FRESH FACE FRIDAY

Our pick this week for “FRESH FACE FRIDAY” Featured Artist is Tyler Salsman! 

This 16-year-old rising star, is a singer/songwriter from Chester Rd. Windsor, Nova Scotia! 

Tyler discovered his love of Country music during weekend drives with his grandfather, listening to the classics on the backroads. 

When asked how Tyler got his start in music, it was shared that in Grade 3 Tyler brought home a recorder and his parents were surprised when he played Alan Jackson by ear! That year his parents were approached by the school to put him in vocal lessons and unfortunately at that time, they couldn't make it happen. It didn’t stop there, in Grade 4 the music teacher practically begged them to get Tyler into vocal lessons and they were able to make that happen! 

Tyler was 11 when he picked up an old guitar and taught himself. He was determined! He never stopped practicing and on his 13th birthday, his parents took him to a music store and told him to ‘pick' his guitar and he's been pursuing his dream in music ever since. 

Some of his early influences included Keith Whitley, Alan Jackson, and Tom T Hall, and today, he’s equally inspired by Zach Top and Cody Johnson. Although that’s several different generational country influences, they all seem to work together in the background, in helping Tyler create and inspire his own music. 

Standing over 6 feet tall with his Country stage presence and natural charisma, Tyler is connecting with his audiences big or small, and receiving comments that compare him to George Canyon, George Strait, and Toby Keith. That’s not a bad group of amazing artists to be associated with! It’s not surprising to us, as he has a very classic country sound with a lot of soul in his music. 

He has shared the stage with several artists like Leona Williams, and he has opened for Canada's Queen of Country, Carol Baker, at the Hank Snow Tribute. That must have been a memorable experience for him. 

Tyler had the opportunity to perform Dolly Parton's “Hard Candy Christmas” live on CTV’s Christmas Daddies telethon. That must have been pretty cool and fun to be on TV. In 2024, Tyler’s songs has made it onto the East Coast Top 30 and their Top 100 for the year. Kudos! 

Recently, Tyler participated and placed First in the East Coast Country Music Association Star Search youth category. Congratulations! We’re certain that will be the first of many more wins to come in the future! 

This year, Tyler will be performing solo at Trunk 7 Music Festival and, with his band “The Classics”, at the Fox Mountain Country Music Festival. Make sure to check out the dates for those events so that you can enjoy a few nights out with a young talent and entertainer! 

Tyler is releasing his song “Go Back” today! The song is the result of a football injury that required knee surgery. Tyler was still 15 when he wrote ‘Go Back’ and it is based on emotions of his reality at the time and the transition from youth. It’s available on all streaming platforms today! 

Tyler knows country music like other kids know Hockey Cards! He truly appreciates music for the stories that he hears from the songs and the artists behind them. With the talent he has, we feel this is the start of an amazing career in country music. You’re going to hear his name for many years to come!   Good luck Tyler!

Our pick this week for “FRESH FACE FRIDAY” Featured Artist is Chase Heaslip! 

Chase is a singer-songwriter originally from Guelph but lives in London, Ontario. 

Chase discovered his passion for music rather young and began piano at the age 4. His love of performance and songwriting led him to pursue formal training - Music Industry Arts Program at Fanshawe College in London. 

Some of his music influences include Morgan Wallen, whose style and lyrics inspire him, as well as, Mitchell Tenpenny, Dylan Marlowe and Billie Eilish. Although there is a hint of their influence in his music, he’s created his own unique sound that fits right into the Country Pop genre, quite nicely.

As a songwriter, he initially focused on creating songs for others but eventually decided to start recording and sharing his own music. His talent and commitment quickly earned him acclaim including the prestigious MIA’s Sony Songwriter of the Year and Pop Song of the Year Awards. 

Chase's music is deeply rooted in personal experiences, exploring themes of relationships, heartbreak, new love, and self-discovery. His single, "Never Leave” resonated deeply with audiences playlisting across Spotify and Apple Music and accumulating over 45,000 streams + worldwide. This growing popularity reflects his ability to authentically connect with listeners through heartfelt lyrics and captivating melodies. Which is what every artist wants and he’s obviously very good at it!

