In The Country With Dave Woods

Ontario Country artist KATE TODD released her debut CD Finding My Way featuring the single Footprints On The Moon in 2012. The album was awarded Best New Album of 2012 at the Radio Nation Music Awards where she also earned runner up for Best Canadian Musician/Band of 2012 as well. This multi-talented recording artist was also nominated for Best Country Artist at both the Toronto Independent Music Awards & the Barrie New Music Awards. Her songs have been licensed to the Disney and Showcase Networks.  Along with her music career, Kate is also a successful actress well known for her roles of Lily Randall in the TV show Radio Free Roscoe and Erica in My Babysitter's A Vampire. Kate was nominated for the Country Music Association of Ontario's Rising Star Award in 2013 & 2014. She was a guest speaker for the Guelph/Humber University’s 2013 Emerge Conference in April and was invited to host and perform at prestigious events like Folk Alliance 2013, Winterfolk 2013 and NSAI’s Tin Pan North Festival in May

Ontario's Rob Kirkham and Neon Rain are known as one of the most personable live acts in Canada, which is apparent at all of their performances. "We take great pride in embracing our fans on a one-to-one basis. They are like family" says Rob. The group has shared the stage with the likes of Lady Antebellum, Jason McCoy and Jason Aldean. The high energy music on their first two full-length album releases titled Rob Kirkham and Neon Rain (their self-titled debut)  and Seven Year Itch have spawned the infectious radio singles: Step 13, Kick Back and Love Goes Bang which have garnered radio airplay in Canada, the U.S, Australia and Europe. All of the songs were accompanied by music videos. Rob and the group are excited about their new 2014 album. Tanya Caines is a singer-songwriter from Innisfil, Ontario. She has performed at numerous events and has won a showcase at The Palace in Nashville and placed in the top three in the CMAO's (Country Music Association of Ontario) DemoRama. Tanya is a talented artist with

Burlington, Ontario Country artist TEBEY - now living in Nashville - first found success on Country radio back in 2002 with his single We Shook Hands (Man To Man). He was recognized with a Canadian Radio Music Award nomination for Best New Male Country Artist, a CMT special documenting his development as an artist and a segment on CBC Radio’s ‘Sounds Like Canada.’ The single reached # 3 in Canada and went top 40 in the U.S. but RCA didn't release the album (which featured the single) because the song didn't break the top 20. Determined to not let that setback end his music career, Tebey focused on his skills as a songwriter and soon found his songs being recorded by various artists Over the years, his songs have been recorded by Emerson Drive, Doc Walker, Jason Blaine, Chad Brownlee, Aaron Pritchett, and Big & Rich - among others. He has also had his songs recorded outside the country genre, by pop acts like One Direction, Shawn Desman and Cher. Over the last couple of years, Tebey's own albums have had

Hailing from Summerside, Prince Edward Island, Country singer-songwriter TRINITY BRADSHAW became the youngest winner of the Summerside Festival Talent Search at age 14. She performed twice at the East Coast Music Awards before moving to Calgary, Alberta in 2011. In January 2014, Trinity was nominated for Female Artist of the Year and Song of the Year at the Alberta Country Music Awards and performed at the gala awards show. She was CMT Canada’s Fresh Face Feature Artist in March 2014. She has recently performed at the Grey Eagle, and Century Casino in Calgary, Billy Bob’s in Red Deer and the CRE Rodeo Dance in Camrose, Alberta. 2014 performances include the Ponoka Stampede, the Calgary Stampede, Festival Place in Edmonton, and the Boots and Hearts Music Festival in Bowmanville, Ontario. Trinity's new EP will be released on June 17th, 2014 featuring the current single Never Drinking Again which is getting played on country stations across Canada. The songs were recorded at Blackbird Studios in Nashville with

"Leask brings to his music a compellingly honest baring of the soul." - Toronto Star "Dave was such a rare treat to discover - one of those genuine talents with a truly natural connection between his guitar, his voice and his lyrics - a rare original." - Shari Ulrich, Songwriters Association of Canada Following 3 critically acclaimed releases garnering national airplay on radio and CMT, "Underneath" is the rich and robust culmination of thousands of shows played, over 100 songs written, the stellar contributions of over 25 world class musicians, and many inventive days and nights of bringing it all to life in 6 Toronto and Nashville studios. Still, DAVID LEASK attributes just one week in 2012 spent immersed in world renowned bass player Victor Wooten's Music and Nature Camp near Nashville with hitting his artistic restart button and bringing him back to the foundations of music making. David recalls "When I left there I felt closer to the core of my musical instincts and had a clearer vision for the kind of

