Interviews, Love at First Listen, Music, New Music Friday

Love at First Listen (Round Two) with Griffen Palmer

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Griffen Palmer Interview Unlearn 2023

We all have those artists and songs we hear that strike the right chord and make us fall in love at first listen. They’re the reason we refresh social media pages, tour schedules, and Spotify profiles — because we can’t miss a single release. This is Love at First Listen — a new series introducing you to the emerging, and established, artists with new music guaranteed to upgrade your playlist.

In February, I spotlighted rising country artist Griffen Palmer, who quickly established himself as an Artist to Watch in 2023 with his still-trending introductory release “Second Guessing.” There was certainly no “second guessing” his star talent and he is showcasing it again on his debut album, ‘Unlearn,’ out today (Apr. 28). Boasting some of the most vulnerable tracks of his songwriting career, ‘Unlearn’ is a musical journey covering life, love, family, relationships, and all the moments in between. The album also has several jam-out moments, perfectly suited for the upcoming summer festival season.

To celebrate album release day, I caught up with Griffen for a Love at First Listen (Round Two) to reflect on his whirlwind year to date (a single, two music videos, and this album — and it’s only April!), hear his message for teenage Griffen, and reveal where he will be performing this summer.

It feels like just weeks ago you were making your introduction to the world as an artist with “Second Guessing.” What was going through your mind when you pressed publish on that first social media post announcing today’s album release?

It’s crazy how last time we talked was before the first song came out and now here we are again with so much going on. At the time, I just felt like, ‘We’re here!’ This whole project has been four years in the making, so it’s fun now that all the hard work is behind me—for the most part—and I can share it all with people. It’s a really awesome feeling.

Rising country artist Griffen Palmer in the studio with a producer from his debut album, 'Unlearn.'
Griffen Palmer in the studio working on his debut album, ‘Unlearn,’ out today (Apr. 28). (via Griffen Palmer/Instagram)

Let’s talk about the title — ‘Unlearn.’ What does that word mean to you in the context of this album?

The title track is the most personal song on the record, by far. My parents split up when I was eight years old, so relationships looked a little confusing to me when I was a kid. The song is about growing up, learning to make the decision of what that looks like for yourself, and unlearning some of the bad habits or things you thought were true but aren’t necessarily true. It was one of the last songs we added to the record because it was one that I felt pretty overwhelmed about sharing, but the more I started playing it for people, the more I realized it was a universal feeling. It felt like if I was going to put out one song for people to get to know me and a bit of my story, this seemed like the one.

This album is the culmination of four years spent writing hundreds of songs. How did you narrow that all down to eight songs, and were there any that called out to you first?

“Second Guessing” was such a big part of my story. “Came Here to Leave” was a song I really loved and had a fresh take for the record. “Bottles on the Table” was also always a frontrunner in my mind. A lot of them just felt like they needed to be a part of this. They felt different, they felt like me, and they were ones I was most excited for people to hear.

I’m a big fan of weaving song titles into questions, so was there a song you were “second guessing” putting on the final tracklist but are ultimately glad made the cut?

“Unlearn” is that one for me. I’d never released a very personal song as an artist before, so I just wasn’t sure how vulnerable I really wanted to be. I’m so glad in the end I decided to do it.

You mentioned on Instagram that you’ve been “dreaming of putting out [your] own album for as long as [you] can remember.” What message do you have for young Griffen now that the big day is finally here?

This is actually funny. My dad just found a letter I’d written in seventh or eighth grade that was supposed to be written to myself in college. In it, I’m asking myself, ‘Are you still playing guitar and writing songs? What’s going on with that? I hope you haven’t given it up yet.’ So, this really has been something I’ve been doing for a long time. I would write a letter back saying, ‘All those times you are regretting or nervous about if it’s going to work out, just try to keep having fun and you’ll get there eventually.’ I would save myself some sleepless nights worrying if it’ll ever work out for me.

You just wrapped a run of tour dates opening for your Big Loud labelmate, Lily Rose. What does the rest of this spring and summer have in store for you? (Last time we spoke, you mentioned more opportunities for fans to see you live!)

