roots duo. Hailing from Western Nova Scotia these two are a must see live. Their latest single “White Lightning” has been tearing up the charts in the Maritimes and, pandemic willing, we hope that 2022 is the year that Tide & Timbre become a recognized name across the rest of Canada.
20: Farewell Town
As part of my east coast journey I spent a week in Halifax followed by a week in Sydney followed by another 3 weeks in Halifax. On the eve of my flight to Sydney I first met Michael and Shaky of Farewell Town at their pub The Old Triangle in downtown Halifax…well it’s not really their pub but it might as well be because odds are on any given weekend you’ll catch Michael on stage there. It was a wet and windy night in Halifax (if you’re familiar with the city that pretty much describes 360 nights of the year). So not only are these guys some of the nicest guys you’ll ever meet they know how to get a crowd fired up and keep them fired up…that’s likely why a few nights a month Michael owns the stage at the Old Triangle from about 5pm until closing time.
The band was formed in Halifax, Nova Scotia while playing first as a backing band for emerging local country artists on the East Coast of Canada. They have gone on to play with country artists all over the nation such as Chris Buck Band, JoJo Mason, Aaron Pritchett, Andy Bast and Ben Chase. Since then, the four session musicians have combined their uplifting talent and passion for music to form the power-house country-rock band, now known as Farewell Town. With Michael’s compelling vocals and dynamic guitar playing, Shaky’s low-end groove and harmonies along with Jordan’s pristine guitar skills and Scott’s impeccable timing, Farewell Town always provides an impactful show leaving fans wanting more.
19: Elyse Ayern
Just one night after catching Farewell Town in Halifax a tip from our longtime follower, Duane Piper, lead me to downtown Sydney, Nova Scotia to see Elyse Ayern. When I first walked into Daniel’s Alehouse and Eatery first impression was that it was more of a banquet hall than a bar with a small stage in the corner and a bunch of tables in the middle. Once Elyse and her band Shotfire kicked things off any identity crisis this venue may have had, for me anyway, went out the window. Talk about powerhouse vocals, Elyse didn’t take long to impress.
Aeryn is currently working on her second album with the first single, “Bittersweet High”, now streaming everywhere. Influenced by classic rock heroes like Stevie Nicks and Tom Petty, while capturing the essence of 90s female vocalists like Alanis Morissette and Natalie Merchant, Aeryn is blending genres and decades to mix up an alternative-rock-country cocktail that will have you asking for a double.
Will 2022 be the year we can convince her to come back to Ontario for a show or two? Stay tuned.
18: Justin Fancy
It wouldn’t be fair to have a list of artists that made an impact in the past year and not include Justin Fancy. His second appearance on the list it has to be reiterated how incredible this man’s journey has been to date. Hailing from Conception Bay South, Newfoundland I can only say I wish my east coast journey would’ve brought me close enough to Newfoundland to catch a Justin Fancy show but let me tell you 2021 was another year of accomplishments for Justin. 2021 brought him his first top 50 Canadian Country Single as well as a Grammy.com performance. I’m certain there’s a lot of emerging artists out there that would love to know what the secret ingredient is that helped him get this far in such a short time, in the midst of a global pandemic to boot…who knows maybe it’s got something to do with kissing a fish. Whatever it is we can’t wait to see what it brings him next!
17: Wild Palominos
Back in the late summer, early fall, I was at Festival Country de Lotbinière in Quebec. A band called Four Wheel Drive opened the show on the Sunday with a high octane set of country covers. In talking to the members back stage after their performance they mentioned that a few of the members were also in a band called Wild Palominos and they had just released their debut single that Friday.
There’s something special about these guys from Eastern Quebec that makes them worth having on your radar…and if you ever see their band Four Wheel Drive in a festival lineup be sure to check them out, they put on one heck of a show too!
16: Josh Norrad
Continuing our east coast journey, ironically New Brunswick’s own Josh Norrad had to come to Ontario for me to see what he was about. By now most of you should know that Josh and I have been working together for nearly two years now since just before he released his single “To The Wind”. Last summer I brought Josh into Brockville for an acoustic gig at a classic rock festival promising the promoter that, even though at the time I had never seen Josh perform live, he would be able to hold his own on stage and get the crowd fired up for the rest of the day’s entertainment. Long story short…he did. When 2021 rolled around and I started booking the SCE 10th Anniversary Extravaganza I called up Josh and offered him one of the headlining spots…remember that I had just seen him perform an acoustic set a few months before and now was asking him to double his set time and add a band…Josh connected with local band Country Rocks, they did a few virtual rehearsals before getting in a couple of in-person rehearsals after Josh arrived in the 1000 Islands a few days before the event.