JOHN LANDRY began his music career with a bang, immediately garnering several top ten hits on country music radio and CMT. Since emerging as the winner of the CCMA award for Top Independent Male Artist of the Year for his debut album “Forever Took Too Long” and earning the prestigious SOCAN award for Most Played Country Song of the Year for his first single “There You Were” in 2000. John has released five albums to date with acclaimed producers such as J. Richard Hutt and Fred Mollin.  John’s fifth album entitled Don’t Look Back can be said to be a tribute to the journey that he’s travelled during his extensive career path and in his personal life with several themes emerging throughout the album and weaving their way into the lyrics in many of the songs. Now as a father of two young sons, he hopes to continue along that path for he feels that his greatest accomplishment, more so than as a Canadian Air Force Pilot or as a Country Music Recording Artist, will be to teach his boys to have the courage to pursue

Born and raised on the farmlands of rural Ontario, Murray Williams released his debut single “Thank a Farmer” in 2006. A self-taught multi-instrumentalist who plays guitar, piano, bass and banjo, Murray began performing at the age of 14 when he formed a band called Harley Express with classmates. After that came Night Shift, which hit the Ontario circuit on weekends for about 10 years. After a short break, Murray played in a duo, which eventuallyy grew into a four-piece called Common Thread. Country fans are loving his current album Goin' Nowhere Fast which showcases traditional country music - a great collection of originals like the heartfelt "Daddy's Little Girl" and covers like Murray McLauchlan's "Farmer's Song" and Kenny Chesney's "She Thinks My Tractor's Sexy." Murray's latest single is the moving "Love Song For My Father." Tami J. Wilde is a singer/guitar player/songwriter on a music mission. She hails from the Peterborough area. Tami has proudly released her self-titled debut album featuring her son

Known for his powerful, smooth vocals, DAVID JAMES arrived on to the country music scene in early 2013 with his debut EP release This Must Be It. His unique blend of country rock, paired with his electrifying voice and an unrelenting pursuit of making each performance better than the last, have been generating fans and acclaim from coast to coast. Born in the musical hotbed of Winnipeg, David didn't have a traditional upbringing. "I was exposed to a lot of different things growing up. My mom was a saint, my father was sort of a rebel, and I guess I kinda landed somewhere in the middle. I often tell people I was born into gospel and raised by rock n' roll, but I think it's given me a wider perspective on things and a lot of stories to tell."   With a voice that goes down like moonshine – strong but with a smooth finish - singer-songwriter EMILY REID effortlessly blurs the line between alternative country and indie pop. The journey began for Emily in 2009 when she migrated from Victoria, BC to Nashville. Three

Whether you’ve heard her singing with Toby Keith on his single “Drinks After Work”, or on her own single “Words”, one thing is for sure, if you've heard NICOLE SCOTT's voice, you will never forget it. Her fresh songwriting captures everything great about country music, powerful women, and young hearts. She creates a new sound when she adds her incredible vocal power and control.  Nicole can be seen acting in Frankie Ballard's music video for his song "Helluva Life." Hailing from a small town, this powerhouse has been travelling stages worldwide since she was ten, from Europe to Nashville, capturing the hearts of listeners everywhere. Through her teen years Nicole won contest after contest, opened for Country stars, and found herself on CMT, CITY TV, and on International radio, before the age of 21. She’s been called “the next Shania Twain” by CMT, and by the way she captures an audience, it isn’t hard to see why. Nicole's debut Nashville album was produced by Alex Jarvis and features Nicole's songwriting o

Country artist MIKE TRUDELL is preparing to make his mark on the country music scene with a new album, new stage show, along with a renewed passion enthusiasm. Born in Elliot Lake, Ontario, this Northern singer/songwriter is no stranger to the Canadian country music scene having started his musical journey as a lead guitarist for Juno-nominated artist John Landry. A gig backing up country superstar George Canyon prompted the singer to ask Mike if he was doing this full time. Mike said no, he was not sure if this was the life for him. “I was thinking of making EMS my life’s work because I like helping others in need. I got that from my Mom who passed away at a very young age. No matter how sick she was she always had time to help someone in need.” Growing up, Mike was surrounded by music. He played the piano, his brother played the guitar while family members sang and danced. He was also exposed to his parents' choice of tunes. "They always had a Buck Owens eight-track tape in the old Chevy," explains Mike. “

