In The Country with Dave Woods Dave Woods

Hailing from the picturesque town of Conception Bay South, Newfoundland, Justin Fancy swiftly emerged as a rising star on the Canadian Country music scene with the release of his debut single in 2020. His passion for storytelling and his authentic East Coast charm are woven into every lyric and melody he crafts.

With the release of his debut album Sure Beats A Good Time in 2021, Justin secured Music NL's Awards for Country Artist of the Year and Rising Star of the Year, the first time the same artist has won both awards in the same year.

In 2022, Justin was the recipient of the coveted East Coast Music Award for Fan's Choice Entertainer of the Year, a resounding testament to the strong connection he has with his fans. Justin has quickly gained accolades for his dynamic live performances, sharing the stage with Canadian chart-toppers such as Brett Kissel, Meghan Patrick, The Washboard Union, Robin Ottolini, and The Reklaws.

Justin visits the ITC podcast to chat about his journey in music and his new album Whiskey And Me featuring the current single "Go Easy".

 

As she celebrates her 30th year in country music, Lisa Brokop is grateful to still be doing what she loves. It’s that winning combination of gratitude, youthful exuberance and seasoned wisdom that inform Brokop’s new album Who’s Gonna Fill Their Heels? 

The title track - featuring Georgette Jones - offers a female spin on the George Jones hit "Who's Gonna Fill Their Shoes" and pays tribute to Dolly, Patsy, Tammy and many more female country stars.

The album features three great country covers - Delta Dawn, Harper Valley PTA & She's Got You.

The mesmerizing lead single “Come Back Bobbie Gentry” written by Lisa and her singer/songwriter husband Paul Jefferson sets the tone for the new collection. 

The Vancouver-born artist who has called Nashville her home for years is currently on tour with husband Paul as they both pay tribute to country legends. Lisa with The Patsy Cline Project & Paul with Hank LIves - a tribute to Hank Williams.

Learn more about Lisa in this chat featuring 3 tracks from the new album as well as a past top 20 hit "Give Me A Ring Sometime".

Jessica Lavallee drops by the podcast to chat about her music career & her new single "Highway Say Hello"! Plus, we'll feature her previous single "Small Town Girl".

About Jessica Lavallee (by Soundcheck Entertainment)

Born on the northern reaches of Newfoundland and Labrador, Jessica Lavallee was raised in the remote village of Lourdes-de-Blanc-Sablon on the lower north shore of Quebec, an area unique to the province due to its proximity to Newfoundland and Labrador, and Canada's east coast.  

Jessica's love and natural ear for music began when she was just two years old years while listening to her father - also a musician - play the guitar, fiddle, accordion, and harmonica. Jessica made her initial debut at six years old with her father's band, playing in a local festival in Labrador close to home. 

Jessica has travelled the coast of Newfoundland and Labrador playing local venues and on board an American cruise ship when it set ashore. A graduate of the Music Industry and Performance program at the College of the North Atlantic in Stephenville, NL, Jessica was twice featured on Canadian Idol and made top ten on Country Music Television's Karaoke Star.

Ottawa Valley's River Town Saints (Chris McComb, Jeremy Bortot, Chase Kasner & Joe Patrois) have just dropped their highly anticipated new single, "She Got That" which is a co-write with Jason Blaine. It marks their first release under their new recording deal with Sakamoto Music, distributed by Warner Music Canada.

"We can’t wait for you to hear the new music that we’ve been working hard on this year, and to be able to release it with our new label Sakamoto Music!" says River Town Saints.

 "We are overjoyed to welcome the talent of River Town Saints to the Sakamoto Music family," says Joelle May, Director of Promotions & Artist Services at Sakamoto Music. "Their journey, marked by hard work and remarkable skills, is truly commendable. 'She Got That' showcases their irresistible music and reaffirms their undeniable talent."

"The entire team at Sakamoto Agency have been so supportive to River Town Saints and we are thrilled to be expanding our relationship to include their label side, Sakamoto Music," says Tina Simpkin, the band's manager.

River Town Saints have much to celebrate in recent years, boasting an impressive 20 million audio streams and video views, a top 10 hit with their single “Bonfire,” CCMA Award nominations, CMAO and Canadian Radio Music Award wins, tours with Tim Hicks and Kip Moore and spots on the country's biggest festivals.

Chris & Chase join me on the show for a great chat to talk about the group & their latest music.

 

Ontario's Augusta Ray - you can call her Gus - recently released her sassy new single "Your Ex" which was inspired by real life. It's the follow up to her previous single "Waste Of Lime".

Growing up in Toronto,on a solid diet of eclectic music acts such as Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix and Shania Twain, shaped her unique country-rock sound. Augusta's incredible vocal talent, accompanying her beautifully-crafted songs and energetic, engaging stage presence, has made her the darlin' of the stage everywhere she goes.

Over the course of her career, she has shared stages with notable acts such as Trace Adkins, Montgomery Gentry, Big & Rich, Cam, Michael Ray, Toby Keith, Jess Moskaluke, Brett Kissel and Tim Hicks among others.

In November of 2019, Augusta was invited to make her debut at the legendary Bluebird Café in Nashville, and has since made several appearances there as a featured writer.

Since January 2020, Augusta has been able to combine her passion for music with her passion for travel, through working with Carnival Cruise Line as a guitar soloist. Since starting with the company, Augusta has performed on five different ships, and has travelled to countless countries. In 2022 alone, Augusta travelled to 13 different countries. Most recently, Augusta completed a contract on the Carnival Luminosa, as a member of the ship's inaugural entertainment // musician team. This contract was based out of Australia, with stops in New Zealand and Fiji. 

​In addition to her love for music, Augusta is a proud mental health advocate, with a passion of promoting the importance of self-love and self-acceptance. This comes from overcoming her own struggles after being diagnosed with an eating disorder and beating it! Augusta often takes to her social media outlets to spread messages of empowerment and self-love.

James Downham’s latest track “Wine & Whiskey” isn’t a country drinking song - as you might think. Rather, this song is about having someone in your life who can do more for you than wine or whiskey ever could. After a hard day, they’re the first person you want to see and the first person you want to talk to. “You can wash away any kind of pain. You’re my remedy. You’re my wine and whiskey.”

“Wine & Whiskey” is the latest release from James' debut full-length album The Long Way Home. The track features an all-star cast of musicians, including 2022 CCMA Award Winner Mitch Jay (Steel Guitar Player of the Year, Specialty Instrument Player of the Year) and 2022 CCMA Award Nominees Mark Rynkun (Bass Player of the Year) and Rich DaSilva (Drummer of the Year). And produced by Matt Koebel.

Raised in small town rural Ontario, James called Pembroke and Picton home before settling in Southwestern Ontario. He lives in Stratford, with his wife, Ange.

Earlier releases from the album included 2022’s radio releases “One Mile at a Time” and “Raised On”, as well as critically acclaimed 2021 single, “We’re Okay”, a powerful duet with fellow country artist Amanda Kind.

James was winner of Season 2 of The Shot, and was recently selected from thousands of applicants as one of only 14 artists to participate in The Shot: Canada vs. USA. Touted as “North America’s most intense virtual songwriting competition.” He spent over a decade performing in a Tim McGraw tribute act before turning his attention back to original music.

Tune in to hear my chat with James about his career & new music.