Interviews, Love at First Listen, Music, Music Monday

Love at First Listen with Chevy Beaulieu

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Chevy Beaulieu Interview Love at First Listen 2025

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 series introducing you to the emerging, and established, artists with new music guaranteed to upgrade your playlist.

With the release of his 604 Records label debut (home to Canadian mainstays like Marianas Trench and Carly Rae Jepsen), breakout Indigenous artist Chevy Beaulieu poses a lighthearted but equally aspirational question: “Where’s the fun in life without a little adventure?” For Chevy, life, and his artistic evolution, have been exactly that. Based in Airdrie, AB, he comes to the Canadian country scene with deep musical roots from his father—a three-time Canadian fiddle champion—and their family band. But as he tells Love at First Listen, he took his time (close to 15 years, in fact) cutting his teeth, broadening his influences, and refining his craft. The result: “If We Want To,” a high-energy, feel-good, country festival-ready anthem about embracing spontaneity and living life to its fullest.

To celebrate the single’s success, we caught up with Chevy to talk about achieving bucket list dreams, “aha!” moments, and becoming comfortable with the uncomfortable.

You recently returned from all the JUNO celebrations out in Vancouver. How was it getting to perform at the JUNO Block Party and mingle with the Canadian music community?

It was my first JUNOs weekend and it was wild. I knew all the other artists that were on the block party; they are all labelmates. So, for that day, it was nice to perform and show people what I can do, and not a lot of them have seen me play live. It was also nice to play some of my newer songs that are not out yet.

“If We Want To” is receiving major fan love, it’s the trending track at Stingray New Country, and it’s on top of all the Breakthrough Country playlists—not to mention it cracked top 40 at Canadian country radio. What has been the best part of all this great reception to the song?

It’s nice to see. I put a lot of hard work into this. The music is rewarding on its own—like it makes me feel happy—but just to get a little bit of recognition, I don’t care what anybody says, it’s a really good feeling. I was really stoked when I first broke top 50. When I was in Vancouver [for the JUNOs], someone from my team was like, “You’re about to check something off your bucket list.” Now [I’ve] broke top 40, which is pretty wild to think about because there [are] so many great artists in this country, and I’m just really grateful.

And it’s still going up and up! We’re expecting top 30, top 20… it’s fantastic. With “If We Want To” being your label debut, how did you decide that this song was the right one to kick off a new era in your musical journey?

We had a handful of my songs that I was already recording, and then I had a handful of songs that were pitched to me, and this was one of the pitches. Not very many artists admit that [their music] was written by somebody else, but I like to give recognition to the songwriters because a good song is not good without good songwriters. Big shout out to my producer, Bart McKay. He’s helped me out a lot with finding my sound.

You’ve said this song is different from what you’ve released before, but still “you.” Can you elaborate on that? What about this song when you were pitched it resonated with you?

I like the whole premise of the story—you can do whatever you want, we can do whatever we want, if we want to. … [I]f it doesn’t work out, you can always go home. That’s what my parents always told me; my dad said, “I bought this house so my kids will always have a place to be, and if you want to go off and do your own thing, you can always come home.” I’m very grateful for my immediate family. They are my biggest supporters and I miss them every day, but I can’t quit now—not until I get bigger. It’s kind of a pipe dream, but I would really like to retire my mom one day.

How would you describe your sound?

I call myself and my music Heinz 57, so like 57 varieties. I’m a little Scottish, a little French, a little Cree, a little Chippewa, and my last name is huge. It’s all the way from the east to the west, and I have a lot of stories, lots of family and history. But going back to the music part, my music is a mixture of everything; almost every sub-genre of country besides rap. I take lots from rock and roll, Honky Tonk music, and outlaw. I grew up on Merle Haggard and Keith Whitley, and I listened to a lot of bands like Default when Dallas Smith was still doing his rock band and Nickelback. Now, I’ve been listening to a lot of Dwight Yoakam, Koe Wetzel, and pop artists as well. It’s just all over the place. So, I have one or two poppier songs on this record that I’m working on, rock and roll tunes, outlaw tunes, Honky Tonk tunes, and I can go on and on about it.