Our festival dates are just getting announced now. We’ll have the whole band out playing in British Columbia, Lasso in Montreal, and a bunch of shows in Ontario, along with some U.S. stuff including CMA Fest. I can’t wait to just sweat in the streets of Nashville with everybody. It’ll be great, and it’s all fun stuff on the horizon.

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Interviews, Love at First Listen, Music, New Music Friday

Love at First Listen with Royal Wood

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Royal Wood Interview

We all have those artists and songs we hear that strike the right chord and make us fall in love at first listen. They’re the reason we refresh social media pages, tour schedules, and Spotify profiles — because we can’t miss a single release. This is Love at First Listen — a new series introducing you to the emerging, and established, artists with new music guaranteed to upgrade your playlist.

Canadian singer Royal Wood may not know what tomorrow brings, but he’s perfectly happy living in the moment—especially after two years of not being able to release music or perform for his dedicated fans. Out today, his eighth studio album, ‘What Tomorrow Brings,’ is an open book that touches on themes relatable to every listener, from navigating the chaos of uncertainty to leaning on your loved ones and finding the fortune in misfortune.

If that wasn’t enough to celebrate, Royal Wood just wrapped a brief Canadian tour that concluded with a hometown show at Toronto’s iconic Massey Hall and released a mini documentary, What Tomorrow Brings: Behind The Album, that goes behind the scenes of one of his proudest projects to date. It seems like everything’s worked its way up to this point, yet it’s truly just the beginning.

For this edition of Love at First Listen, I sat down with Royal Wood hours before he stepped on stage at Massey Hall to talk about today’s album release, documenting the stories behind the songs, and what tomorrow really brings.

Between headlining Massey Hall and releasing ‘What Tomorrow Brings,’ how does it feel to have all these major milestones happening at once?

It feels like the right time—and about time. My wife and I had two children during the pandemic and we now live in the country, so our whole lives had this massive paradigm shift. Recently, there’s been a subtle voice in the back of my brain saying something’s missing. As much as I have everything, it’s not everything. To be back playing shows with the band, putting out new music, and scratching that itch, I’ve got all the pieces back!

What inspired you to have cameras document the stories behind the songs with What Tomorrow Brings: Behind The Album?

I wish I’d done that kind of stuff earlier. I’m very fortunate and blessed with the producers, musicians, and studios I’ve worked with over the years and, other than a couple of Polaroids and a few snapshots on a phone, we haven’t captured things because we were too busy doing them. I don’t know how many albums I have in me­—no one ever does—but I love this part of my life. So, even just to show our sons one day and say, “This is what daddy did when you guys were babies,” it felt like it was the right time.

In the documentary, you reveal the album was almost ready to go before the pandemic, but you waited to be able to tour and properly celebrate its release. How did that end goal impact the way you revisited the songs you wrote pre-pandemic?

I was in the UK finishing up the last couple songs as the pandemic was happening. My wife was texting me photos showing no groceries and no toilet paper in our grocery store, so I got on a plane, came home, and then all the chaos started. For the first time in my life, I didn’t have any shows coming up and I didn’t want to put out this record without a chance to perform it and celebrate all the pieces that come with it—even just sitting here with somebody to talk about it. I started listening back in a Leonard Cohen kind of way, examining every lyric, line, and melody. I emerged with an album I think is one of my best. There’s one song I completely dropped because I realized I’d done it so many times before, and then I ended up writing a new song called “Because of You.” So, I really got to wrap this album up in a perfect little bow.

Royal Wood Artist Toronto
Royal Wood photographed October 29, 2022 at Massey Hall in Toronto.

You also specifically call out the Massey Hall show in the documentary. What does this venue mean to you?

I remember my first show here at Massey Hall, my drummer, who was also my English teacher in high school (shout out Mr. Milner), took me to see Lou Reed. I’d been to little theatres and shows before with my dad, but I’d never seen a venue like this. At that moment, I said to myself, “I’m going to headline here.” I did it for the first time in 2018, and then I also recorded a live record, ‘Royal Wood (Live at Massey Hall).’ To be back, knowing that I got to be one of the last artists to perform here before the renovations and say goodbye to the old Massey, feels amazing. 

