In The Country With Dave Woods

Ontario Country artist MARSHALL DANE has a new single at Country radio called Alcohol Abuse. With it's catchy sing-along chorus, Country fans will be joining in as they hear it played on the radio and at his concerts. At last year's CMAO awards, Marshall was nominated in several categories including Male Artist and Album Of The Year for Running Stop Signs. In 2013, this popular entertainer - who blends his country roots with a rock 'n roll attitude - released a new album called One Of These Days. The title track received plenty of airplay and brought more attention to his music career. Born in Southern Ontario, Marshall grazed on a rich fix of music, from the country sounds of his preacher dad - to his mom who is, in his own words, the strongest, toughest, hardest working woman he’s ever met – who played piano in the evenings to his four sisters and two brothers. Some his own musical discoveries at a young age ranged from John Denver to Michael Jackson. Marshall has opened shows for Alan Jackson and Emerson D

THE LOVELOCKS are a female alt-country duo from Toronto comprised of Ali Raney and Zoe Neuman. They first became friends over a shared love of music which led to writing songs in each other's living rooms on Sunday afternoons, and eventually, the decision to start a band together. With combined talents on fiddle, mandolin, acoustic guitar and vocals, The Lovelocks are woven together with soaring harmonies and a desire to create music that gives voice to both the bitter and sweet in life. Ali and Zoe raised $30,000 through RocketHub crowdfunding to record their debut EP with award-winning producers Ben Glover and Mitch Merrett. The first single from the project is called Teardrop Tattoo. The Lovelocks are holding their EP Release Party at the Revival Bar on College Street in Toronto on Thursday, February 13, 2014.  You can purchase your tickets for this unforgettable night of music at their website: www.thelovelocksband.com.

Ontario Country artist TIANNA WOODS & Nashville Bluegrass artist DONNA ULISSE have teamed up to record Every Angel Needs Some Heaven. They both join me on the show to share the song - and to talk about their music careers.  Tianna is trained in voice, acting, and dance (tap, hip hop, jazz, ballet and modern). She also plays 6 instruments: piano, guitar, saxophone, drums, clarinet & fiddle. She graduated with honours from the Etobicoke School Of The Arts with a triple major in music theatre, music and dance. She's no stranger to performing her own originals & cover songs on stage and in the studio - or writing songs with hitmakers. Nominated as the International Bluegrass Music Association's Songwriter of the Year for two years running, Donna has been blessed to have her songs recorded by the Del McCoury Band, Claire Lynch, Darin and Brooke Aldridge, and The Bankesters, among others. Her new album is called Showin' My Roots featuring her versions of classic country & bluegrass songs. You'll h

Tune in for this weekend edition of In The Country with Dave Woods. Hot Country & Cool Conversations. Saskatchewan's CODIE PREVOST will share his latest single Someday from his upcoming album All Kinds Of Crazy. Nova Scotia's STEELE is here to share his new single No Bones from his album Canvas. Orginally from Saskatchewan, now living in Alberta, DAN ARNOLD has released his song God Bless Country Girls from his album The Hard Way. In our Better Living segment, Lifestyle Advisor VANESSA MARIE DEWSBURY will join me to talk about living without expectations and attachments. Ontario's SNAKEBITE will tell us all about All Night Long from their upcoming album My Road. Ontario's SHANNON BERESFORD - who was a top 6 finalist at the Magna Hoedown Showdown last year - will tell us the story behind her song You'll Never Know.  