Given all the music in your life, did you always know you wanted to be a musician or did it take some time to lock in?

It took a while. I started picking up guitar when I was younger, played bass on my dad’s first record when I was 12 or 13, and then didn’t do anything with it. Around 15 years old, I got my first guitar, a Heart Attack Mini G series, which was the most indestructible guitar I’ve ever seen. I dropped that thing like crazy, and around then I started writing poetry and learning covers. I was about 18 years old in the summer of 2012 when I got to open for Shane Yellowbird, and that was kind of my “aha!” moment. It was really sad when he left this earth, but he showed us that we can compete, we can play, and we can put music out at the same level as everybody else. There are not very many role models for young Indigenous boys that had the same impact as that guy, and it showed they gave a lot of kids hope, and I was one of them. Shane got on stage after me and I told him, and I told myself, “I can do that.” Ever since then, I’ve been pushing towards it.

You talk about how an artist like that can impact your life. What’s the best piece of career advice you’ve received that you could pass along to the next generation of country artists?

Don’t give up. You may sound like crap now, which I did in the early years. … I was listening to some of my old videos I put out. My voice was weak, I was out of key, but you eventually find your sound. It took me until about 2016 to first start finding my voice. And even then, I’m still finding my voice. I love country music; I’m a country artist. I grew up on this stuff, but … [m]aybe down the road I want to do a rock record, maybe down the road I want to do a pop record or go sing the hook on some rap song. I don’t know. Who knows? … You don’t have to put a label on most music anymore.

You mentioned that you’re working on an upcoming project, so what can you tease for the year ahead? Are we looking at an EP, an album…?

I have 12 songs on the go. Like I said, just like myself, [there’s] a little bit for everyone, and different subgenres of music, but somehow it all fits together. I was really happy with that because, honestly, nobody’s harder on yourself than yourself. I was worried that it wasn’t going to meld, and then I was listening to it and it moves, it’s cohesive, and I was pleasantly surprised. I have a new song coming out here in the next couple months and a music video to follow for it that I shot last time I was in Van. That’s about as much as I can talk about. But I have 12 songs on the go—lots of party tunes, lots of two-stepping songs, and a couple of crying songs.

We’re heading into the summer concert season, and the first time we heard “If We Want To,” we thought, “Get us into the field at a festival immediately!” Do you have any performances coming up that you can highlight?

I have a couple acoustic shows. I do a few parties during [Calgary] Stampede, but I’m just focusing on the single right now and getting all my interviews done—all the stuff that I was very uncomfortable with before, but I’m slowly getting better at.

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Interviews, Love at First Listen, Music, Music Monday

Love at First Listen with Alex Runions

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Alex Runions Interview Love at First Listen 2025

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 series introducing you to the emerging, and established, artists with new music guaranteed to upgrade your playlist.

Canadian singer-songwriter Alex Runions isn’t just entering a new era of music with his latest album. On ‘Above the Clouds and On the Ground,’ the Saskatoon-based artist complements a refreshed folk-pop rock sound with a wide range of new influences gleaned from life outside the industry—from sobriety to marriage and fatherhood. The result: personal triumph, along with a rekindled love for making music. Personally and sonically, this is Alex Runions 2.0. As Alex shares with us, “All that personal growth and self-reflection and change really gave me the opportunity to look back, write a little bit more, write a little deeper, and it was a form of healing for me writing this album as well.”

In this edition of Love at First Listen, Alex shares more about the stories behind the songs, finding balance somewhere between the clouds and the ground, and why this might be his last album ever.

As we celebrate the one-month anniversary of your new album ‘Above the Clouds and On the Ground,’ what have been some of the most surreal moments since release day?

It’s been great feedback. Overall, it’s a bit of a different album from my previous pop country music. This is just a little bit more eclectic, a little more Americana. The idea was to really move people, make people feel those emotions good or bad, and I’m excited that it’s getting that type of response. Some of the best things with it are releasing my first music video in close to 10 years and just getting the music out to the world. It’s also been 10 years since my last album, so I think being really proud of my new work and releasing it exactly the way I hoped has been special and surreal.

