With a few clicks on their computer mouse, fans across Canada can decide country music’s next breakout act.
SiriusXM is hosting Top of the Country, a star search for rising country talent.
Eight juried acts including St. Albert singer-songwriter Dan Davidson make up the semi-finalists. They have a crack at winning $25,000 and attendance at an international SOCAN songwriting camp.
“It’s so cool to see I made the semi-finals. This is a group of serious top country performers,” said Davidson.
His competition is Quebec’s Matt Lang; Ontario’s Jade Eagleson and Kelsi Mayne; Manitoba’s Don Amero and Tim & The Glory Boys; as well as British Columbia’s Kristin Walker and Sons of Daughters.
Davidson’s entry is Don’t Judge a Beer By Its Label, a song he co-wrote with Nashville producer Dave Thompson (Going to California) and singer-songwriter Mike Robins from the newly minted band East Adelaide.
The trio attended a songwriting retreat in the Dominican Republic. Davidson picked a title and while sitting on the beach sipping beer, the gifted threesome wrote the music and lyrics.
“Most of my biggest songs have been about love and having a good time. This one sounds like classic country, but it goes deeper and it really resonates with me. It’s about being good to people and seeing them in different light and not casting judgment,” said Davidson.
“It’s tough enough in the world and not everybody gets a fair shake,” he added, noting the song is one of few country anthems around.
The St. Albert songwriter’s shift in tone occurred after witnessing first-hand the high rate of poverty in the Dominican Republic. He noticed places with no plumbing, toilets or clean drinking water.
“You see the remote small towns facing an uphill battle. They’re born into poverty and they have a huge battle to get out of it. Not everyone is as lucky as we are."
“I was honestly more shocked because of the nice, groomed environment we have here. Travelling is a great eye-opener.”
As judges whittled a list of hundreds down to eight semi-finalists, Davidson’s deep dive caught their attention.
As a semi-finalist, he and his entourage were flown to Vancouver, to record a professional video and audio file of Don’t Judge a Beer By Its Label at Bryan Adams' famed The Warehouse Studio. The result was classic country with rock undertones, a holdover from Davidson's time as lead singer for rock band Tupelo Honey.
Videos will be posted online and fans can vote once a day from April 26 to May 17 at www.topcountry.siriusxm.ca.
Once the voting public has selected the three top finalists, the three are eligible for a songwriting trip to Nashville, mentoring sessions in Toronto and performance at one of Canada’s largest music festivals.
The final battle takes place at the Canadian Country Music Association’s Music Week held in Calgary from Sept. 5 to 8.