Canadian Country singer, entertainer and legend CARROLL BAKER was born in Bridgewater, Nova Scotia. In 1965, Carroll, her mother and father moved to Oakville, Ontario. A couple of years later, she married John Beaulieu. The newlyweds were invited to go to a bar in Oakville called The Halton Hotel where one of her friends told the band that Carroll sang and they should get her up to do a song. Carroll had no idea about this so when she heard her name to go up and sing, she was speechless and scared to death. She was also underage! Her husband encouraged her, so she accepted the invitation and sang Stand By Your Man. In 1972, she made the trip to Nashville to record. Carroll has shared the stage - and duets - with Country legends Conway Twitty & Hank Snow, among others. She has won three Junos for Country Female Vocalist of the Year and is a member of The Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame & The Nova Scotia Country Music Hall of Fame. Tune in for this special episode with one of Canada's finest Country

Four  years after making the 60-hour drive from Vancouver, British Columbia to Nashville, Tennessee, CAROLYN DAWN JOHNSON scored her first hit as a songwriter when Chely Wright took Single White Female all the way to #1. That success led to publishing deals and cuts with several other artists like Patty Loveless, Kathy Mattea, Pam Tillis, Suzy Bogguss, and Jo Dee Messina. After signing a record deal with Sony’s Arista Nashville in 2000, CDJ released music of her own starting with her debut album entitled Room With a View. The project gave us the hit singles & much-loved songs Georgia, Complicated & I Don't Want You To Go. Besides vocals for her own albums, Carolyn can be heard on recordings with Martina McBride, Johnny Reid, Blake Shelton, Sheryl Crow, Kenny Rogers, Loretta Lynn, and Patty Loveless.  To date, she has racked up nearly 20 CCMAs, as well as being crowned the Academy of Country Music’s Top New Female Vocalist in 2002. The American Music Awards hailed her as Favorite New Country Artist the

KELLY PETTIT's newest release entitled Every Sunrise was recorded in Nashville, Tennessee and produced by Australian music icon Greg Arnold (from the bands 13 at Midnight and Things of Stone and Wood.). After recording his previous album These Days in Australia, Kelly decided to explore the Nashville scene. The outcome is a jackpot of catchy tunes that tell stories of real life. Listeners will find themselves on an emotional roller-coaster ride of happiness and loss in 11 songs/38 minutes. Influenced largely by Australian bands like Crowded House, Things of Stone and Wood, and Paul Kelly, along with North American counterparts The Jayhawks, Barenaked Ladies, and the Counting Crows, Kelly works to define a sound all his own with musicianship and a dedication to each detail of the songwriting process. “My influences are quite diverse and you can really hear that in this CD. What’s constant is my attempt to keep the CD my own and upbeat,” explains Kelly. He was born and raised in Nanaimo, British Columbia but th

Saskatchewan's WYATT won a Saskatchewan Country Music Association award in 2013 for their single Jesse James. They also won their 6th consecutive Group of the Year award. It was the year of their first Eastern Tour of the Maritimes and Ontario with their friends Deric Ruttan, Jason Blaine and label-mate Chad Brownlee. In 2013, they released two videos: Jesse James & Roll The Windows Down. Both of those songs are featured on WYATT's latest CD Shoulda Been Here Last Night. The project is their first release with their new family at MDM Recordings. The current single from the album is entitled Always Tonight written by band members Daniel Fortier & Scott Patrick along with fellow Canadian singer-songwriter A.J. Goodvin. So many great things happened to WYATT in 2013 that it's a safe bet that 2014 will take WYATT even higher. Tune in to hear about the making of the new CD and much more!

The Saskatchewan Country Music Association honoured WILL ARDELL with the Rising Star award in 2013. He was nominated for four other awards as well. In January 2014, he'll release his new CD Reckless. The current single released to Country radio is Spokes In The Wheel which celebrates the working class. The project will also include two of his popular recent singles: High On Life, Low On Cash & Two Shadows. He's a remarkable songwriter with a diverse collection of songs. Will grew up on a farm in Rock Point, Saskatchewan with devoted parents and solid lifelong friends. During those young rural years, he began writing poetry and placed first in a national competition and then, in his teens, went on to place in an international contest. These successes were his earliest inspirations and they propelled him toward writing daily, especially once he acquired his first guitar for Christmas at the age of 19. Tune in to get to know this talented Canadian Country artist and his new music.

