Logan Staats, the 29 year old singer/songwriter from from Six Nations of the Grand River, Ontario was chosen as the first winner of The Launch, Wednesday night on CTV, and already, his life is changing.
The indie/folk/pop singer showed off his emotional connection to music and life on the premiere episode of The Launch. And as he sang both Kings Of Leon's Beautiful War in his audition and The Lucky Ones as a finalist in the episode's competition, he gave Canadians an opportunity to see what he brings to the table as an artist.
Note: We also have to tip our hats to runner-up Vivian Hicks. The young singer/dancer/actor from Georgetown, ON wowed us with her voice, and shows as much talent and potential at 14 as anyone could hope the find. We'll be watching to see what comes next for her.
With mentors Shania Twain, busbee, and Big Machine Label Group CEO, Scott Borchetta guiding him through the process of auditioning, recording, and performing The Lucky Ones, Staats overcame the challenges of making the song his own, and earning the release of the single.
We had a chance to talk to Logan on the phone about the experience, what it's been like in the short time since the airing of the episode and release of the song, and what's coming next.
Logan told us that things have been non-stop for the last few days with media obligations, the airing of the show, a show in Toronto, and more going on. We asked if he's been getting any sleep, and he told us that Thursday night was his first good, long, deep sleep in the last few days, the kind that you don't really want to wake up from.
Sleep, and more specifically dreaming, came up again when we asked him about The Lucky Ones hitting #1 on the iTunes charts on Thursday. Logan said that he saw the email in the morning when he woke up and it felt like one of those moments when you're half awake and aren't quite sure if you're still dreaming or if you're in real life. He said he pinched himself all day to confirm it was real. Logan also told us that the experience of looking at the charts and seeing his name, not only in the company of, but above artists like Ed Sheeran and Post Malone was wild.
We talked about Logan's episode of The Launch and asked about a few details of his experience. The one moment that we talked about most came during Logan's time in the studio recording The Lucky Ones. On the broadcast it was easy to see that he was struggling a little bit to make the song his own And he confirmed that for us. He explained it as a kind of reverse from previous experiences in the studio where a producer may be trying to understand the artist and help bring their vision to life. On The Launch, it was busbee trying to get Logan to bring his vision to life.
We also talked about Scott Borchetta's role in the room, and the scene where he talks to Logan during the recording. Logan told us that there was more to that conversation than what we saw on the show and that Scott was fantastic and working through those moments.
While we had Logan on the line we also took a quick minute to play a round of 5 Quick Question... here we go!
5 Quick Questions with Logan Staats
Q1) What was the first song you performed in front of an audience?
Have a listen...
Q2) What was the first album you bought?
Logan) Daft Punk
Logan told us that he bought the album in about grade 5, and that Oasis's (What's The Story) Morning Glory came soon after that.
Q3) Do you have a dream duet partner?
Logan) Taylor Swift
Now that Logan has had the chance to work with Big Machine, this feels like a great fit.
Q4) Is there a city or venue that is high on your wish list to play?
Logan) Massey Hall
He feels like it's a staple for many Ontario artists, and with some wheels in motion now, he hopes to be on the legendary stage sooner rather than later.
Q5) Is there an artist you love that you think people should be paying more attention to?
Logan) Stonetrotter
Logan came across Stonetrotter on the festival circuit and was all-in right away. He told us that A Ghost In My Own Skin was the track to start with.
We asked Logan what he's been working on since his episode of The Launch with recorded and while he had to keep his secret (only his mom and dad knew that he had won). He told us that because he was already working on his own music he was able to push forward with those projects, to write new songs, and be prepared for what comes next. Staats says that he has a bunch of new songs that he hopes to be able to choose from when the time comes to work on releasing new music.
Near the end of our call we asked Logan if he has any goals that he's working towards and songwriting was on the list. He hopes to make a trip to Nashville to work with Big Machine, go on a writing retreat, and then release new music to the world. Here's hoping he's able to check all of those things off his list.
We also asked Logan if there was anything big or important to him that he wanted to share with the world or put a spotlight on, and as he mentioned on The Launch, he brought up the subject of the residential schools and their history. The cause is important to him as is the history and making sure that this isn't a subject that fades into the background without the recognition, action, and awareness it deserves. Logan also gave credit to CTV, Bell Media, and Scott Borchetta for their assistance and willingness to help him use this platform to raise awareness and shine a light on a cause that's so important to him. He seems genuinely thankful for the opportunity to take CTV to the school his grandparents attended, and to share his experiences and that history with the world.
We don't know what the future will bring to Logan Staats, but we do know that The Lucky Ones is a great track with a performance that he should be proud of and that could be the stepping-stone for the rest of his career.
Listen to The Lucky Ones now and stay tuned to see what happens next week on The Launch.
The Lucky Ones was written by busbee, Bebe Rexha, MoZella, Justin Franks (Frank E), Casper & B and produced by busbee.