That headline performance is the reason that Josh is on this list. It’s been about 6 months since the show and I can still feel the energy he brought that night. Many in attendance that night talked about the show days and weeks later and he’s become one of the most requested acts at Happy Green Acres, not to mention an honorary member of our family. One thing I can assure you with certainty is that Ontario will see more of Josh Norrad in 2022. He will be back at Happy Green Acres and almost certainly other events across the province and even the country. Big things are coming for Josh in the coming year with new music in the works as we speak.
15: Urban Rodeo
Although they’ve been around since 2016 as a country party band 2021 is the year that saw Urban Rodeo reinvent themselves as bonafide country recording artists. With not one but two singles to their name in 2021 each getting a phenomenal response from streaming audiences. We invited Urban Rodeo to our 10th Anniversary event where they easily got the crowd on their feet. They also were lucky enough to land one of the few Eastern Ontario fair gigs this year with a performance slot at the Spencerville Fair that was followed by rave reviews.
2022 promises much of the same from Urban Rodeo with plenty of new music on the way and even more live performance opportunities. This is a band you don’t want to miss.
14: Khloe B
This young Ottawa Valley artist has been topping country singing competitions across Eastern and North Eastern Ontario since she was a pre-teen. In 2019 Khloe first took part in our emerging artist competition at Sing Out for CHEO she placed second but we invited her back for the 2020 event at which she easily finished on top. Throughout the year that followed we worked closely with Khloe and released her debut single in the spring of 2021. The single “It’s Who I Wanna Be” was written by Khloe and a bit of an autobiographical song. Khloe has spent the last several summers busy performing all across Ontario and with new music on the way for 2022 we have no doubt it’s going to be another busy summer for her.
13: Northbound 51
Probably the newest group to make our list this year. Northbound 51, a band hailing from Moose Factory, Ontario, has released “Northbound 51,” their self-titled debut album. “Northbound 51” refers to the north bound train that brings people to Moose Factory and the community’s coordinates of 51.2625 N, 80.5930 W — Muskegowuk territory (Peoples of the Muskeg).
Northbound 51’s music — a mix of country and folk with rock influences — tells the story of Cree identity past and present. “The album’s major theme is longing for our home, which is Moosonee and Moose Factory,” says band leader and bass player Stan Louttit (Midnight Shine). “We sing about how many of us travelled south to schools and hospitals or have been taken away to such places as residential schools. The northbound train takes us back home to our parents, grandparents, friends and loved ones.”
Like many people in their small mainly Cree community at the tip of James Bay, the band’s members — lead guitarist Darrell McLeod, lead singer and acoustic guitarist Marilyn Gunner-McLeod, and Louttit — have known one another for many years. They started to perform together in 2015. Realizing they liked the sound and emotion they felt when performing together, the trio began writing songs in 2018, which led to the release of this album.
I’ve known Stan for about a decade now since discovering his band Midnight Shine by accident at a festival in Northern Ontario, when he reached out a few months ago to tell me about his new project to say I was intrigued was an understatement. There’s a lot of talent behind this group and this album, I look forward to seeing how this project develops and where it might lead.
12: Rob Fitzgerald
I can’t remember exactly when Rob first came on my radar but it was early in 2021. He had just released his single “Can I Get An Amen?” and had reached out to see if I’d add it to some of my playlists. The song quickly got stuck in my head so I invited Rob out to perform on the acoustic stage at our 10th Anniversary event this past summer. After hearing him perform the song live acoustically I asked if he’d jump on the main stage and perform it with a band behind him. With some juggling, and a quick rehearsal, a few members of Tim Albertson’s band joined Rob on stage and allowed him to showcase this song to the full audience.
Rob has been busy this fall with a trip to Nashville under his belt he’s coming into the new year with some new singles and a solid team behind him. I can’t wait for everyone to hear what’s coming down the pipe with Rob, I have a feeling it’s going to be a big year for him!