Country artist LINDA CASSADY joins me on the show to talk about her music career and to share some of her songs. Originally from Illinois, now living in Nashville, Tennessee, Linda gained airplay and attention for her self-penned 1970's Country hit song CB Widow. The album that song appeared on went top 10 in England. She was then invited to do a 14 day tour there. Songwriting is a passion of hers - she writes songs for herself and has had others record her songs. Barbara Fairchild recorded What Do You Do (To Make My Daddy Love You) and Peggy Sue recorded Proud To be A Housewife. Linda was a member of the Wheeling West Virginia WWVA for a number of years. She grew up listening to Country legends Hank Williams and Hank Snow. Her Dad, a coal miner in Illinois, bought her a small Martin Guitar when she was 13 that she still has. Tune in to hear Linda share stories & songs from her music career.

JILLIAN FARRAR is an accomplished singer-songwriter, screen play writer, music publisher, director, producer and soon-to-be published author. She is the CEO of Bella Lyrics and a co-founder/managing partner of Fierce Ink, Incorporated. Her new children's book titled Lexi & Lily (The Brave Choice) is a story of awareness surrounding sexual abuse, a matter that hits close to home for her personally.  "For me it's about making our children aware of such predators or situations, teaching them how to protect themselves by knowing and recognizing right from wrong and most importantly, about breaking the silence", says Jillian. Growing up in the small town of Franklin, Louisiana, her musical journey began when she became obsessed with music, poetry, and writing. It was then that she began singing, had a vocal coach at age 7 and by 17 was seriously considering the possibility of a career in the world of music. Motivated by her passion and her father, who not only taught her to dream but to reach for the stars, Ji

Based in Belfast, Northern Ireland, SARA CROCKETT performs music that blends honest story telling and playful melodies in a mix of Country & Pop. After supporting Nanci Griffith in the Belfast Nashville Songwriters Festival in February 2013, Sara was invited to play as part of the Festival's Showcase in Nashville alongside hit songwriters in venues such as The Bluebird Cafe, and sang live on WSM 650 AM radio. Sara's debut EP Better Be Gone is now available on iTunes. Tune in to get to know this talented artist and her music - and learn more about her at www.saracrockett.com.

Tune in for this In The Country Christmas Special - taped on location- featuring classic & original Christmas songs. Featured on the show are Paul Malysa, Tia McGraff & Tommy Parham, Krista Earle, Dean Stacey, Roger Beckett, All Night Mule & Dayna Shereck. Get ready for one hour of holiday music & conversation with these talented artists.

With a 2013 Independent Country Music Association Award, eight months on the Roots Music Report charts, international airplay and live performances at Rodeo Alaska, Country artist DOUG BRINEY is ready to release his second album entitled Super Country Cowboy. On this new project, Doug has created a tasteful blend of yesterday's traditional Country roots and today's radio-friendly contemporary sounds. In February 2013, he signed with Tate Music Group, home to Country stars like Lee Greenwood and Neal McCoy. A recent move to Nashville, Tennessee has brought Doug to the epicenter of the Country music industry. Surrounded by a history of veterans and military service in his family, (his son currently serves in the Air Force) Doug has begun working with Bright Star International, who will help facilitate Doug’s work with veterans’ charities. 

When ROBBY JOHNSON went to Nashville to cut a couple of songs, he never imagined that he’d end up in the recording studio as a full-fledged artist with six of his own tunes on the project and then shooting a music video for the song South Of Me with director Ryan Smith. The Canadian-born singer grew up with French as his main language, but from early childhood, he found himself inexplicably drawn to everything American. When his parents went through a painful divorce and his mother moved Robby and his brothers to a small town in Quebec, the boy turned to television as a way to handle his loneliness. He soaked up American programs, songs and movies, perfecting his accent-free English through exposure to a variety of videos, shows and networks. Fast forward to present: In Nashville, renowned studio musician/producer Jimmy Nichols was brought in to oversee arrangements, but when he recognized the potential of Robby’s talent, Nichols turned to Grammy and multi-award winning songwriter/guitarist Frank Myers (“I Sw