Do you think that extended break between albums gave you a chance to fully live life and sprinkle those experiences into your music?

Absolutely, 100%. Some of these songs are 10 years old or more and are so special, but I’ve had so much personal growth, especially in the last five years. I got married. I became a father. This month, it’ll be five years sober. You know, life is sure great, and there was a lot of dismal and dark times leading up to there, but that’s a lot of times where the inspiration comes from.

How did you land on the album title and what does it mean to you today?

The idea popped in my head of being up in the clouds, being in love, and being optimistic, but knowing there are also those harsh realities of the real world that we all have to live in and be a part of. That’s the darker things in life, with drinking and tough relationships. Those are the kind of things that keep you grounded, and the self-reflection part, that’s all being grounded. This album is the dichotomy between the two, and kind of living in both worlds.

You touched on it there, but there’s beauty to being above the clouds sometimes and on the ground at others. Where do you find your happy medium?

I’m a big guy on routine. I love mornings. I love simple things. I look forward to my morning coffee the night before and love working out, being active, and spending time with my daughter, family, and friends. That’s really a big thing for me—to really give myself some time and be with people I love at the same time.

Your music touches on these personal milestones, but it has also inspired a lot of professional milestones, including a top 50 Canadian radio hit and multiple Canadian Country Music Week showcases. Do any of those milestones particularly stick out to you?

One of my biggest milestones was the CCMA Songwriters’ Series Showcase in London, Ontario in 2016. It was something I aspired to get to, and I was able to live in the moment and really enjoy it for what it is. It felt like I was accepted as well. That’s one thing along the way that I think I really longed for—just some acceptance. And to be accepted into a songwriters’ community like that was a great honour for me. Another milestone would be the year that I won the Saskatchewan Country Music Association Fan’s Choice Entertainer and Male Vocalist of the Year. The year leading up to it was my second album, and I put so much work into booking shows and playing shows and the album itself, so that was probably the most I worked through those years. Just to get the recognition, it was a long time coming, and I’m still so grateful for that.

What’s next on your professional milestone bucket list?

Just to keep playing, to keep writing more. I was kind of scared that I never would after this album was done, but I’ve already started coming up with ideas and follow-up songs and reaching out to songwriters and getting back into it. It’s a little different having a two-and-a-half-year-old daughter at home; it’s a little tougher to rehearse, and even sometimes having the mental energy, [but] I wouldn’t change it for the world.

On that note, in your Instagram post announcing the release of this album, you mentioned this might be your last full-length release. Is that still where your head’s at, or are you coming around to more new music?

I think it would be a matter of singles; maybe a three-song EP here and there. We’ll see, depending on if there’s enough songs that I’m writing in that time. But I think looking at it realistically, right now, it feels like it might be the last one.

We’ll be tuned in to your socials to see what’s planned! With this now being three albums under your belt, what three songs from your full discography best represent your sound and story right now?

I can pick one off each album and say it’s the genesis of it. My first album, I’d say “Rollercoaster.” It was a love song I wrote that was very well responded to. That got me into songwriters’ circles and into writing in Nashville. It got me linked up with the producer that I did this album with, but we did it 10 years later. The second album, I’d have to say “South of the City,” only because that was the signature track. It was a slow one where people weren’t really into it and then all of a sudden they were, and so it sort of solidified things. I had a few singles along the way that did well, but then if I’m looking at this latest album, I’d have to say “Missing Piece” is my favourite song—maybe one of my favourite songs I’ve ever written.

Great picks. As people read this interview and listen to the album, what thoughts, feelings, and emotions do you hope they’re left with? Should there be a few tears shed and some hope inspired?

I hope people see that I’m genuine in the music [and] that inspires them to go and listen to it. I encourage people to listen to the album front to back, only because then they can understand what I’ve been through, and hopefully as they’re listening to it, it touches them in a way that, when it comes to the sad songs, it gives them permission to have an ugly cry, be sad, [and] connect with those emotions. I will say, predominantly, the songs on the album are kind of sad, and one is about my dog passing away. But for me, it was a big part of my life … and I know other people are going through it as well. I’m hoping people connect with these songs in whatever way they need to.

