2015 Country Music Association Awards Performer Preview! [Interview]

The Country Music Association of Ontario Awards are coming up on May 25th at the Markham Theatre, and we’re pretty excited!

As voting members for the first time in 2015, both Trish and I feel like we’ve got a little bit more on the line for this award show, it’s a big bonus that we’ve had a chance to see and meet so many of the Ontario country artists that are nominated and will be performing at the award show.

To get us all ready for the 2015 CMAO Awards we asked 4 of the scheduled performers a few questions… and they were cool enough to answer. Big thanks to Lindsay Broughton, Jason Blaine, Tim Hicks and Deric Ruttan for being awesome.

ps. You can win 2 delegate passes to the Country Music Association of Ontario 2015 Spring Tune-Up Conference, CDs from Jason Blaine, Tim Hicks, Deric Ruttan, and The Road Hammers + a $20 HMV gift card in our very own contest – CLICK HERE TO CHECK IT OUT! 

Now, on with the show!

Q. Here’s an easy one to start, on a scale of 1 to Awesome, how does it feel prepping to get up on stage in front of your fans and peers at the 2015 CMAO Awards this year?

Lindsay: A. Is it possible to be a few points above awesome on the scale? I’m SO excited to have been asked to perform at this years CMAO’s and I have been counting down the days on the calendar since the moment I found out I was going to be taking part in the show. In saying that, I feel like it’s always a bit nerve wracking performing in front of music industry peers and hometown fans because there is a slight bit of added pressure thrown into the mix! Overall though, the butterflies are a good thing and very helpful in the preparation process so I’m really looking forward to the 25th.

Jason: It’s always an honor to be nominated and to get to perform along side my peers for the country fans in Ontario. It’s also inspiring just to be in the presence of greatness, like Jason McCoy’s beard. Just being in the same room with it for five minutes before you go on stage makes you wanna rock like a Road Hammer.

Tim: It’s always a great honor when I’m asked to perform at these kinds of events. Getting to celebrate Canadian country music is so exciting and getting to do that in my home province just gives it that much more of a heartbeat for me. So…. yeah, pretty awesome!!! I’m stoked to say the least!

Deric: Off the scale. Performing and sharing good music is an honor, and one I am thankful for every time I’m asked.

Q. Ok, this might be a tough one to answer… which of the (other) performers are you most excited to see up on stage?

Lindsay: Haha! That’s not a fair question! To be quite honest I’m just excited to sit back and watch some of my good friends put on a great show. It’s always so interesting and fun to study the different ways artists capture their audiences and I feel like this group of performers is so diverse and each one will be bringing something different to the table on the 25th.

Jason: Other performers?! Are you telling me I know have to cut 10 songs from my set…?

Tim: It’s always a pleasure to watch Jason McCoy do his thing. I’ve been a fan of his for a long, long time, so it’s really exciting for me to be able to watch him at an arm’s length. He’s such a natural, comfortable, and seasoned performer- all the things I’ve strived to be my entire career. But more than his performance, I’m looking forward to watching him host the show again. He’s just so dang funny!

Deric: This is a tough one because many of us have been fortunate to share a stage a number of times over the years. I will say that it’s always fun to see my buddy, Jason Blaine, get up there. Especially if he plays “Layin’ Your Love on Me”, a song we co-wrote that landed us a CMAO Songwriter of the Year nomination. Is that self-serving? Probably.

Q. In a few of your own words, can you tell us about the CMAO and how important it is to country music in Ontario?

Lindsay: The CMAO is one of the greatest organizations to come out of Ontario for country musicians, industry folk and even fans. I feel like it’s so important to recognize the hard work and talent of everyone in Ontario industry from artists, to radio personalities and stations to songwriters. I don’t want to speak on behalf of everyone in the Ontario industry but I can definitely say that I believe having the CMAO’s has brought the Ontario country music community closer and given us all a very positive encouraging platform to call home. It’s a community of talent and hardworking people that I’m proud to be a part of.

Jason: Without the CMAO, it would be kinda like having a farm full of animals but no barn to put ‘em in…

Tim: Well, the CMAO “IS” country music in Ontario, so the one can’t be spoken of without the other. It’s so important to shine a light on all the talent in our province, cause there’s a staggering amount of talent RIGHT HERE! I’m so proud to be from Ontario and to be a part of the CMAOs, it can’t be expressed in words.

Deric: Being a Muskoka boy, when I see other songwriters and musicians representing Ontario, I’m filled with pride to be amongst their ranks. An organization like the CMAO is integral to sustaining that camaraderie through education and celebration of the next generation of Ontario talent.

Q. No pressure, but can you tell us what song(s) you’re going to be singing at the show?

Lindsay: A. You can never go wrong with a Jackson 5 smash to get the audience moving… haha kiddin… let’s leave this as a surprise.

Jason: “Country Side”… It was a Top 5 single for us in April and it’s also the first single from a new record… but promise you won’t tell!

Tim: Nope, you’ll have to wait and see

Deric: No!

note: Sorry Jason, we had to… but thanks for trusting us

Q. In 50 words or less, tell us what we can expect from your performance at the 2015 Country Music Association of Ontario Awards.

Lindsay: Without giving too much away, the audience can expect a fun and energetic live performance from me at this years CMAO’s .

Jason: First, it the organizers will let me and budget permitting, I will descend from the rafters via an invisible cable onto the hood of a flaming red jacked up truck, shooting laser beams from the headlights and I’ll begin twerking my way across stage for three and a half minutes. Or, I’ll just sing my song and play my guitar the best I can and have fun

Tim: I’m just gonna do my thing. It’s always have a blast when I get to perform with the Western Swing Authority backing me up. They’re such great players, so the smile you see on my face will be 100% real. Those kinds of situations are always the most fun for me, kind of a “squeeze your cheeks together and go” moment! So much fun!

Deric: The vibe is definitely going to be fun. The song I’m playing is a feel-good tune from the new album, and it’s one of my favorites to do in front of a live audience.