Runs June 10-14th

Midway through the title track of Dean Brody’s 2012 release, Dirt, you’ll find yourself wearing the kind of silly grin you may remember sporting the first time you stuck your fingers in the mud as a kid. Best get used to it – just like its namesake – Dirt’s going to stick with you.

Then again, Brody’s music always does. The Nova Scotia based, BC bred singer/songwriter has a way of painting pictures with his lyrics that are so vivid, they tend to stay fixed in your mind’s eye just as long as the melodies he sets them to. This, Brody’s third full-length release, and the follow up to his hugely successful 2010 effort – Trail in Life – is no exception.

On Dirt, Brody sings it like he sees it, and whether he sees two generations of family grieving by a riverbank, a .45 toting lady who picks up a random hitchhiker to share the burden of an all-night drive, or a drop-dead gorgeous Canadian girl in a toque, on your first listen, you’ll see them just as clearly.

“The title track, ‘Dirt’, stands out as the most ‘country’ song on the record”, Brody says, and takes a playful look at the role dirt plays in our lives from the time we first come home covered in it, to the moment they lay us down under a nice cool layer of earth for good. “It just says a lot in one word,” Brody explains. For him, it brings up memories of playing with his first Tonka truck – a time when all he needed to have a rip-roaring good time was a shovel, a fresh patch of ground and his imagination. But it also stands for where we’re from. And our relationship with the stuff can say a fair bit about the path we take to finding out who we’re meant to be, where our own trail in life is supposed to lead us, and how we get there.

Essentially, if you’re not afraid of getting dirty, chances are you’re not afraid to dig in and stick life out when fate hands you a rough deal, even if it means taking a risk on a road that might lead nowhere in an effort to make your dreams come true. That’s something Brody has never feared. Throughout his career he has consistently shown a willingness to pull up his roots, shake the dirt off, and plant them down over and again in order to make music his life.

Growing up in the tiny town of Jaffray, BC, Brody took his first job at age fifteen at the local sawmill. While it was tough, it only set the tone for what would become a much tougher gig down the line – his struggle to make a living as a singer/songwriter. After landing his first publishing deal in 2004, Brody headed to Nashville, but two years on, found himself back in Jaffray, back at the mill, and at a crossroads in his musical career.

A recording contract with Broken Bow Records led him south again for another 5 years and although his self-titled debut broke the top 25 in the U.S., the top 10 in Canada and garnered him a CCMA for Single of the Year, his partnership with the label was threatened by an ultimatum that Brody simply could not accept. He soon found himself looking for a new home in Canada for both his growing family and his music.

He’d soon find both; settling down on Nova Scotia’s South Shore and inking a deal with Open Road Recordings in 2009. Since, Brody has become one of Canada’s brightest country stars. His sophomore album Trail in Life yielded four top 10 singles, won three 2011 CCMA Awards for Album, Songwriter and Single of the Year as well as a 2011 JUNO nomination for Country Album of the Year. To top it off Brody finished out 2011 as the Most Played Canadian Country Artist of the year on Canadian radio.

With the highly anticipated release of Dirt’s lead single, ‘Canadian Girls’ – a no holds barred country rocker – honouring Canadian women from ‘coast to coast to coast’ and the #1 most added song in the nation of any genre in its first week at radio – the demand for Brody’s signature brand of image-driven storytelling is greater than ever.

Recorded at Sound Stage Studios and Curb Studios in Nashville with longtime producer/mixer Matt Rovey at the helm, Dirt finds Brody expanding his range as a songwriter and storyteller dramatically. Although he still takes cues from longtime country influences like Dwight Yoakam and Randy Travis, Dirt is also influenced by the rich musical heritage of Brody’s adopted Maritime home and nowhere more so than on ‘It’s Friday’ – an East meets West stomping party song featuring Great Big Sea’s Alan Doyle, Sean McCann and Bob Hallett.