Beyond the numbers, Chase strives to create music that serves as a relatable and comforting companion through life's ups and downs. His songs provide a unique perspective on widely experienced situations, aiming to resonate deeply with his audience with solace and understanding.

Chase’s latest single was just released titled “Better with You”. It explores the familiar theme of finding love when you least expect it. We heard that the idea for this new song “Better with You” came to him while working on “Never Leave,” and he felt so inspired, that he completed the song in a single night. 

As he continues to build his fanbase and hone his craft, Chase emerges as a promising voice in contemporary country, poised to leave a lasting impression with his emotive storytelling and sincere musicality. Make sure to stream his music and catch him live at his next show,  we’re sure you won’t want to miss it!

Our pick this week for “FRESH FACE FRIDAY” Featured Artist is Jasmine Frances! 

Jasmine Frances was originally born in England, and moved to Canada at only eight years old to pursue a career in Country Music. 

Jasmine released her first single "You Owe a Life" when she was 15 years old. Jasmine continued on to open for Grammy award winning artists, and went on to release  her debut album "Just a Girl and Her guitar" at seventeen years old in 2022. 

Jasmine took a year break afterwards, but in the meantime pulled together a fabulous band, and started writing and recorded her single "Now I Take My Coffee Black", which reached Canadian radio, and was nominated for "Songwriter of the year", and " Roots artist of the year" in 2023 through Country Music Alberta and is 4 time nominee. Congrats! 

Jasmine continues to write and record hits, while performing live as the "Jasmine Frances Band". The members of “The Jasmine Frances Band”  have come together with a vast variety of experience between them all, covering more than the country genre, which includes  rock, and metal background. The band members are Skyler Okemaysim( guitar), Owen Pitcher (drummer), and Alex Willey (bass player). The Jasmine Frances Band  are well known for powerful soulful sets that bring the audience to their feet every time! Jasmine Frances really can do it all, from an intimate acoustic session to a full on concert. Some of her band members toured across Canada, and opened for various artists such as "80s rockers", and "LA guns". She’s officially signed with HayseedCo.

Jasmine had her Canadian Country Music Association showcase debut this year in Edmonton! Very exciting experience for her! She also made it into the Semi Finalists at Ranchman’s Rising Star Competition! Her latest release is out today and we’re thrilled to share that with all of you called  “In Tennessee”! Make sure you go and have a listen! It’s available everywhere! 

Our pick this week for “FRESH FACE FRIDAY” Featured Artist is Cameron Whitcomb! 

Cameron’s latest release is zooming up the charts and is Gold record worthy too! He was born in Peace River, Alberta, and was raised in Nanaimo, BC.

You might recognize his latest release “Medusa” as we sure do! We hear it all the time on the local radio stations Country 89 and KX 94.7. With good reason, it’s rather catchy!  That isn’t the only reason his name sounds familiar, he was on American Idol and made it into the Top 20 back in 2022. Although he didn’t make it as a Finalist, he did learn a lot from being on the show and have grown a lot since, in his songwriting and he learned how to play guitar. He also gained quite a few followers on TikTok which is never a bad thing in the music industry. 

Cameron brings a unique perspective to songwriting, where his songs are deeply influenced by his own life experiences, including his battles with drugs and alcohol, on his life journey. He has turned his life around and his approach to songwriting, reflects a raw and authentic narrative style, drawing listeners into his world through vivid storytelling and emotional honesty. Cameron’s ability to weave personal tales into compelling musical narratives sets him apart in the songwriting landscape, resonating with listeners who find solace and understanding in his words. That’s definitely what it’s all about, making people feel something, connect and relate to in their own lives.

Whitcomb has released  an album titled - “Quitter” with 5 songs, as well as, some emotionally invested  releases like “Rocking Chair” with his grandpa in mind and latest release “Medusa”. 

