Stephanie
McIlroy steps
out of the
shadows of a
world that
didn't always
support her love
of music,
harnessing
honesty and
determination to
build her
career!
The influence of
growing up in
the small, rural
town of Merlin,
Ontario, can be
heard in both
the lyrics and
the country-rock
sound of
Stephanie
McIlroy's debut
album "Life's
Not an Act".
Down to earth
and honest both
in person and on
stage, Stephanie
connects with
audiences, and
believes that
she has to live
by the words she
writes. But it wasn't always
easy for her to
follow her
heart.
Stephanie had
always dreamed
of becoming a
singer/songwriter,
but soon after
high school
graduation, she
followed the
advice of others
and put those
dreams on hold.
During that time
she was married
and started her
family, pursuing
a career in the
Social Services
field. For
Stephanie, it
just wasn't the
right "fit", and
along the way,
she discovered
that when you're
meant to do
something, you
will end up
doing it - no
matter what.
Finally,
Stephanie made
the decision to
chase her dream
of becoming a
professional
musician.
She is a
dedicated
entertainer who
continues to
hone her skills,
studying voice
at the Royal
Conservatory
level, mastering
the guitar, and
learning more
about the music
industry.
An accomplished
songwriter,
Stephanie's
lyrics have been
described as as
"real life" and
"raw", and she
has been
compared to
recording
artists like
Sheryl Crow,
with an easy
listening folk
rock sound.
Stephanie's new,
original
Christmas song "It's Christmas
Time" hit
international
radio this
holiday season.
Introduced to
Canada on a
recent radio
tour, Stephanie
based the song
on her life and
family.
Meanwhile, her
song "Forever" -
originally
written as a
wedding gift -
is a fan
favourite, still
being added on
radio stations
around the
world, and
climbing up many
international
charts.
Click the link
above to order
"Life's Not An
Act" at cdbaby.com
Hear Country
Confidential's
interview with
Stephanie below!
Tonya Kennedy
has been a
singer from the
time she could
talk. She raised
herself up on
music, singing
in school
choirs, church
choirs, and
performing with
a high school
band. She admits
to having had a
number of
influences over
the years, but
confesses it was
Alanis
Morrisette who
really got
things started
for her. Tonya
connected with
"Jagged Little
Pill", and it
inspired her to
begin her
pop/rock music
career in 1999
in her hometown
of Barrie,
Ontario.
A Shania Twain
fan as well,
Tonya began to
introduce a few
country
crossover hits
into her
repertoire while
singing with a
cover band. Six
years after
launching
herself
seriously into
music, Tonya
took a break,
but it wasn't
long before she
got the itch to
be back on
stage.
In 2005, she
entered a radio
station
competition. Her
covers of Faith
Hill's "Cry" and
Gretchen
Wilson's
"Redneck Woman"
got her into the
finals. A few
weeks later,
Tonya was
crowned the KX96
Super Star
Search winner,
on the strength
of her covers of
"Broken Wing"
from Martina
McBride, and a
repeat
performance of
"Redneck Woman".
The grand prize
- a chance to
record and
release a
country song to
Canadian radio!
Today, Tonya is
a dedicated &
driven country
music
singer/songwriter.
In 2010 she was
signed to Blue
Sapphire/UNIVERSAL
Music and her
debut album
"Lucky I Lost
You" received
rave reviews
across the
country. She
received two
2011 East Coast
Music Award
nominations for
Country
Recording of the
Year & Rising
Star Recording
of the Year!
With all these
accolades, Tonya
Kennedy may be
on the fast
track to fame,
but she's
comfortable
taking the slow,
steady path with
her music
career.
Country
Confidential
asked
the singer about the
challenges of
being both a
performer and a
promoter, as so
many emerging
artists have to
be today. Though
she has a
trusted
promoter/radio
tracker in
Debbie Wood,
along with a
producer and
international
promotion, Tonya
confesses the
toughest part is
when she
sometimes has to
flip into
manager mode,
and then just as
quickly hop up
on stage. At the
same time, she
likes that it
allows her to
make most of her
own career
decisions.
Would it be
difficult for
her to let go of
some of the
control now,
after becoming
accustomed to
handling so much
of the business
side of her
career?
Tonya admits it
might be a
challenge, but
adds that her
career is also
at the point
where she just
can't handle it
all herself
anymore, and she
knows it's time
to hand over
some of the
work. At the
same time, she
sees this as a
good thing
because it
allows her to
focus on being
the writer and
the artist.
Where Nashville
opportunities
are concerned,
Tonya says it
will be
important to her
to choose the
right people to
work with - "And
that might not
always be the
people who can
take you to the
top the
fastest," she
adds quickly,
"You can't rush
it. It has to be
the perfect
person."