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

Love at First Listen with Shantaia

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Shantaia Interview Love at First Listen 2024

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 series introducing you to the emerging, and established, artists with new music guaranteed to upgrade your playlist.

If you know Canadian country singer Shantaia from her 2020 debut single “I Wish You Would” or her 2023 album ‘Exes and Friends,’ make room on your playlist for Shantaia 2.0. Her recently-released summer smash—and guaranteed love at first listen track—“What I Wouldn’t Do” blends the best of her familiar country twang, catchy melodies, and cool girl vibe with a sultry yet soulful new aura. There’s only one thing to wonder: What we wouldn’t do for more like this!

In the thick of festival season, Shantaia has stayed hard at work on a sophomore project, tentatively scheduled for early 2025. But when we recently chatted with her, she teased that fans won’t have to wait that long for a taste of what she’s been cooking up. Read below to see what else Shantaia had to share about her whirlwind rise, the move that changed her life, and the things she actually wouldn’t do for love.

Welcome to Love at First Listen! How are you feeling about all the buzz “What I Wouldn’t Do” has received to date, and for those who haven’t heard the song, what is it about?

It’s a new sound for me, so I think that there was this shock factor in a good way. It’s been really cool to see people react to it. I wrote the song from a perspective of desperate love — something that you just can’t get enough of, and you would do anything for this person. I think people can relate to it in two different ways. It can be somebody who’s maybe not that good for you and it’s that toxic love, or it can be just true, deep, desperate love for somebody you’ve been with for a long time.

This is your first release in over a year, and I understand you really wanted to take the time to figure out exactly what you wanted to say and how. What pushed you to take new risks with your lyrics and sound?

I released a full album last February, so after dropping that project and trickling the last single off of it to radio, I asked myself, sonically and musically, am I saying what I want to? I think lyrically, I’ve always been a true songwriter and saying what I want to say in the moment. But I was sort of questioning like, is my sound authentic? Is this really who I am, or am I confining myself inside a box? I’ve been in Nashville for four years now, and there’s a lot of people in this town who aren’t afraid to challenge themselves, which is really inspiring. So, why should I be afraid to also push those boundaries and put out the music that I want to make, not what other people expect from me?

How has your sound ultimately evolved over time, and are there any specific songs or artists that have helped craft it?

If you listen to my previous stuff, it’s a lot more in that pop country vein, but I grew up on so many different kinds of music. For years, I’ve had so many mentors and fellow artists and producers tell me I have such a soulful voice and that I should utilize that more. I kind of shrugged it off like, oh, nobody wants to hear that. I’ve always been a huge Chris Stapleton and Maren Morris fan, and they really fuse the soulful blues and R&B genres into country. Country music now veers in all these different paths so that it’s acceptable to cross those lines a little bit. If you’ve listened to “What I Wouldn’t Do,” it’s a lot more in that bluesy, groovy, kind of vibey pocket you wouldn’t typically hear on the radio.

You describe your artistic aesthetic as a combination of Daisy Jones fashion, Teddy Swims swag, and Chris Stapleton country soul. How do those three influences shape the way you bring your music and energy to life on stage?

I love makeup and sunglasses and jewelry and all the things, so branding and marketing are really fun for me to figure out whether the fashion is making sense with the sound. I feel like now more than ever, I’ve been able to really play with some ‘70s inspiration. I’ve always been a bell bottom girl, and sunglasses have been an obsession of mine since I was 15 buying random sunglasses that I thought were cool all over the country. So, I think being able to play with fashion on the performance side of things is really fun to then connect it to the music.

This song is about addicting, all-encompassing love and doing things you normally wouldn’t do when you are in a relationship. In reality, is there anything you truly wouldn’t do for love? What are your non-negotiables?

It’s funny you bring this up because on release night, my friends and I were at the bar celebrating the release of the song and we started this TikTok of ‘what I actually wouldn’t do for somebody.’ A bunch of my friends were like, share a toothbrush with that person, or share my last chicken nugget. I don’t even think I ended up doing one, but there’s a lot — like I actually would never share a toothbrush. That grosses me out so much. I would not get a tattoo. I love my fiancé Kenan, but we will never get matching tattoos because that scares the heck out of me. I mean, I love tattoos. I have a couple tattoos. But I just feel like you’re cursing the relationship a little. There’s just something with putting it inked on your body where I know it’s removable, but it’s also expensive. It’s unnecessary!