JORDAN McINTOSH's 2013 singleGrew Up In A Country Song relies heavily on his own experiences and plays out like a series of lyrical snapshots from a classic country tune; all drawn from his memories of growing up in the rural community of Carleton Place. “In Country music every song tells a different story and I wanted to write something that paid respect to where I’m from.”  Jordan is nominated for the Rising Star award at this year's Country Music Association of Ontario awards show which take place on May 26th. He'll also be performing at the awards show that night. Earlier this year, he was part of the Young Guns tour featuring Brett Kissell and One More Girl. He also has performances lined up at Manitoba’s Dauphin Country Fest, the Havelock Country Jamboree, PEI’s Cavendish Beach Music Festival and a return to Boots and Hearts in August.  He's proud to be part of the CCMA (Canadian Country Music Association) Discovery Program. The mandate of the program is to create a national program to support country

Country artist STEVE RIVERS' latest album Temptations is establishing him as one of the most exciting new artists in country music today. Winner of the Michigan State Final in the 2013 Texaco Country Showdown & nominated for the CMAO 2013 Rising star award, Steve is an entertainer to watch out for! He performs regularly between the U.S. and Canada and his live show is one of high energy and excitement – a reputation that has led him to open for national acts like Gregg Allman, Josh Thompson and Charlie Worsham. “My band and I try to make every part of our show fun and audience engaging!," says Steve. "I want my audience to feel like they’re a part of the show as much as we are.” Steve makes regular trips to Nashville where he writes with some of country music’s biggest hit-makers, performs, and records. As a songwriter, Steve has had 11 independent cuts including Drew Gregory’s popular single “Truck. Beer. Girl”, “Saturday Night” by pop duo Dakota & Will, “Watered Down Love” by Colby Dee, and “Kill Y

Born in Ottawa, Ontario and raised in Aylmer, Quebec, NELSON COLT released his EP Where I Belong last year featuring the singles Fingers Crossed, Right Where I Belong and the new one Across The River. The project was recorded in Nashville and was produced by Rob Matson. All songs on the album were written by Nelson and award-wining hitmaker Barry Brown. Nelson's influences include Merle Haggard, Ricky Skaggs, George Strait, Alabama and Alan Jackson. Another big influence was a Canadian Country Music legend: “We went to visit my uncle David for New Year’s Eve, and he played a guitar and sang some Hank Snow,” says Nelson. “I was in awe of that sound.” Nelson started by performing at the age of sixteen in his hometown, then he put a group together and did some touring in Ontario and Quebec for a few years. During that time, he entered all the talent shows he could find, and to his delight, winning first place in most of them. One such prize was the 1995 CKBY (Y101) Talent Search, where Nelson won a recording an

ALYSSA MORRISSEY joins me on the show to celebrate the official release of her new single with Matt Williams called Make Love Tonight. The song was written by Matt Williams, Alyssa Morrisey, Doug Folkins, and Adam Newcomb. It was recorded at Newcomb Studios in Cobourg, Ontario, with Adam producing and mixing, and playing bass and piano.  Additional musicians include Adam and Matt on guitar, Matt Newcomb on drums and Andy Schick on pedal steel.  This is the first solo single from Cobourg, Ontario's Matt Williams. He plays guitar and sings as one-third of the country-pop trio Western Avenue.  WA is a Nashville Universe Award winner, twice-nominated International Music and Entertainment Award nominee, and a Country Music Association of Ontario Award nominee. Their self-titled debut album, released in 2013, included the Top 75 Music Row chart and #1 New Music Weekly chart single Wherever You Are. Alyssa hails from Peterborough, Ontario. Discovered by songwriter Cyril Rawson (who has had his songs recorded by t

Peterborough, Ontario born & Toronto based ELYSE SAUNDERS is blazing a trail in country music. A contender in 2013 and 2014 for CMAO’s Female Artist of the Year, she was also nominated for a Toronto Independent Music Award in 2012 for Best Country Artist. Recently awarded FACTOR’s Juried Sound Recording funding, Elyse’s evolving sound & lyrics will be showcased in a new album. Her new single at country radio is called Just Like Mama and was written by Elyse, Peter Linseman and multi-hit songwriter Tim Taylor. In the strong spirit of her give-back attitude, Elyse created the JUST LIKE MAMA Mother’s Day Fundraiser in conjunction with Mississauga’s Sheridan Centre Mall, and fitness facility, Curves Erin Mills. Taking center mall stage on May 10th, Elyse's concert and storytelling will bring awareness and raise much needed funds with total donations benefitting The Women’s and Children’s Health Centre at Trillium Health Partners, Credit Valley Hospital in Mississauga, with emphasis on the creation of an e