11: Tim Albertson
Thunder Bay’s own Tim Albertson came onto my radar in 2020 with his single “Looking for a Road”. We ended up working together on the release of his first single of 2021 “A Bar Like This” which made it onto a number of Canadian radio stations including SiriusXM CBC Country.
Tim and his band joined us at our 10th Anniversary this summer as a co-headliner with Josh Norrad and let me tell you whether you’re in the city or in the back forty and get a chance to see this guy perform…take it. His follow-up single “Gonna Get Loud” is tearing up streaming networks right now and his first single of 2022 is already in the works. Be sure to checkout Tim’s podcast, The Canadian Country Music Podcast, he features regular interviews with rising Canadian country artists and industry professionals (you might even find a couple of episodes featuring yours truly).
10: Aaron Allen
Aaron Allen never stops surprising. He made it on this list last year as an artist worth watching and this year he’s back again because in 2021 he introduced us to a new project called Smoke and Ashes. Smoke and Ashes is a new country rock duo featuring Aaron and Pete Lesperance with two singles out in 2021 and already getting picked up by the Spotify editorial lists something tells me that where’s there’s smoke and ashes there’s also fire.
Aaron isn’t done with his solo career by any means, at the 2021 CMAO Awards Aaron walked away with Male Artist of the Year and Album of the Year.
Things are busy in the Allen household with Aaron’s other half, Aimee, also jumping into the recording game with her debut single “It Is What It Is” and joining Aaron on a duet “Just Getting By” which dropped in late summer.
For the sake of this year’s feature track from the Allen clan I’ll go with the newest single from Smoke and Ashes which dropped in late November.
09: Tattoos N’ Whiskey
Tattoos N’ Whiskey is a band I’ve been familiar with for the last couple of years but this past summer we brought them out for a show at Happy Green Acres and boy did they ever impress. Unapologetically real, that’s the best way to describe Tattoos N’ Whiskey. While most new bands start out in their teens lead singer Linda Dunlop is well past her teen years and she doesn’t pretend otherwise either. You know that saying age is just a number? Well that definitely applies when it comes to Tattoos N’ Whiskey, I’m 47 and would give anything to have a fraction of the energy that Linda has when she’s on stage. I figure even if I did by the time the show was done I’d need at least a week long nap…not Linda. High octane, high energy and the crowd loved every minute of it. So much so that they’ve already been invited back. They’ll be kicking off the 2022 festival season on May 21 as part of the Ambush Spring Jam. Get your tickets here: www.happygreenacres.com
They only have 1 single to their name in 2021, here’s hoping we get more music in 2022 because I’m all in!
08: Abby Stewart
2021 marked the return of Kingston, Ontario’s Abby Stewart. 6 years since her debut album Firsts she returned with a fresh new single “Bless Your Heart”. Abby had kept herself busy over the past few years with no shortage of shows and performances including visits to Happy Green Acres, the Joshua Bates Centre and has shared the stage with artists like Tim Hicks, Hunter Hayes, Dallas Smith, Dan & Shay, Dean Brody and many more. In 2017 she worked with Invictus Entertainment to release a duet called “What if They’re Wrong?”. The song went on to peak at 87 on the Canadian BDS chart and was either added or featured on 22 radio stations across Canada.
At just 20 years old Abby Stewart is just getting started so if she’s not on your radar yet…what are you waiting for?
07: Scott Owen
Another Kingston, Ontario native, Scott Owen came onto my radar thanks to Johnny Rivex’s Twitch show and emerging artist competition. I had been tuning in to Johnny’s show to see what new talent was popping up as well as to support a few of the artists that I had worked with who were competing. One of the nights I was introduced to Scott Owen.
Scott’s desire to entertain and contribute to a good time is the driving force behind an upbeat and energetic live show. If he is on a stage it is because he is there for YOU.
His sound is heavily influenced by the 90’s country he grew up on but he likes his country rockin’ too. Often drawing comparisons to Jason Aldean and Eric Church has not been surprising, given they are two of his biggest modern influences. Playing both covers and original songs, it’s all about the experience music and a song creates.
I invited Scott to come out to our 10th Anniversary event, seeing as it was literally 30-40 minutes from his house, but then some changes in the schedule opened up a couple of slots so I asked if he wanted to bring his guitar and play for a bit as well. Something tells me it won’t be his last time at Happy Green Acres, it definitely won’t be his last time performing in Eastern Ontario but if you’re not from around here don’t worry you can catch Scott globally on Twitch every Tuesday for Tumbleweed Tuesday’s.