@shantaia.music I feel like there are some confessions in here… some were unexpected hahaha! What I Wouldnt Do is OUT NOW!! #friends #reddoor #confessions #whatiwouldntdo #newmusic #friendchallenge @Andrew Scholz @Teigen Gayse @Keenan Sjodin @Brandy Neelly @bergerboo @Dylan Gerard @Alee @Jordan Honsinger @Baker Grissom @Mallory Johnson ♬ What I Wouldn’t Do – Shantaia

You won the Boots & Hearts 2024 Emerging Artists Showcase and, more recently, the SCMA Award for Country Album of the Year. How validating is that industry praise, coupled with the unwavering love and support of your fans?

I feel like as artists, we are so busy grinding, and I know I don’t think about the awards when I’m in the thick of writing the songs. It’s just when it comes around and you’re like, oh yeah, I guess I’m eligible for this, and then it comes to final ballot and you win the award. It’s really cool to see the support from all your friends and even artists across the country that notice and say how well deserved it is.

I also feel like Canadian country music is so special. The last time I flew into Nashville, my friend Teigen Gayse picked me up from the airport and we went straight to a bar here in Nashville to watch the final Oilers game with a ton of Canadians and we had so much fun. I think we trauma bond a little bit because it’s hard to move to Nashville and there’s a lot of hoops to jump through. We really latch onto each other like, how did you do this, and how did you apply for that visa? It’s all these questions where I think that you can feel really alone unless you have your fellow Canadians to help you through it. We definitely don’t just run into each other – we make a point of sticking together.

You talked there about the journey of moving to Nashville. Is there one piece of advice that you would offer to young musicians looking to make that jump themselves?

I think every single artist should experience Nashville in a way that actually embodies moving here. Like, I think it’s one thing to come here and write songs and see Nashville in all its glory for a week, but I think there’s so much progress and so many connections that you can make in this town that can just be life changing. The only way you can do that is if you’re here feet on the ground and actually living here.

I spent a lot of years coming to Nashville back and forth, but I feel like those connections didn’t fully turn into friendships or opportunities until I moved here. It’s like people didn’t fully take me seriously, and I’ve had a lot of producers and songwriters admit that to me. They said, yeah, we always wait and see if you actually make the leap. So, I think you can let Nashville intimidate you by all the talent that is here, or you can let it inspire you and light a fire. I think that if you go in with that mindset, you’re going to be golden, you’re going to get a publishing deal, or you’re going to start writing with people who are number one hit songwriters. I could go on for days about this. I think that me moving to Nashville was one of the best decisions.

For what you’ve written since “What I Wouldn’t Do,” would you say the music shares a similar sound or are you still evolving the vibe over time?

I think I’ve definitely found the creative confidence. I even co-produced “What I Wouldn’t Do” and I think it has let where my brain naturally goes just evolve and be at its best capacity. Expressing myself with this sound is coming really easily. It’s definitely a little edgy and there’s also some poppy stuff. I’m really excited to just start sneak peeking some more of it and hope everybody loves it as much as I do.

“What I Wouldn’t Do” will be on all our summer playlists. Do you have any early predictions for your personal song of the summer?

Honestly, as much as I want to fight it, the Post Malone / Morgan Wallen song “I Had Some Help.” I think that’s just everybody’s song this summer. Especially with Morgan’s bar opening in Nashville, it’s on constant rotation there and in everybody’s vehicles driving down the street. I really like Post Malone. I think he’s unique and not afraid to cross the boundaries. I’m also obsessed with Sabrina Carpenter. She is putting out some really cool stuff.

Do you have any live shows booked that fans should mark on their calendars?