Originally from
Newfoundland,
Tonya's family
made the move to
Ontario twenty
years ago, but
the east coast
is still close
to her heart.
"I love it!"
Tonya grins of
her East Coast
connection, "And
this past year
was my first
year at
the Cavendish
Beach Music
Festival!
I love how the
east coast
supports the
artists."
It's been an
exciting fall
2011 for Tonya
as well.
"I
just shot a
music video,"
she exclaims,
"It's been
crazy!
We're promoting
the new album,
promoting the new
single ("Fallin'
For You"),
promoting the new
video - plus I'm
writing, because
we haven't got
all the songs
yet for the
album."
"Fallin' For
You" has turned
into a family
affair -
"I wrote the
song with my
husband Neil,"
Tonya explains,
"And my son
Zachary is in
the video - it's
really neat!"
Kennedy also
continues to
work on her new
album, which
should be ready
and in stores in
the late spring
of 2012. "I
think this album
will be more
personal for
me," Tonya says,
"I give a little
more info about
'my' story."
Tonya also
reveals that the
next single to
radio will be
"He's Everything
You're Not", a
song she wrote
while in
Nashville this
past summer. "I
really needed to
write a song
about my
ex-husband," she
confesses,
"There is still
a lot of water
under that
bridge. 'He's
Everything
You're Not' is
about my life
from about 1990
through 2011,
all neatly
wrapped up into
three and a half
minutes!
When asked if
music is her
whole life,
Tonya replied,
"Yes it is,
though family's huge
for me. Neil and
I have three
children. So
it's just
family, music,
and just keeping
it balanced."
Husband Neil
Kennedy is a
constant anchor
on Tonya's team.
Aside from
co-writing
music, you'll
see him on stage
playing guitar
in the band.
And there's
another musical
beacon in the
family - Tonya's
aforementioned eight year-old
son Zachary, who has just
joined the choir
at school. "They're
learning 'What A
Wonderful
World', she
smiles proudly.
We think there
couldn't be a
better song
title to
describe what's
ahead for Tonya
Kennedy!
Tonya Kennedy;
singer/songwriter,
recording
artist, wife,
and mother!
Country
Confidential
"New Artist
Spotlight" on
Marlee Scott
by Rebecca Black
Marlee performs
at the Global
Artist Showcase
during 2011
Country Music
Week in
Nashville.
Country
Confidential's
Rebecca Black
had a chance to
sit down and
chat with
Canadian-born
Marlee Scott in
Nashville
recently.
Born in Richmond
Hill, Ontario,
Marlee
found herself
moving across
the country with
her family to
St. Albert,
Alberta when she
was only six.
That move
inevitably led
to horseback
riding lessons,
and soon Marlee
was living out
one of her
passions,
competing in
equestrian
events.
But another
passion soon
came creeping
along as
well...music. One of Marlee's
childhood music
teachers
reveals, "Marlee's
mom had called
to schedule
flute lessons
for her. When it
came time for
her first lesson
I asked her,
'So, you want to
play the flute?'
She smiled at me
and pointed to a
pink electric
guitar that I
had in the
corner and said,
'No, I want to
play that!'"
Eventually Marlee had to make a choice between her two loves, and music
won out. It's a
decision she
doesn't regret,
though she
confesses she
does miss
horseback
riding. But she
adds she'd one
day love to pull
a "Shania" and
buy a ranch with
lots of horses.
According to her
newest single, that
dream, and any,
dream, is
possible.
Marlee says "Beautiful
Maybe" is about
hopes and
dreams, and she
hopes everyone
will be touched
in a different
way by the song.
Country
Confidential's
Rebecca Black
chats with
Marlee Scott in
Nashville.
Marlee's first
album,
"Souvenir", was
released in
Canada in 2005,
and after being
signed to
BigRide Records
in 2008, she
followed up with
a self-titled
album.
Marlee earned a
coveted
nomination in
the Rising Star
Award category
at the 2010
Canadian Country
Music Awards, as
well as a 2010
nomination at
the Canadian
Radio Music
Awards. Not one
to stand idly
by, Marlee
capitalized on
the momentum of
her
critically-acclaimed
C.D. and quickly
released the
international
hit, "Here To
Heaven." The
track went Top
20 in Australia
and Canada and
shot to the top
of the charts in
Europe. Within
months, plans
for her first
U.S. release
began to take
shape, bolstered
by her new label
deal with BigRide Records.
"One of the
highlights of my
career so far
has been signing
with Bigride,"
Marlee says.
"The entire team
is behind me and
that is such an
amazing feeling.
I feel like they
have invested
their time and
energy into
helping me
develop as an
artist, and we
are all
extremely
excited about
this new project
for 2011."