We have yet to see Cameron perform live, however, the videos he posts are a clear indication that his performances are high energy, and he looks like he’s truly in his element and is having a blast, which means we will too! He has tour dates in Southern Ontario in the New Year so keep an eye on his socials for dates and tickets! All of his music is available on all platforms. The future is looking very bright for this young man and we believe this won’t be the only gold record he earns, there’s going to be many more! Good luck in your music journey!  

Our pick this week for “FRESH FACE FRIDAY” Featured Artist is Miles Canyon. 

Miles is a songwriter and country artist new to Alberta from Saskatchewan. Although his surroundings are new, he isn’t new to the music scene. Throughout Canyon's music career he has shared the stage with an abundance of talented artists, performed countless shows across the country and has hundreds of song writing credits under his belt. He’s dabbled some in almost every genre from metal, hard rock, to funk and country but likes the storytelling aspect that country music is known for. He’s earned his stripes along the way and most of his band have been together from day one. 

Canyon's country music began as a side writing project from an already existing band that has been recording and touring together for over a decade. What started out as writing a country song as a fun challenge during the pandemic, has now turned into a passion for writing country music. He wrote his first song at 13 and sold his first song at 15! That’s amazing! He learned to play guitar at age 12 and he decided he wanted to be a musician he hasn’t  looked back. He’s made a great living as a singer/songwriter and performer across  North America. Canyon plans on writing and performing for as long as he can. 

He participated in the Ranchman’s Rising Star Competition. He was a part of the Canadian Country Music Association -  “Country Crawl” and “Diamonds in the Rough” in Edmonton this year!  His debut release is “Country Girls”  is a fast paced, rockin’ country tune that will get you up dancing and we’re sure you have it on your playlist on repeat! Check it out!  It’s available on all streaming platforms! 

Miles says he’s written at least 20 songs that are ready to be recorded so there is more music coming in the New Year that we have to look forward to. We wish him continued success in his country music journey and hopefully our paths will cross sometime soon!

Our pick this week for “FRESH FACE FRIDAY” Featured Artist Martina Dawn! 

This young woman was born and raised in Alberta. “Growing up in this province has given me the opportunity to be surrounded by country music. I am a fourth generation musician, following in the footsteps of my great grandparents band, my grandparents band, and my own mama, is a country artist herself. I’ve been so fortunate to be surrounded by music, and my love for what I do, runs in my blood.” Now that’s an amazing story and real family connection to the country music that we all love! 

With her power house vocals Martina has been pouring her heart and soul into her music even before she was a teenager and she has no plans of stopping anytime soon!

Some of her music career highlights include being honoured as the 2021 CMAB Horizon Youth Award Winner and was Nominated for the 2022 CMAB Horizon Female Artist of the year. She also was the Global Country Star Search Winner in 2020. 

You may find this surprising but she writes a song every day. Now that’s dedication and passion! 

“What I love about writing, is that you can touch people’s hearts, that is my favourite part about music in general, it brings so many people together in ways you’d never think we’re possible!”

One of her goals as she advances in her music career, is that she continues to grow her fan base through connections providing energetic live performances, as well as through Digital platforms. We think she’s doing pretty good! She is grateful to have over 250K streams across streaming platforms, plus 5K monthly listeners on Spotify! There’s nothing wrong with those numbers! Her latest release is called ‘“Love On Them”. Her goal was to write a song that tells a story that makes people feel something like real country music songs do, that they can relate to and be inspired to live by. We feel she covered all that in “Love On Them”. 

If you haven’t seen Martina before then make sure you check out her website, give her music a listen, as it’s available everywhere you buy or stream your music. 

Besides music Martina enjoyed figure skating the most out of sports and still watches the competitions on TV. She has said that it was a challenging sport that has helped her grow a good spine, required at times to maneuver through the music industry. 

We very excited to see what she has in store for us next and we hope there is new music coming soon! Her motto - “ITS ALWAYS WORTH IT TO TAKE YOUR TIME AND GO THE EXTRA MILE…” and we couldn’t agree more but we also want more new music!

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