As the album title suggests, you may not know what tomorrow brings, but can you tease anything you have in the works for 2023?

I’m working on an instrumental record, a collection of B-Sides, and an alternate acoustic version of ‘What Tomorrow Brings.’ I’m also finally going to start chipping away at a Christmas record. So, there’s a lot of recording and then the doors are open to tour again. I have Western Canada, Eastern Canada, and a bunch of stuff in the States coming up, so it will be busy. But for anyone coming to the shows, I hope they come away having seen five musicians playing music together that not only love the music but love each other. We missed the camaraderie and the laughs and hanging backstage and offstage again is just as good as being onstage.

Do you want to shout out any of your Canadian peers whose music you’ve loved at first listen?

My current one to watch is Tim Baker. I’ve known him for years since we broke together and followed each other’s careers, but his new record is so stunning. Also, Mathew V, who just toured with us, is amazing. He so deserved his JUNO nomination and I’ve never had an opener before get standing ovations every night like he does. Him and his band members helped us set up and tear down each night and that shows he’s just a good Canadian kid.

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Interviews, Love at First Listen, Music, New Music Friday

Love at First Listen with Olivia Lunny

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Olivia Lunny Interview

We all have those artists and songs we hear that strike the right chord and make us fall in love at first listen. They’re the reason we refresh social media pages, tour schedules, and Spotify profiles — because we can’t miss a single release. This is Love at First Listen — a new series introducing you to the emerging, and established, artists with new music guaranteed to upgrade your playlist.

On her new track “Wonderland,” Canadian pop songstress Olivia Lunny sings about chasing a moment and falling in love with your dreams—a philosophy that seems to have brought her to exactly where she’s meant to be today. After capturing the judges’ (and Canada’s) hearts on CTV’s music competition show The Launch in 2019, she’s continued her upward trajectory with a 2021 debut album and electrifying singles that boast expertly crafted lyrics and repeat-worthy beats.

For our latest Love at First Listen feature, I caught up with Olivia to get the inside scoop on “Wonderland” and her upcoming live shows with fellow Canuck Tyler Shaw during her whirlwind single release week, which took her to New York and LA after a headlining showcase at UMUSIC’s Toronto headquarters.

Olivia Lunny Toronto
Olivia Lunny photographed October 6, 2022 at her UMUSIC showcase in Toronto.

Welcome to Love at First Listen! Let’s talk about the song I most recently fell in love at first listen with—your new single, “Wonderland.” How has release week been?

It’s been busy and crazy, but so fun. I was just in New York shooting the “Wonderland” music video, which will be coming very soon. I actually just got the first draft and it was very whimsical and very much a wonderland. We shot in one big, white, blank studio space and created three different environments within it. It’s the most polished video I’ve done and I’m really excited for fans to see the different outfits and hair.

How long had you been sitting on “Wonderland” before it came out?

I wrote this song last winter, and it’s funny how things work. I feel like subconsciously, I write music and then by the time it comes out, somehow it resonates strongly in my life. So many amazing things have happened recently and I feel like I’m in my Wonderland era, so I’m happy that this song and this part of my life are coming together.

What does “wonderland” mean to you?

To me, “wonderland” is a state of being. It’s that feeling of you not being fully in touch with reality. You’re in a flow state because you’re just so happy, so many amazing things are happening, and you can’t even really dream of it. That’s why there are lyrics that say, “If you can imagine, you can really have it.” That’s the overarching theme for what “Wonderland” is.

So many people came to know and love you after you appeared on, and won, The Launch. What was your main takeaway from that experience?

I think it really did essentially launch—no pun intended—my career in the Canadian music scene. Being from Winnipeg, I had slowly started to build something there, but I think The Launch really got me to a point where I knew exactly what kind of music I wanted to make. From there, I connected with so many amazing people and gained great momentum. It really pushed me to a new level of where I wanted to go but wasn’t always sure how I would.