Like a number of the songs on Dirt, ‘It’s Friday’ is written with Brody’s live show in mind. “People come out to shows, they don’t want to sit around listening to heavy songs on a Friday or Saturday night, they want to have a good time.” Dirt, from top to bottom, has lots of songs to keep audiences on their feet.

In no way is this a concept record, but the idea of dirt as a reflection of where you come from shows up in a number of Brody’s new songs. “When I write, often the theme is about home, even if a song isn’t directly about that, it usually works its way in there.” Although that’s a theme ground deep into the fabric of country music, Brody has an uncommon way of writing about it. “I’m not so much lyrically driven as picture driven,” he says. “I’m trying to paint the pictures I see in my own mind with words and music.” As detailed as those musical pictures are, Brody always leaves room for listeners to populate his songs with the people they grew up with and to see the landscapes they were surrounded by in their own lives.

From straight up love songs like ‘Losing My Balance’ and Brody’s co-write with George Canyon, ‘The Sleeping Bag Song’, to all out country rocker, ‘Canadian Girls’, Dirt’s 11 tracks play out like a series of short films.

Nowhere is that more evident than on ‘Bob Marley’, featuring Scotty Sanders ghostly steel guitar and Andy Leftwich on mandolin. “That one just came out,” Brody says, “from an image I had of two people sitting together, not saying much, just remembering someone they love and sharing a song to help them through it.” It’s a track so vivid you can practically see the grass waving in the breeze on the riverbank the two are sitting on, and hear the crickets chirping nearby.

Then there are tracks like ‘Rural Route #3’, which does double duty by paying tribute to the values people who grew up along the same kind of country roads Brody did hold dear, and to the men and women who travel down those roads on their way to serve their country as part of the Canadian Armed Forces.

While some songs like ‘Underneath the Apple Trees’ cover gratifyingly familiar ground to his past efforts, tracks like the brooding ‘Nowhere USA’ and the outright hilarious ‘That’s Your Cousin’ find Brody stretching out substantially, showcasing a wry sense of humour that will only further cement his reputation as one of the finest storytellers in the business.

Dean Brody can find inspiration anywhere; in his own experiences, in a character he sees in his mind’s eye, or in someone he met once along a crooked dirt road somewhere in his travels, but regardless of where his songs and stories come from, they ring true because in one way or another he’s lived every line. People are drawn to Brody, his music and his voice because of his authenticity as a performer, a songwriter and an individual. On this record, that authenticity comes across more clearly than ever before. Released on April 24, 2012 on Open Road Recordings, Dirt is pure country gold.

Frank D’Angelo (born April 23, 1959 in Toronto) is a Canadian entrepreneur in the beverage industry. He is the founder of D’Angelo Brands and Steelback Brewery and is host to The Being Frank Show, a weekly Canadian, infomercial, talk show. » Read more..

Runs May 27th-31st.

Brad Mates, Vocals

Danick Dupelle, Guitar & Backing Vocals

Mike Melancon, Drums

Dale Wallace, Keyboards & Backing Vocals

David Pichette, Fiddle

For well over a decade, Emerson Drive has been a staple in the country music community, known for being a band to crank out the hits, deliver electrifying stage shows and wow audiences all across North America. During their evolving career, the Canadian band has scored numerous hits such as “I Should Be Sleeping,” “Fall Into Me,” “Last One Standing” and their emotional, chart-topping ballad, “Moments.” » Read more..

Runs May 20-24th.

Scott Cameron “Scotty” Newlands (born February 17 1979) is a Canadian Pop-Rock singer/songwriter and actor. He is best known as a featured anthem singer for many major league sporting franchises. » Read more..

Runs May 13-17th.

Genevieve Fisher, 21, born in London Ontario of Aboriginal and Italian parents, has been performing in front of and exciting audiences since the age of two. Since that first award winning performance at the Ilderton Fair in Ontario she has continued her climb to national recognition as one of Canada’s new breed of country singers. » Read more..