Produced by
David Kalmusky
and penned by
accomplished
songwriter
Marcus Hummon,
"Beautiful
Maybe," an
up-tempo gem
with a positive
spirit and
message that
fittingly
reflects Marlee's
personality.
She'd love to
tour Canada
soon. Marlee
says when she
steps across the
border and
breathes in the
Canadian air,
she feels
"really good",
even if it's not
her home
province or
town. Her family
has moved to
Penticton, B.C.,
so now when she
goes home for a
visit, she gets
to hang out at
the lake and get
a tan! There's
also another
Canadian
connection on
the other side
of the country -
she lived in
P.E.I. for two
years while her
dad worked in
Summerside, and
she says the
Island is her
"favourite place
in the world".
Her dad is from
Fredericton, Mom
is from the
Halifax area.
Though she lives
in Nashville
now, the
down-home, small
town spirit is
alive and well
in Marlee Scott.
Her fun-loving
demeanor,
coupled with her
accomplished
skills as a
musician,
songwriter and
vocalist, have
prepared the
rising star for
a long career in
the U.S. - and
beyond.
Check
out Marlee's video for
"Beautiful
Maybe", new on CMT.com!
Country
Confidential
"New Artist
Spotlight" on
Taylor Made
by Rebecca Black
What a pleasure it was to interview
West Virginia's
"Taylor Made".
Siblings Wendy
Williams,
Greg Duckworth and Brian
Duckworth come from a big
family - their
strong mother
raised seven
kids on her own, so
crowding around
a tiny table in
Nashville for
our chat
probably wasn't
too much of a
stretch for the
down-to-earth
artists.
In fact, this
group reflects
the hard-working
fans that flock
to their shows.
"I go out and
drive my truck
to feed my
kids," Brian
offers, "Just
like everyone in
our audience
gets their work
done to take
care of theirs.
What you see is
what you get."
You'll like what
you see...and
what you hear
from Taylor
Made.
All of their
siblings either
sing or play an
instrument, but
Wendy, Greg and
Brian are the
only three who
perform on a
stage.
All three have
interesting
backgrounds.
Greg's a
Sergeant with
the West
Virginia State
Police. Brian, a
truck driver
when he isn't on
stage, learned to play
guitar as a way
to rehabilitate
after a chainsaw
accident. At the
time, the tall,
handsome singer
had been playing
bass, which
Wendy had been
wanting to
learn. Needing
to rebuild the
strength in his
arm after the
accident, Brian
told Wendy if
she'd teach him
to play six
strings he'd
teach her to
play four, and
now, he laughs,
his sister plays
both better than
he does!
Their current
single, "Quiet
Kind of Crazy"
is about a
single mom, not
very different
from their own.
A busy mother
with three girls
of her own to
raise, Wendy
says the song
really hits home
for the group
and is close to
a true story.
She confides
that her mother
once told her,
"All the
strength you
need, you
already have."
Wendy realized
then that her
mom had
survived, and so
could she - so
can any woman.
The singer adds
that there have
been moments
where performing
the song live
has been
emotional for
her.
That close
family
upbringing is
how the siblings
got their start,
singing in
church, and on
the back porch,
where the
neighbors would
holler out song
requests.
After winning
first place in
the Colgate
Country
Showdown, the
three knew they
had something
special. "We
started with an
acapella note on
the first song
and, coming out
of that big
system, there
was definitely a
"wow" feeling,"
Greg relates,
"It sent a
charge through
the whole room."
Their goal is to
be at the top of
the charts and
the way things
are going, that
shouldn't take
long.
Preparing to
record a new
six-pack album
in Nashville,
Taylor Made have
their boots
firmly planted
on the ground,
and their sights
set on goals
that are
destined to take
them far beyond
the scenic
Appalachian
mountains of
West Virginia.
"We're real,"
says Wendy,
"We've lived our
lives, had
children, and
can relate to
what we're
singing about."
Country
Confidential can
confirm, this
group's music is
"Taylor Made"
for fans looking
for a fresh
country sound
that comes
straight from
the heart.
Idaville, Indianna's DJ Miller is only
21 years old,
but he already
knows how to
deliver fans the
ultimate country
music
experience. "You can't be the
only one having
fun," DJ
explains, "You
have to interact
with the crowd.
If you just
stand there and
sing your songs
and play your
music, you might
sound really
good, but if you don't
give your fans a
real show, they
may not have a
reason to come
back and see you
again."
You'll want to see DJ Miller again.