You released your debut album in July 2021. Are “Wonderland” and your summer collab with Bhad Bhabie, “VIBE CHECK,” a taste of your sophomore album or standalone tracks?

I’m in an interesting spot where I’m not necessarily heartbroken or sad, so I’ve been writing music that resembles that—and that’s new for me. Usually, it’s more break up bangers. So, it depends how we want to paint the picture. Right now, these songs are just little individual prints, but I might do a full thing. We’ll see!

You’ll be touring across western Canada with Tyler Shaw next month. What goes through your mind as you’re putting together the perfect live setlist?

My strategy is going on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, and all these platforms, seeing what people enjoy and incorporating those into the set, and then obviously throwing “I Got You” (her single from The Launch) in there. I want to tell a story that shows where I’ve been, the kind of music I can make right now, and where I’m going. And I think it’s really important to have one or two songs in the middle that are a bit slower where I grab my guitar and show how this started.

Who are some of the live performers that have inspired you?

Early on, Ed Sheeran was a really big inspiration for me. Beyond our red hair, I love how he takes these ballads and can turn them into massive pop songs. I resonate with that because most of my songs start on the guitar or piano, and then with production it’s really fun to make them poppy. Post Malone puts on an amazing show too. He has a moment where it’s just him and then he picks up the guitar for two songs. His voice is incredible and he’s so likable and down to earth, and people love that.

Besides the tour, what do you have planned musically for the rest of the year?

I just came to Los Angeles, so I’ll probably be writing some tunes and seeing where this all takes me one step at a time. Right now, I’m really excited for the Tyler tour and meeting fans. I’ve never played Vancouver or anywhere in Alberta, so it’ll be really fun to keep connecting with people and seeing new places.

Since this series is called Love at First Listen, I’d love to know if there are any songs you’ve recently loved at first listen.

One is “The Dress” by an artist named Dijon, and then I would say Bob Moses and Kasblanca’s song “Afterglow.” Those two songs have definitely been on heavy rotation because when I like a song, I just play it over and over and over.

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Interviews, Love at First Listen, Music, New Music Friday

Love at First Listen with Shawn Austin

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Shawn Austin Interview

We all have those artists and songs we hear that strike the right chord and make us fall in love at first listen. They’re the reason we refresh social media pages, tour schedules, and Spotify profiles — because we can’t miss a single release. This is Love at First Listen — a new series introducing you to the emerging, and established, artists with new music guaranteed to upgrade your playlist.

Haven’t you heard? Canadian country artist Shawn Austin is the “talk of the town.” With 27 million collective streams and a Rising Star nomination from the Canadian Country Music Association under his belt, Shawn is ready to take over even more country hearts with new music out this week. Timed for the end of his stint as an opener on Dallas Smith’s mega-bill Some Things Never Change tour, the rising star’s new EP, ‘Planes Don’t Wait,’ has the perfect laid-back country vibe we all need this summer—so grab your cowboy hat and drink of choice because it’s time to party.

For our latest Love at First Listen feature, I caught up with Shawn hours after the EP dropped to capture his release week emotions, favourite full circle moments, and love for live music (which is finally back in *full* force!).

How does it feel to have ‘Planes Don’t Wait’ out in the world, just in time for summer?

It’s nice! We’ve been waiting for a long time to get this one out, so it’s nice that after almost two and a half years of working on it the world’s ears can finally listen to it. We probably had a little over 200 songs, but I made sure that we were getting tracks that would really fit who I am as an artist right now and kind of give a sneak peek on what I want to do next. I couldn’t be happier with how it all came out.

The EP features “Tailgate to Heaven,” your 2021 hit with Chris Lane and fastest charting and climbing single to date. Did you have any idea that song would garner so much fanfare?

When you put out a single, you kind of go, OK, I think I might have something here, and you hope for the best, but you never think it’s going to do stuff like that. It just means that people are clicking with the song the same way I clicked with it. It felt like a full circle moment because I’ve always been a big fan of Chris and I had a chance to tour with him in 2018. We were going to do a different song but then he heard this track and asked to be on it. It was one of the easiest yes’s I’ve given, and he’s gone from a guy that I’ve been a fan of, to a labelmate, to a buddy now. It’s pretty fantastic.