AARON GOODVIN was born and raised in Northern Alberta where he was surrounded by a large musical family. Not surprisingly, his love of “everything music” developed at an early age and he made his first stage appearance at age 11. He was hooked the minute his feet hit the stage and has never looked back. Over the next 15 years, Aaron began writing his own songs and utilized every opportunity to perform them in front of a live audience. In Canada, Aaron has had 40 artist cuts, 20 of which have been singles. In 2003, at age 18, Aaron caught the attention of a couple of industry professionals, who encouraged him to start co-writing in Nashville. After years of travelling back and forth, he decided to call Nashville home in October of 2010. Fast forward 3 years to February 2013, he signed a long-term publishing contract with the music industry powerhouse Warner Chappell Music. Upon signing the deal, he landed 3 cuts including Out Like That on Luke Bryan's album Crash My Party.  Other current co-writes out there

Music was always a part of TREVOR JOHNSON’s life growing up on a farm in Manitoba. Singing along to the tractor's crackling AM radio stations always helped pass the time as he worked out in the field. Everywhere he had to get to was always a distance to go so cassettes and eventually CDs helped the miles go by faster. On his playlist? Lots of AC/DC, Alice Cooper, Garth Brooks, Randy Travis, Northern Pikes and even Vanilla Ice.  In his early twenties, he picked up his Dad's old out of tune guitar and was determined to play it no matter how hard it's well-worn condition made it to play. When he finally broke down and spent a couple hundred bucks on a cheap Yamaha acoustic guitar from Mother's Music, he wished he had done that months earlier! When he overcame his stage fright and performed Love Me by Collin Raye at a small town charity event, the reaction he received from the crowd surprised him. From then on, he was asked to perform at various events in the community.   In 2009, Trevor made the move to Nashvi

George Gruhn moved to Nashville in 1969 after getting his bachelor's degree from the University of Chicago and doing graduate work at Duke University and the University of Tennessee. In 1970, he established Gruhn Guitars, which is one of the largest dealers of vintage and used instruments in the world. The store buys, sells, consigns, trades and appraises fretted instruments and houses one of the world's premier vintage and used collections including classic Gibson, Fender, Martin, Epiphone, Gretsch and National instruments as well as a wide selection of new instruments from Martin, Taylor, Collings, and others. "Guitars, which I feel are the ultimate collectible, can be looked at, touched, listened to, and played. At the same time they are beautiful pieces of art that can be appreciated on so many levels. A guitar responds to the individual player and sounds completely different when you play it than when you listen to someone else play it. There is, therefore, greater depth of appreciation with musical ins

Humbling to think that even the greatest musical legends have their own personal icons – as proven with the much anticipated new release by CHARLIE DANIELS and The CDB — Off The Grid—Doin’ It Dylan. The project is produced by Charlie Daniels and Casey Wood. Little could Charlie Daniels have imagined in the late ‘60’s as a young studio musician answering a call from producer Bob Johnston to add his creativity on guitar to three of Dylan’s Nashville produced projects (Nashville Skyline, Self Portrait, and New Morning,) that he was on the first steps of the journey to his own destination as a musical icon. His first new album project release since 2007, Off The Grid is Dylan the Daniels way and the result is sheer musical genius.   “Whatever it was Bob Dylan meant by his lyrics, they grabbed the attention of the world and changed the face of music forever,” notes Charlie. “He inspired musicians to knock down the restrictive, bubble gum, three minute a side, Tin Pan Alley world that set the parameters of popula

Coming from a rural childhood and having a love of music from an early age, Burlington, Ontario based Country artist BILLY J WHITE is blazing his own trail in the Canadian country music scene with the release of his new EP DAMN FOOL THING TO DO. The album consisting of seven tracks, with two currently at radio nationwide, was recorded and produced by multi-award winning and highly sought after producer Tom McKillip. The first single, Saturday Night, was released in October 2013. The co-written, hook laden song resonates a pleasure that we’ve all lived and loved at least one time in our life; the night that bars and clubs are filled with people letting their hair down, hitting the dance floor and forgetting their troubles. The song is nominated for CMAO Single of the Year at this year's awards show (2014) in May. The new single is called Keep Them Kisses Comin'.  Nominated for CMAO Male Artist of the Year in 2013, Billy has lit up stages with his high energy “keep rockin’ it country style” performances. He ha