Scott’s latest single was released earlier this month, it was written over a decade ago after a tragic accident took two teenage girls within his extended family. It was sparked by something said during the funeral service, and writing it was a way for him to work through the feelings that he felt. At the same time, he knew he couldn’t even fathom what their parents must be going through, and for that reason he never intended for anyone to hear it.
06: New Moon Junction
If you’re craving a bit of relief from the apprehension and uncertainty of our troubled times, New Moon Junction has just what you’re looking for.
With a sound that treads the line seamlessly between new and old school country, the Ontario-based trio of Barb Doran, Tamara Maddalen, and Matt Rogers, have come together at the perfect time to spread a bit of much-needed positive energy around.
There’s no doubt that their debut single, ‘Real Good, Feel Good Kind of Thing’, does that and then some; all while expressing the joy and creative satisfaction these three solo artists have found together since they first got together in late 2019.
The need for some unbridled positivity was a primary factor in getting New Moon Junction off the ground originally, says Doran: “That was the idea right from the start. Typically, my music is quite serious – even depressing at times – but the great thing about the three of us together is that we very much focus on being positive and upbeat.”
New Moon Junction was a late, and welcome, addition to our 10th Anniversary event and boy did they ever blow me away. With two singles to their name in 2021 I suspect this trio is just getting warmed up and it won’t be long before they’re a household name across Canada. I truly hope to get them back out to Eastern Ontario sometime in 2022.
05: Nicole Rayy
Nicole was on our list last year and there shouldn’t be much mystery as to why she’s back again this year. 2021 saw Nicole release 2 singles (my two favourite Nicole Rayy songs to date FWIW) and a Christmas EP. Plus, once again, she organized and hosted her Harmoniafest featuring a lineup of incredible emerging female country artists. Nicole’s first single of 2021 was an incredible ballad, “Sad Song”, that quickly became a favourite of mine. It was followed up by a throwback song to one of my favourite musical ERA “Feels Like Yesterday”.
Whether it’s her live show or her releases it seems as though with every year Nicole just keeps getting better and better. She’s a four-time CMA Ontario nominee could 2022 be the year she goes from nominee to winner? She definitely deserves it. Maybe it’s time we start recognizing the incredible field of rising talent at these award shows rather than just giving the awards to the same artists year after year after year!
Will 2022 be the year I can coax Nicole to come out for a show at Happy Green Acres? Time will tell but one thing is certain, we’ll be at Harmoniafest again in 2022 to support the women of country! (oh and Nicole if you need any lineup tips let me know I could probably recommend an artist or two)
04: Mackenzie Leigh Meyer & Suzi Kory (it’s a tie)
The fourth position this year is shared with two artists. I put these two together because…well for starters they’re often found playing the same gigs, they share the same band and they both equally amazing.
Let’s start with Mackenzie, aka Dive Bar Diva. 2021 was kind of a breakout year for Mackenzie. Although she’s been working hard, earning her stripes, recording and honing her incredible live show it was her 2021 single “Dial Tone” that turned out to be her biggest hit to date. With over 200K streams on Spotify alone it has easily out performed her previous releases. Also a CMAO Nominee and a Boots and Hearts Emerging Artist Showcase alumni Mackenzie has become a mainstay at Happy Green Acres requested by the fans year after year without fail, we were lucky to have her co-headline our 10th Anniversary Extravaganza this past summer. If you’ve ever seen her perform live you’d know why. I look forward to seeing more big things from Mackenzie in the coming year.
As I mentioned above Mackenzie shares 4th place with another artist and it’s none other than her co-headliner from our 10th Anniversary Suzi Kory.
What can I say about Suzi that I haven’t said before. Easily one of the most humble and generous artists in the business today. Everything she learns on her journey she’s always happy to share with fellow artists. Suzi kicked off 2021 with the single “Time” and then just as summer rolled around introduced the world to Johnny Toronto…her new inflatable boyfriend, or is it husband, and star of the incredible music video for her second single of the year “Gotta Feelin'”. Of course Johnny would accompany Suzi to all of her shows, taking the attention of all the single females backstage. It was a fun retreat from the stressful time that came before it with the global pandemic raging. Of course Suzi returned with her Love Revolution festival once again in 2021 giving even more artists an opportunity to play, the way things have been and appear to be going these days, you can never have enough performance opportunities, especially if you’re an emerging artist.