The EP’s title track, “Planes Don’t Wait,” was co-written by Brian Kelley from Florida Georgia Line. Did you have that song before your appearance on NBC’s Songland or did it come to you after?

It came after, and that’s also a bit of a full circle moment. I mean, it’s FGL. These guys have changed the game and I’ve been fans of them forever, so to have that experience on Songland and talk to them and pitch a song to them was amazing. Then, fast forward about a year later, having BK on a song and trusting me with it is unreal. I loved the track from first listen. It’s one of those tracks where you’re like, I wish I wrote that.

You’re coming off a cross-country tour with Dallas Smith. What will you be taking away from performing with such an eclectic mix of fellow country stars including Manny Blu and JoJo Mason?

The last time I did a tour like this was also with Dallas in 2017. I was so new at the time, so this tour I didn’t feel like the annoying little brother going, “Hey! What do I do?!” Just taking the stage more, I feel like I’ve grown a lot. The country community is so strong that you never have a bad time with anybody, but this crew is special and it’s been nice to spend six weeks together and see everyone killing it again on stage.

Now that you’ve had time to test them out, what is your favourite song off ‘Planes Don’t Wait’ to perform live?

We’ve been playing “Somewhere in Austin” and it was really fun to see people get the first listen. “Tailgate to Heaven” has also been incredible, quite simply because when you have people singing back to you it’s…I don’t know words big enough to describe how amazing it is. Seeing the excitement of people hearing live music again makes you really confident and hopeful that the future’s going to be strong.

Your summer performance lineup includes stops at festivals like the Big Valley Jamboree and Calgary Stampede. If you were booking your own Shawn Austin summer music festival, who would be your dream co-headliners?

Oh gees… Everybody on this tour! Andrew Hyatt and I have been buddies for a long time, so I feel like he’d always be a blast to be with. I would spend every show I could with JoJo (Mason). Dallas (Smith) is my guy. He’s effectively been that guy that’s made sure I haven’t made the mistakes that I probably should have as a new artist and it’s been amazing working with him through all these years. If I go to the people I haven’t met, I’m a huge Maren Morris fan, I’m a huge Thomas Rhett fan… I mean, it’d be a privilege to headline with anybody. Touring is an amazing thing and I just can’t wait to get back on another one!

Are there any other projects you have coming up that you’d like to tease?

Expect a lot more! We’re already working on the next project. We don’t know what it looks like yet, but I think my goal for the next 18 months is going to be music, music, music, putting out as much as we possibly can. The festival season is going to be strong. We’re talking about a couple of things for the fall that might happen — I hope they do — which would give another chance for more live music, if you get what I’m saying. There’s a lot of plans in the works right now and I’m excited and just trying to keep up with it all because I think we came out of the gates like wildfire now that we can do everything again. I’m just excited for the future.

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Interviews, Love at First Listen, Music

Love at First Listen with SACHA

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SACHA Artist Interview

We all have those artists and songs we hear that strike the right chord and make us fall in love at first listen. They’re the reason we refresh social media pages, tour schedules, and Spotify profiles — because we can’t miss a single release. This is Love at First Listen — a new series introducing you to the emerging, and established, artists with new music guaranteed to upgrade your playlist.

Emerging Canadian country artist SACHA may be a one-name wonder, but she’s far from a one-hit wonder. If she’s not already dominating your playlist, you’re guaranteed to fall in love at first listen with her fabulous and fierce sound, which has already earned her the titles of iHeartRadio Future Star, Spotify RADAR Canada Artist, and Amazon Music’s Breakthrough Artist of the Month. Possibly best of all, she’s also already landed a viral TikTok hit, “What the Truck,” with fellow Canuck country rockers The Reklaws, which became the most-streamed Canadian country song during a one-week period and the fastest-ever Canadian country song to go gold in the streaming era.

In my new interview with this rapidly rising star, see what SACHA had to say about new music, new milestones, and her future plans, including an upcoming tour with Maddie & Tae.