I’m a little bit all over. I was just in Saskatchewan for the Living Skies Music Festival in Humboldt. It was their first year and we played with James Barker Band, Jason McCoy, and a few other great Canadian artists. I also played a show in Toronto at Junction Underground with Tae Lewis, who was a Top Nine finalist on The Voice and has Dan + Shay in his back pocket. I’ve been friends with Tae for years and seeing his journey has been really sweet. I’m heading to Cold Lake, Alberta for a show with Blackjack Billy at Full Throttle Music Festival on July 19, and then we do Boots and Hearts. When I talk about my summer, it’s like it’s come and gone already because it’s just going to be so busy, but I’m really excited to be out playing shows and playing some of the new music. A little birdie told me there might be a pre-kickoff party in Toronto for Boots and Hearts!

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Interviews, Love at First Listen, Music, Music Monday

Love at First Listen with Elyse Saunders

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Elyse Saunders Interview Love at First Listen 2024

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 series introducing you to the emerging, and established, artists with new music guaranteed to upgrade your playlist.

Meet Elyse Saunders, the next big name in Canadian country music. Since the start of the year, Elyse has climbed up the country charts at home and abroad, signed her first publishing deal, and earned the title of iHeartRadio Future Star. Now, days after we first spoke with Elyse, she’s been named Female Artist of the Year at the 2024 CMAOntario Awards and debuted her new summer single “Dirt” on the show’s main stage. On the playful song, Elyse shuts down the rumour mill and officially declares gossip dead—a message we can surely get behind.

Love at First Listen caught up with Elyse to chat about “Dirt” and get the inside scoop on the Canadian country music community and her newfound Australian audience.

You’re dishing all the dirt on your new single, “Dirt.” How did you get the idea and inspiration for this song, and what message do you want people to take from it?

I wrote this song with my friends Sam Davs and David Madras, and I felt that no matter who you are, where you come from, and whether you’re on the good side or the bad side of the gossip train, we’ve all experienced this situation. If we look in our own backyards, we all have our own dirt to deal with before we judge other people’s dirt. So, I wanted to try to take this topic and make it a bit humorous and share it in a way that was super relatable but not too serious. Coming from a small town, rumours get around pretty quick. If you say something, your neighbour 10 doors down will somehow hear about it. So, it’s based around the small-town feel, but it’s definitely something that happens worldwide. This was so much fun to write—actually very therapeutic in a way.

Do you have any fun behind the scenes stories from filming the music video?

I made it with another friend, Nick Marinac. We did it on this land that is open to the public, so we had to find this window of when people wouldn’t be there and it ended up being a freezing cold, windy day. There was sunshine, but the whole time I’m trying not to look cold, and we were getting kicked out at the end. We went to find another random field and finish up. It was all very random and sporadic, but I feel like the energy of the song really shines through because it was a bit on the whim. Watch for a lot of dirt and overalls in the countryside.

You released this single at the start of CMAOntario Awards weekend where fans were able to get up close and personal with all of their favourite country artists and discover several up-and-comers. How important do you think it is to have celebrations like this for homegrown country artists?

I think it’s so important because it does shed light on what’s going on here in Ontario, and we have so much talent it’s crazy. I’ve been on the other side of the audience as an artist growing in my journey for many years, and the industry really got to see that journey. To now help bring a light to that to country music lovers out there is super cool — and sometimes it’s like the stars of today and the stars of tomorrow. I think it’s really important just to keep building that community and building the country music that we have here in Canada in general because we all know our big U.S. country stars, but we definitely have our own stars here in Canada and Ontario and I think it’s important that we bring those artists out to the audience.

In the spirit of celebrating Canadian country music, can you shout out some of your Canadian country pals who you have loved at first listen?

My friends River Town Saints, Owen Riegling, Robyn Ottolini, Graham Scott Fleming, Kelly Prescott, Andrew Hyatt, and Jason Blaine, who co-wrote my song “Never Have I Ever”… my list could go on. Award shows are always a big reunion.

Events like the CMAOntario Awards are a celebration but they’re also a place where dreams come true. When you think about the dreams you have for yourself, what are the biggest pinch-me moments you’ve had in your career so far and what’s still on your bucket list?

