Rural Sask Heart Beat: Saskatchewan Music Scene
Gilles Laberge
There are many amazing musicians in Saskatchewan; some that are award-winning performers who have played at big events in the province, including Craven Country Jamboree (Now Country Thunder Music Festival), The Gateway Festival (Bengough), Telemiracle and at the Rogers Hometown Hockey showcase. This column will feature some of my favorite musicians across Saskatchewan. I have had a chance to meet some of them at various events, and some others I hope to meet and see their performances in the future.
Corinne Newton
(Pronounced Coreen), from Central Butte, Corrine Newton has performed at Swift Current Frontier Days, Riverhurst Centennial Celebrations in 2016 and the Central Butte Splash Park Grand Opening in 2017. She has released 3 albums including "Wave" in 2010 and "Party Line" (My favorite is the "Prairie Town" song) in 2013 and "Chasing Butterflies" (3rd Album was released in 2015). She was the featured artist on "The Timberline Music Show" in 2014.
Check out "Prairie Town"
Kara Golemba
Kara Golemba, from Indian Head, has played Telemiracle, Craven Country Jamboree and The Gateway Music Festival in the past. You can hear her music at 91.3 FM CJTR Regina Community Radio. Kara released her EP "Every Little Light" (Mix of country & folk & roots music) on September 23rd, 2016. Her music video for "Ghost Highway" was shot in locations all around Indian Head & the Qu'Appelle Valley, and the video was officially released on November 26th, 2016. Kara was also the Singer/Songwriter Artist in Residence in Indian Head in February and March of 2017. She released a new single "Box Labelled You" featuring Joey Landreth in October 2017.
Check out "Ghost Highway"
Jess Moskaluke
Jess Moskaluke is from the Langenburg/Rocanville area. She released her most recent album's first single "Drive Me Away" on February 14th, 2017. Then followed that up by releasing another one in June called "Kill Your Love". Her new EP Past The Past has the hit songs "Kill Your Love" and "Drive Me Crazy" on it and was released on November 3rd, 2017. Moskaluke performed her "Camouflage" song at the Rogers Hometown Hockey event in Regina on February 18th, 2018, then hosted the 2018 SCMA's on April 28th, 2018 and won the SCMA Achievement Award.
Check out her video for "Kiss Me Quiet".
Eli Barsi
Eli Barsi and her husband John Cunningham are from Moosomin. They have performed across Canada and the USA before. Eli plays the guitar, banjo and mandolin while John plays the upright double bass. You will hear yodelling and songs that tell a story if you happen to attend one of their shows.
Eli has a lot more going on than just great music though. She also owns an online store called Prairie Girl Gifts that features handcrafted cigar box purses, cowgirl suitcases, painted animal skulls, dream catchers and more, all of which are handcrafted by Eli herself. She is also a painter; her art features acrylic landscape paintings on canvas, paint sticks and up-cycled vintage pieces.
Eli Barsi and Alberta Poet Doris Daley released a new album called "Once Upon the West" on January 8th. This is Eli's 16th album and first collaboration with her longtime friend and fellow performer Doris Daley. The CD was recorded in Eli's studio in Moosomin. I attended their "Once Upon the West" Concert in Elbow on June 23rd, 2018. Check out "Farm Girl"
Dead Levee
Dead Levee is a slutty Blues & Rock N Roll band based out of Regina. The group was founded on December 1st, 2017. The members include Rylan Klapatiuk (Lead Guitar), Preston Laschuk (Drums), Parker Cochrane (Bass), Rylan Dusyk (Rythym & Slide Guitar) and Dane Von Hagen (Vocals). Dead Levee released "Train Song" in March 2018, and the video was shot and edited by Christopher Borshowa. They released their self-titled album called "Dead Levee" in June 2018.