North Bay, Ontario Country artist CORY MARQUARDT recently returned from a productive Nashville trip where he was working on new songs for a 2014 album. He released a self-titled 6 track EP in July 2013. As well in 2013, he signed with O'Reilly International and performed at the CCMA's On Ramp Records party with Aaron Pritchett, Bobby Wills, Patricia Conroy & Brett Kissel. During this past summer, Cory played many different festivals and clubs sharing stages with Kira Isabella, Tim Hicks, Chad Brownlee & Dallas Smith. Cory is an Ontario Country artist on the rise. Tune in to get an up close & personal look and listen at why big things are predicted for him in the year ahead.

Colbourne, Ontario Country artist DON MURDOCK has been attracting a lot of attention and some controversy/headlines over his new Christmas song entitled Christmas To Me. Don co-wrote the song with Brian Dolph. "People are wanting to take our traditions away," Don explains. "We (Murdock and Dolph) both 100% agreed with the principles behind the song -- why does everything have to be, like we say in the song, politically correct? I've got no problem respecting everyone else's opinion. Why can't everyone respect mine?" Tune in to hear the song and why Don felt it was one he had to share with the world.

"Folk music is all about telling stories", explains Toronto singer-songwriter GLEN HORNBLAST. "Songwriters are impossible dreamers trying to change the world with their songs. And sometimes it works." A self-confessed 1960's hippie, Glen travelled across Canada during the late 60s & early 70s like an old-fashioned troubadour. His musical influences include Gordon Lightfoot, Joni Mitchell, James Taylor and Townes Van Zandt. Glen's current CD entitled Once In A Blue Moon is an eclectic mix of his best songs written over the last 30 years. Listening to the songs he writes & sings, you'll be transported to the scenes he paints and moved by theemotion he stirs. Tune in for an up close & personal look at Glen's music career and the stories behind his songs.    

Continuing to build on the acclaim of her self-titled debut album, PEI-born, Toronto-based WHITNEY ROSE joined reunited Americana legends The Mavericks this month for a number of dates on their current Canadian tour. Whitney began attracting attention from the moment she started appearing on Toronto club stages, gaining support from Blue Rodeo's Bazil Donovan and Bob Egan. Donovan and David Baxter co-produced her debut album, striking the perfect balance between her reverence for classic vocalists such as Patsy Cline and the emotional content of her songwriting, often drawn from personal experiences. Along with Egan on pedal steel, the album also features Devin Cuddy on piano, guitar virtuoso Nichol Robertson, and Justin Rutledge and Cuff The Duke's Wayne Petti on backing vocals. Bazil Donovan explains: “The reason I was drawn to Whitney was because she was playing real legitimate 1960′s era country music, because there is none of that around on the radio anymore – there’s nobody that I know of that is making

Alberta Country group Domino is made up of Kent Nixon, Luanne Carl, Russ Carl & Scott McKnight. In September 2013, they released their album Scrapbook featuring the popular single 2:15. With their sound established, they realized guidance would be required and signed a Developing Artist Management deal with Sirroma Entertainment in late October 2013. Domino is extremely excited for this next chapter of their career and look forward to bringing the fans more music to enjoy as they continue to spread the Domino effect across Canada. The group has been nominated for several2013 Association of Country Music in Alberta awards: Group or Duo of the Year, Album of the Year, Song of the Year (for 2:15) and the Fan's Choice award. Domino has had the opportunity to share the stage with the likes of Julian Austin, Jessie Farrell, Jaydee Bixby, Hey Romeo, Shane Chisholm, The Boom Chucka Boys, One More Girl, George Canyon and in October 2011, opened up for iconic Canadian rockers - Trooper. Tune into to get up close &a