Let’s talk about your newly released sophomore EP, ‘We Did.’ What does that title represent to you?

‘We Did’ brings back the feeling of the initial stages of falling in love and all the emotions involved with that. The EP itself goes into a few different thematic scenes from falling in love, to developing self-confidence, to thinking ‘sorry, I’m not so sorry’ on “I Wanted Wine,” and then telling yourself, ‘Life is short, so what the truck.’ It’s a roller coaster of things, but it also opens the door for me to get a little bit more vulnerable and to share some different aspects of my story.

Was it hard to pick a ‘Top 4’ for the final tracklist?

This was an interesting process and kind of a last-minute process as well. I have been writing a lot, but these songs actually ended up on the table through my management. Knowing me so well, they were able to matchmake me with these songs that definitely resonate the most with who I am and tell my story the best. I flew to Nashville one day and I flew out the next, and I got these songs done, and the EP came out a couple months later.

This EP is the follow-up to your last project ‘The Best Thing,’ which was released right at the start of the pandemic. How would you say your sound and songwriting style have evolved over the past two years?

My sound is continually evolving. From the last EP to this EP, I’m glad that we got to tap into a little bit more of the country elements sonically. I love the title track of this EP, “We Did,” because it reminds me of Taylor Swift’s nostalgic kind of feel and I’m a huge Taylor Swift fan. So, when I first heard that song I was like, ‘This is making me feel everything I felt when I heard “Love Story.”’ And that’s what I’m hoping people will feel when they hear “We Did.”

How did your collaboration with The Reklaws come to life?

That was a TikTok thing! They put up a TikTok inviting their fans and audience to come and join on this song and I think it was already almost at one million views when I was just like, ‘You know what, what the truck? Let me just do a TikTok!’ I had no idea that it would lead to any of this. I was just trying to get more active on TikTok and I love The Reklaws, then I get a DM from Jenna saying, ‘Hey, we love what you did and we want you to be part of the song.’ I’m like, ‘Is this a joke?’ And she’s like, ‘lol no, it’s not a joke.’ Before you know it, I’m in a studio, then I’m shooting the music video, then I’m at Calgary Stampede and Budweiser Stage and the CCMAs, then I got a gold plaque for having the fastest streaming country song in Canadian history. It was crazy!

With all your success to date, you’ve proven to be a force to be reckoned with. Have you had one standout “pinch me” moment amidst all the mayhem, and how do you continue dreaming big and setting new goals for yourself?

Seeing yourself on a Spotify billboard is incredible and it’s literally everything that I’ve ever dreamed of and more. Another thing that was huge was being part of CMT’s Next Women of Country program. That was a big-time “pinch me” moment because I’ve been admiring how they champion women in country music for so long, so to find myself among that class has just been a huge door opener. There’s a lot of stuff that’s happened over that period of time where I don’t think it’s really fully settled in yet. Looking ahead, there are still things that I have yet to accomplish like going on tour with Taylor Swift, having number one at radio, and maybe winning a few awards.

You’re also being called one of country music’s fastest rising stars. How does that make you feel, and is there one thing you wish you knew at the start of this process that you can pass along to other up-and-comers?

It’s funny because I’ve been in this game for a long time. I grew up in a musical household and my parents were in a band, so music was 100,000% ever present. Although it seems like I’m fast rising, I had many opportunities to give up or doubt myself, but I just kept going. I continued to believe and just stay true to my conviction and this call that I have with my love for music. So, being called a fastest rising star is an honour, but make no mistake — it hasn’t happened overnight. For anybody that has a dream or is like, ‘This isn’t happening fast enough,’ just give it time. Timing is everything and it could be a while, but just believe anything is possible.

As one of CMT’s Next Women of Country 2021 Class members, you’ll be heading out on the road with Maddie & Tae later this year. What can fans expect from your live show?

People can just expect to have a good time, have fun, and get to know me more. I’m looking forward to performing “We Did” because I love that whole vibe and “If I Wanted Wine” brings the entertainer out of me.

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