"Train Song"
Tyler Gilbert
Tyler Gilbert was born in 1988 and grew up in Regina. The Tyler Gilbert Band is made up of Tyler Gilbert (Vocals & Guitars), Rob Dakiniewich (Bass) and Mark Ennis (Drums). Tyler's new album The Montana Kid was released on May 2nd, 2016, and the self-titled song "Montana Kid" includes piano playing by Glenn Sutter. He released his first Christmas song called "Christmas Night" in 2017. Tyler's upcoming rock album called "Underdog" has the brand new single "Need Love & Shelter", on it. You can hear it on Regina's Rock Station 104.9 FM Radio The Wolf). Video for "Need Love & Shelter" was filmed in Santa Barbara, California. Tyler Gilbert did a solo performance and a performance as the Tyler Gilbert Band at Moose Jaw's Sidewalk Days on July 6th, 2018 (I saw both performances. I like the following songs from his Montana Kid album: "What's the Point of Losing" (#1), "Montana Kid" (#4) and "Don't Fix It" (#8). Check out
"Need Love and Shelter"
The Milkman's Sons
The Milkman's Sons, made up of Ken Kupchyk, Brett Johnstone, Terry Anaka and Mickey Kupchyk, formed in 2013 and have played at the 2015 Craven Country Jamboree. The Milkman's Sons are the Top Cover Band in Saskatchewan and will play classic rock to modern rock and blues to country. They perform cover songs including "3 am" (Matchbox 20), "La Grange" (ZZ Top), "You Could Have Been a Lady" (April Wine) and "Boys In The Bright White Sports Car" (Trooper)and "Under My Thumb" (Rolling Stones). The band first played in Moose Jaw at Bobby's Place in 2014, and they had a concert on the roof of the Grant Hall Hotel on June 2nd, 2017 (I attended that concert).
The Hunter Brothers
Growing up in Shaunavon, Saskatchewan, Luke, J.J., Ty, Brock and Dusty -- a.k.a. The Hunter Brothers -- cared about three things: hockey, music and farming. When they weren't working the fields, the five siblings spent summers singing gospel across Canada and the U.S., while winters were for hockey, playing for the likes of Kelowna Rockets and the Edmonton Oilers. Released in March of 2017, The Hunter Brothers’ debut album, "Getaway", features five Top-40 radio hits, including the Top 10 smash “Born and Raised.”
Every season at Harvest time, the brothers re-write well known songs with words that are relevant to farming culture, performing them over the brother’s CB radios. The fruits of this labour can be seen online where parodies, which include "The Combines Stuck" (a reworking of Corb Lund's "Truck Got Stuck!") and “Shade of Blue” (a fatherly take on the Ed Sheeran hit) have been viewed well over 3 million times. These videos, along with the Brothers active presence on social media led to their first CCMA nomination in 2017 for Interactive Artist Of The Year.
Here is "Those Were the Nights".
Tenille Arts
Weyburn's Tenille Arts released "Cold Feet" in song and on video on July 21st, 2017. She released her first full-length album Rebel Child on October 20th, 2017. She even performed her track "Moment of Weakness" on The Bachelor on ABC once. "Rebel Child Deluxe Edition" was officially released on February 9th, 2018. She signed with Reviver Records in 2018.
She won 5 SCMA Awards including Album of the Year (For Rebel Child) and Video of the Year (For "Cold Feet") and Female Vocalist of the Year and Songwriting of the Year and Single of the Year and at the 2018 SCMA's on April 28th, 2018. She performed "Moment of Weakness" on the SCMA's. She was the Sunday Night Headliner at All Folk'd Up Music Festival in Montmartre on July 8th, 2018!
Check out "Cold Feet"
Chris Henderson has performed all the big events: Craven Country Jamboree, The Gateway Festival, Telemiracle and the Calgary Stampede. He even performed at the Rogers Hometown Hockey Event in Moose Jaw on January 7th, 2017 (I saw that performance and got a chance to meet him on that very cold winter day). Chris and his wife moved to Wilcox in 2017. He released his 3rd album "The Charm" in March 2017. The album was produced in Saskatchewan by Brad Prosko and received financial support from Creative Saskatchewan. Chris released his new single, "Kissing Sadie" (Written by Chris Henderson, Joni Delaurier & Mike Little) to Canadian Country Radio on August 15th, 2017. He was elected to the CCMA Board of Directors in September 2017. He won the 2018 SCMA Male Vocalist of the Year Award. Chris released his newest single 'Til It's Just A Memory" to Canadian Country Radio on May 31st, 2018.
Check out "Til it's Just a Memory"
I would also like to mention the Canadian Country Music Association (CCMA)
There some amazing and talented Saskatchewan Musicians that have been nominated at the 2018 Canadian Country Music Association Awards. Tenille Arts is nominated for Interactive Artist of the Year. Jess Moskaluke is nominated in 6 categories including Female Artist of the Year, Fans Choice, Single of the Year, Album of the Year and Video of the Year. The Hunter Brothers is nominated for Group or Duo of the Year and Rising of the Year. The CCMA awards will be handed out in Hamilton, Ontario on Sunday, September 9th, 2018.