Runs May 6-10th.

Ronald Eldon “Ron” Sexsmith (born 8 January 1964) is a Canadian singer-songwriter from St. Catharines, Ontario. Sexsmith started his own band when he was fourteen years old and released recordings of his own material in 1985 at age 21. Sexsmith was the subject of a 2010 documentary called Love Shines. » Read more..

Runs Apr. 29-May 3

Kasha Anne, born and raised in Edmonton, Alberta and Mitch Smith, raised all over the prairies, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, make up this duo from Edmonton, AB. Coming together as The Orchard to focus their time on writing original material, and playing live shows, in which they hope to make a connection through the music with their audience. Mitch has recently finished his master’s in songwriting and guitar through Berklee College of Music, where both he and Kasha have also studied voice. 

While the duo are both immersed in music on a daily basis as songwriters, The Orchard are not your typical duo as Kasha is the main vocalist while Mitch’s voice comes mainly in the form of lyrics and lyrical ideas. A duo who believe the music is just as important as the lyric in helping paint a picture to the listener.

The band’s debut album, Southern Ground was released in August 2012, and is getting rave reviews from listeners. The Orchard is moving full steam ahead, already writing a lot of material to be included in their second album.

Kasha Anne

What is an average day like?

Busy! I have two precious girls, Halo (2), and Kaidys (5). I juggle my days between activities with my kids, school runs, doing what needs to be done around the house, practicing/writing with Mitch, gigs and then teaching Music Together and Zumba a few days a week as well.

Who are your musical influences?

Reba, Garth, Miranda Lambert, The Zac Brown Band, Alice Cooper, Judas Priest.

Who are your heroes?

For me…it’s my immediate family and closest friends. My Mom & Dad, my Sister and Brother in law Francois, my kids, my best friend Erin, Mitch. I think the real heroes are from real life situations. The people that inspire you and believe in you in the moments where you question yourself. The people that work with you and support you with ways to reach your goals. Each of these people inspire me in a different way and I admire them all.

What was the first concert you went to?

Alice Cooper…or it may have been the Scorpions. Not too far apart and both memorable. I probably went to almost every Alice Cooper concert up until I was 18!

When did you know it was all about the music?

Music was all around me from a very young age. We were always singing and making music in my house. My Dad is very musical, so my earliest memories involve singing with my sister while he played the guitar or piano. I also studied piano up to Grade 9 through the Conservatory. It was only a few years ago that I realized everything I was doing was surrounded by music in some form. So I’ve really embraced it since then.

Mitch Smith

What is an average day like?

Play guitar, teach guitar, play a show, drive home listening to music!

Who are your musical influences?

The Zac Brown Band, Doc Walker, Dean Brody, Pearl jam, 70′s rock.

Who are your heroes?

Christopher McCandless, Santa Claus, R. Harlan Smith, Hugh Hefner.

What was the first concert you went to?

Oh god, I cannot remember. I think the first one that really impacted me was Warped Tour 2004, seeing Underoath. Some of the craziest energy on stage I have seen to this day.

When did you know it was all about the music?

I’m going to have to feed off my last answer; Warped tour in my early teenage years really did it to me. Over 30 bands in on day, it was over whelming, and I mean that in the best way possible!

Runs April 22-26th.

Tenille is a Canadian country music singer, from Grande Prairie, Alberta, who is signed to Royalty Records. In 2011, at the age of 17, she was nominated for a Canadian Country Music Award for Female Artist of the Year. » Read more..

Runs Apr. 15-19

A fatalist at heart, with an infectiously positive attitude she tells it like it is – whether you like it or not! Country music singer/songwriter Lindsay Broughton has been making waves in the Canadian music scene, already receiving acclaim by her peers as a featured artist of the month by the Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada (SOCAN), and securing a featured spot in Songwriter Universe Magazine; all before the release of her debut album. » Read more..