The same way he
couldn't get
enough of
superstars like
Garth Brooks
when he was just
(literally!)
cutting his
teeth on the
country music
scene. "I would
tape the Garth
Brooks live
concerts on
television as a
little kid and
then watch them
over and over,"
DJ recalls. "I
saw him do all
these crazy
things on stage,
but the crowd
loved every
minute of it. I
recognized that.
I think it was
at that point
that I decided I
wanted to go
into country
music."
DJ kept busy playing at community
events and
regional fairs
when he was a
teenager, but
that all changed
when he met
producer/publisher/label
executive Johnny
Morris in 2009.
Morris got DJ to
Nashville, where
the young
performer wrote
his first two
singles, "A
Little Naughty
Is Nice" and
"Whatever It
Takes".
Currently polishing up his soon
to-be-released
debut album, DJ
reminds fans it
doesn't matter
where you are at
one of his
shows, you're
going to get the
VIP treatment. "It's always
important to
make that person
in the front row
feel special,"
DJ grins, "But
to me, the real
key is making
that person in
the back row
feel just as
special."
---
Thanks to Bob
Doerschuk of
the CMA CloseUP
News Service
for this Country
Confidential
"New Artist
Spotlight" on
Troy Olsen
It's reassuring
to know that
there's still
room for young
artists whose
music takes us
to a specific
time and place
without
sacrificing its
appeal to the
broad base of
listeners.
Troy Olsen, for
example. His
self-titled and
self-produced
debut EP, with
co-producers and
co-writers Brett
Beavers and Jim
Beavers joining
him on
"Tumbleweed," has an epic
regional feel
reminiscent of
Dwight Yoakam or
Marty Robbins.
Brushes stir a
gentle but
restless snare
rhythm on the
debut single,
"Summer Thing,"
written by
Olsen, Ben Hayslip and
Jimmy Yeary,
with lyrics that
recall a
seasonal idyll.
There's a dose
of Glen Campbell
too, in the
yearning of
Olsen's vocal
and chords that
roll like
freight down
tracks on "Ghost
Town Train,"
which Olsen
penned with Marv
Green.
The vistas
conjured in
Olsen's songs
recall his early
years in Duncan,
a tiny Arizona
town near the
New Mexico
border. He spent
a lot of time
there with his
grandparents;
though their
home had no
electricity, the
music beckoned
to Olsen through
a
battery-powered
radio and images
from The
Nashville
Network
flickering
through a TV
hooked up to a
cigarette
lighter in a
truck. Inspired,
he got himself a
guitar, taught
himself to play,
wrote songs
modeled
initially on the
work of Yoakam
and Steve Earle
and began
recording demos
on his Walkman.
He started
performing while
in high school,
picking up
enough work to
lead him to seek
greener pastures
in Nashville.
Arriving in
2002, Olsen made
the right
connections,
eventually
co-writing Blake
Shelton's "I'll
Just Hold On"
and "Ghost Town
Train," which
Tim McGraw
recorded for Southern Voice.
The final,
essential step
came in late
2009, when Olsen
showcased six
original songs
and walked home
with a deal as
the first artist
signed to EMI
Records
Nashville.
Judging from the
evocative
content and
material packed
onto
Troy Olsen,
his future is
clearer even
than the sky
stretched wide
over those mesas
back home.
---
Thanks to Bob Doerschuk of the CMA CloseUP News Service
for this Country Confidential
"New Artist Spotlight" on
Rosehill
Debut album: White Lines and Stars
It was in Cypress, just off the Northwest Freeway near Houston, that Mitch McBain and
Blake Myers started a band back in 2003. The group, Texas High Life, spent five
years working the club circuit throughout Texas, honing their alt-Country style and
stage presentation.
More importantly, it provided a vehicle for McBain and Myers to develop their
synchronicity as singers and writers. They'd been juggling gigs with college classes;
on finishing their academic obligations, they hunkered down to a biweekly schedule of
hatching new material. The more they wrote, the clearer it was that they were headed
toward something centered more on their partnership.
Produced by Radney Foster and Jay Clementi and released by Cypress Creek
Records, the 11 tracks on "White Lines and Stars" range from spacious to infectiously
upbeat, yet all of them feature lyrics that speak directly to each listener's experience.
The title cut and first single, which Myers wrote with Clementi and George Ducas,
unfolds like a highway under prairie skies; references to Opry fiddles and preachers on
the radio mingle in a stream of sensory images with the rhythm of a sleeping lover's
breath. "It ain't the destination, babe, it's the ride," they sing, bringing us back to
images we've dreamed before.
As co-writers on all but three of these tracks, McBain and Myers meet this standard of
craftsmanship consistently. And they harmonize intuitively, sing solo parts expressively
and, best of all, know how to turn a strong lyric into an even stronger listening
experience. Already, the view from Rosehill is something to behold.