That’s a very good question. Winning Video of the Year last year at the CMAOntario Awards was definitely one of those pinch-me moments because my journey has not been the overnight success. It has been more like 10 years plus in the making. I always kind of envisioned myself being at this place in my career one day, so having these things happen, it’s like, okay, yeah, I’m where I’ve always wanted to be. My younger self is super excited when these moments come together.

Having “Never Have I Ever” become my first single to be supported at Canadian country radio was also amazing. It was No. 27 on the charts, and to be top 30 was always a goal of mine. We then went top 10 in Australia, and I had no idea that was going to happen. It’s cool how these things sometimes happen organically and as a surprise; it feels more like a gift that way. I think that I still have so much more to do and more to come, and I’m going to keep having those pinch-me moments. All artists start at ground zero and then you kind of build your way to this point. So, these moments are good reminders of how far you’ve come.

What does your breakout single “Never Have I Ever” mean or represent to you now, especially as it’s taken on a global life of its own?

It means a lot. I knew it was special the day I wrote it with Jason Blaine in his family home. We wrote it in a couple of hours and it kind of felt like it wrote itself. We did a demo that day and I sent it off to my producer, Dan Swinimer, who knocked the production out of the park. I was so excited, but I had no idea how it was going to resonate with everybody else. So, to know that it’s done what it needs to do as a singer-songwriter and it’s making an impact, it’s connecting to people, and they love it just as much as me is really the goal and the job of what I’m supposed to do as an artist. I hope to continue to be able to do more with my music and more singles.

Have you had a chance to visit your new international friends?

That’s on my bucket list too. I’ve always wanted to see Australia. I’ve done press and calls over Zoom and I keep saying I can’t wait to visit. We’re looking at the top of the new year to hopefully get there and do some shows. I’ll also get to do a radio tour and see people face to face for the first time.

Now that “Dirt” is out in the world, what do you have in store musically for the rest of the year?

I have a bunch of new music in the pipeline ready to go and a bunch of shows as well. If people want to find out where I will be, it’s all on my website. The band and I have been working hard on putting a bunch of new material together with these new songs. I also just signed to my first publishing deal with Arts & Crafts Publishing as a songwriter, so I’ll continue to write for other artists as well and hopefully get my music into the TV and film world too. I’m just doing whatever I can to just keep this thing on the rails, doing what it needs to do, and seeing how far I can take it.

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Interviews, Love at First Listen, Music, Music Monday

Love at First Listen with Kristin Carter

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Kristin Carter Interview Love at First Listen 2024

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.

Singer-songwriter Kristin Carter has been blossoming her whole life. Starting young and honing her skills as a choir singer, she first caught the attention of country listeners with her Top 20 Canadian radio single “Karma” and back-to-back semi-finalist nods in SiriusXM’s Top of the Country competition. Moving into the world of contemporary pop last year, Kristin teased a new era with “I’m Still Here” and “Euphoria,” which became the lead singles from her newly released debut album, ‘Full Bloom.’ The 12-track album, which was released on Friday (Apr. 5), is deeply introspective and simply stunning, covering universal themes like the ups and downs of love, self-doubt, female empowerment, and personal resilience.

The seeds have been planted, and with ‘Full Bloom’ out in the world, it’s time to sit in the garden and take it all in. Love at First Listen caught up with Kristin during album release week to chat all things ‘Full Bloom,’ attending circus school for a music video, and where this journey is taking her next.

For readers who are just about to love you at first listen, can you take us through the different seeds and stages of your musical journey that led to this ‘full bloom’?

I’ve been really excited to get these songs out to people. It’s been a labour of love for quite a while. For people who don’t know me, I was born and raised just outside of Vancouver, BC. Choir is where I learned how to sing, and I credit a lot of my choir teachers for instilling in me a real love for vocalization and really choir in general. That’s also where my musical heart lives because I felt so uplifted by people in that community and it felt really exciting and safe. So, anyone out there who wants to learn how to sing, join a choir—it’s a great way to do it.

Through the years, I started writing and performing more as a solo artist. Putting it all together and emulating different songs together that I felt were great expressions of my personal experiences over the last few years, we arrived at the album. So, I envisioned the songs like seeds that I’ve planted over the years, and now they’re finally bursting through to the surface.

