By Stevie Connor. Photo Credit: Jeremy Harnum Photography.
I write a lot of articles about Canadian artists, and also about artists from many countries around the world for The Sound Café . Mainly these artists are established and have large followings in their home country and also internationally. With The Sound Café HQ being based in Ontario, Canada, I get sent many e-mails from performers that I am not that familiar with from across this vast country, in an array of genres, and I wanted space to shine a light on some of these very talented artists.
To define 'emerging' can be a little tricky, some singer-songwriters, bands, musicians can spend a few years playing locally before they are recognized regionally, and may take a number of years of hard work and touring to be acknowledged nationally, so, to clarify this column, I am going to feature artists who I think are beginning to 'emerge', or already have 'emerged ' from their local or regional scenes.
I decided to create a column exclusively for The Sound Café called 'Rising from The Great White North', where I'll showcase 'emerging' talent from across Canada. I hope you enjoy the features and come back and visit again.
A talented Newfoundland singer-songwriter and children’s author, Courtney Wicks started performing at the age of 6 and hasn’t stopped since. She has won numerous awards over the years, performed in many concerts and musical productions, and taught private music lessons for 5 years. Courtney has a passion for storytelling which is very evident in the presentation of her performances.
She has been recently nominated for a Music NL award - Celtic/Traditional Artist/ Group of the Year. Courtney is Scilly Cove Records very first recording Artist! Her debut album “Love, Me” was released in 2023 and encompasses 11 traditional songs.
Courtney’s second single from the album is the classic Irish love song “Nancy Spain”. First made popular by the legendary Christy Moore when he released the song in 1976, this song became a staple in Newfoundland and Labrador when The Masterless Men released their version of the chilling tune in 1993 on their album, “Ode to Age”.
In this beautiful rendition of Nancy Spain, Courtney Wicks (Vocals) is accompanied by Rowan Sherlock (Fiddle) and Greg Wells (Piano) to produce a sound inspired by that of the Celtic performers of Cape Breton who have long paired the fiddle and piano for an unparalleled romantic melody.
The music video directed by Stephen Green and edited by Brad Tuck, shot at night in a dimly lit 120-year-old Trinity Hall in Winterton, Newfoundland, Canada, sets the vibe and tone for which Courtney’s debut album casts.
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Stevie Connor is originally from Scotland, for the last 16 years he has been based just outside of Toronto in the GTA.
He is a recorded artist having contributed to more than twenty albums in the past, ranging from rock to folk and Celtic music. He is a top class piper and plays guitar and whistles, his original compositions have been recorded and played by other artists.
He is the founder and editor of The Sound Cafe Magazine and co-founder of Blues and Roots Radio, he has written in the past for Blues and Roots Radio (Canada), Great Dark Wonder (USA), Fatea Magazine (UK) and Music World Media (Australia). Stevie has contributed his many years of experience as a respected juror for the JUNO Awards, The Canadian Folk Music Awards, and the Maple Blues Awards in Canada. He hosts a monthly podcast on The Sound Cafe featuring interviews with artists from around the world, and he curates a monthly Spotify playlist presenting a wide range of genres.
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