I’ve gotta feelin’ that 2022 is going to be another successful year for Suzi, I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next.
03: Jessica Sole
We’re down to the top 3. First up is a young lady who almost made my list last year but then got bumped out at the last minute. Jessica Sole solidified her place in my list this year when I saw her perform at Nicole Rayy’s Harmoniafest. Jess has become known for her famous poses on social media, so much so that we initiated a Sole Pose challenge to see how many other influencers could master the popular pose (I can tell you from experience it’s nowhere near as easy as she makes it look, I know I tried..you can see my failed attempt on our TikTok page). What blew me away the most about Jessica is the fact that when she steps up the mic the sound is incredible. Very rare can an artist replicate studio sound on stage but Jessica did just that.
It was a two single year for Jessica in 2021 with her most recent, “If Momma Raised Him Right”, coming in mid-October. If the performance of her two singles from this year are any indication 2022 will bring continued success. Hopefully we’ll see her out at Happy Green Acres at some point in the coming year as well!
02: Paige Rutledge
In the number two spot is one of the biggest rays of sunshine the Canadian country music industry has to offer right now. Paige Rutledge first came onto our radar with her single “Take Me Back to Tiki” and then we first connected earlier this year as she joined me on the SCE Sound Bites podcast to talk about her single “Broken Record”.
There’s something about Paige, she’s got an aura of positivity that surrounds her everywhere she goes. She’s a regular guest on In The Country with Dave Woods and every time you see her she’s got the biggest smile on her face and lights up the room. Paige returned to the podcast for her 2nd single of 2021 “Sunshine Sunday” which came out in August only a few weeks before Harmoniafest which gave us our introduction to her live show.
Worth noting that the episodes of the podcast featuring Paige had the highest listenership out of all episodes in the first season. Plus the few videos we posted of her performances at Harmoniafest became the most watched of all the performances from that festival on our social media.
I don’t want to sound like a broken record here but there’s something about Paige Rutledge that’s worth checking out, besides we could use a bit of sunshine right now don’t you think? Plans are already underway to get Paige up to Happy Green Acres in 2022, as soon as details are confirmed we’ll let you know because you don’t want to miss this one!
Artist of the Year: Brittany Kennel
We made it. Our 2021 artist of the year is….Brittany Kennel.
The only Canadian ever to appear on the Voice and a proud member of team Blake. She didn’t win but there’s no question she took it all in and put it back into her craft. In 2021 Brittany released her debut album I Ain’t A Saint and boy is it ever good. Match that up with her killer live show and incredible personality and you’ve got a wicked combination. I caught her in Quebec this fall where she was opening up for High Valley at Festival Country de Lotbinière, unless you had blinders and ear plugs on you witnessed a performance that was headline worthy. I’ve been on the the bandwagon for a few years now but after 2021 I’m her biggest cheerleader in Ontario, this artist deserves all of the success that is coming her way. If her momentum continues into 2022 I have little doubt that she’ll soon be Canada’s “Most Wanted”!
I set myself a goal this fall and that is to get Brittany to Eastern Ontario for a show sometime in 2022 and I plan to stick to it. Just need COVID to cooperate and we’ll make it happen.
So that’s a wrap for another year. It’s hard to believe we’re still in the grips of a global pandemic almost 2 years after it started. As we head into 2022 I wish you all nothing but the best in health, happiness and prosperity.
Special thanks, once again, to Henry and the team at Happy Green Acres for giving us a stage to showcase the talent we discover throughout the year. I’d like to dedicate this post to Richard Courneyea who we lost to this awful virus a few weeks ago. Richard owned Signal Brewing Company in Corbyville and was one of the biggest supporters of emerging artists in Eastern Ontario. We will work hard to keep his legacy alive and keep giving new and rising artists a place to play and showcase their music in our beautiful corner of the province.
Shout out to everyone on team Sound Check. It was another tough year for live shows but we still managed to get a fair amount of coverage in this year, and I’m confident 2022 will be better!
To the artists that didn’t make this list. There are so many of you and I love and support you all!
To you the fans, without you the artists above would be nothing so please seek each of them out and show them your support.
Be sure to follow and listen to our Rising Country Playlist to find some of the best up and coming country artists from around the world!
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