You co-produced and co-wrote ‘Full Bloom’ and have described each flower, or song, as reflecting individual moments within the human experience. Which songs resonate with you most?

I really connect with “I’m Still Here” because it’s grounded in my choir background. There are no instrumentals and it’s just built off of a bunch of different layers of vocalization. I also had a really big hand in the recording process, which was new and exciting for me. So, in addition to the theme of the lyrics and the way that it sounds, it was such a joyful process for me to build it, and we made a really cool music video where I was made to look like a special effects statue. I got to connect with people in Vancouver in the film scene, and it was really exciting to be part of that community. I was really amazed at all the talent that’s out there. Like, knowing how to turn someone into a statue? I could never. I also really love “Lazy Sunday.” That’s the one that I go back through and play over and over for myself.

You have videos coming for both “Euphoria” and “Lazy Sunday.” What can you share about the visual treatments you gave both of those songs, and when should fans expect to see them?

The idea for “Euphoria” is two dueling versions of yourself. So, I have a non-confident version of myself going into a club, and then there’s a confident version of myself who’s all in neon and really dressed kind of amazing and all these things. It’s like Parent Trap in a club because I had a body double that we switched in and out and she was really fun to work with. It has a lot of special effects involved because there’s this neon light that burns through the whole thing, which represents confidence. That’s being worked on by the amazing team that we have, and I’m really excited to release it in the next few weeks. It’s definitely different visuals than I’ve normally done.

I’m also really looking forward to “Lazy Sunday” because I’ve currently been going to some training lessons on how to do acrobatic flying. The theme of that one is we’re going to a studio, and then the studio walls kind of melt away and then I kind of float up into the air. We’re filming it out at my fiancé’s family farm, and we’ll have these rigs that will fly me across the fields and potentially over water and things like that. It always blows my mind that when you participate in the arts and you’re in an artistic community, all these random opportunities pick up. I never thought I would be going to circus school in my life, but I’m excited to show this to everyone.

Were there any artists or albums you had on repeat as you made ‘Full Bloom’?

That’s a great question. I grew up with ABBA’s compilation album ‘Gold’ and they’ve been having such an amazing resurgence on social media and TikTok, so I really delved back into those songs. They’re so fun and upbeat and exciting, and I was really using that as a musical reference to try and pinpoint some of the sounds I wanted for my album. I listened to Fleetwood Mac’s ‘Rumours’ as well to really get in touch with a lot of the lyrical side of the album. I think the writers for those albums are incredibly talented and they have a way of portraying emotion through music.

As people start to “walk through the garden” with you, what message do you ultimately want fans new and old to take away from their ‘Full Bloom’ listening experience?

There’s such a diversity of experiences in life. Even though everything isn’t an amazingly positive experience all the time, you need the good and you need the bad in order to round out a full life. Musically, if you just had an album of positive energy, that could be super fun. But to put it back in the context of a garden, if you had just one type of flower in your garden, it wouldn’t be super interesting. All the other different ones in there maybe individually aren’t the ones you focus on, but things in the collective create that beautiful space because of all those different things. So, for me, that would be what I want people to walk away with—a gratitude for all their different experiences in life, and just reflecting on their own experience in that way and finding the beauty.

Now that you’ve “fully bloomed,” where do you hope this journey takes you next?

The biggest joy is when people listen to the music and write in to me about what it meant to them. So, where I hope it would take me next is to other places and different people that I haven’t had the chance to connect with. I got a message just a couple of days ago from someone in Austria, and they said, “I really like your stuff.” I wrote back and then I was like, I didn’t know my music could ever even reach there! I think it’s a great time that we’re living in right now with social media because you can essentially broadcast kind of anywhere, which is sometimes an intimidating thing but really exciting I think overall.

The album title inspires thoughts of flowers and sunshine and spring and summer, which of course leads us right into summer concert and festival season! Do you have any plans to take ‘Full Bloom’ on the road?

I really hope so! I’m super open to any of those opportunities as they come up, and I’m definitely looking for them, but no official dates in the calendar right now. I would love to travel around and have people in the room as I sing and share some of the thoughts behind the music. I would encourage people to follow my social media pages as things pop up.

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