SASKATOON – Canadian country music is centre stage this week in the lead up to the 44th annual Canadian Country Music Association (CCMA) awards. However, fans of the genre extend far past the country’s borders. “There has been an incredible surge in country music fandom globally as well as nationally,” CCMA president Amy Jeninga told CTV News. Global streams for Canadian country music increased 64 per cent in five years, while streams within Canada were up 35 per cent according to last year’s Spotify data. “I don’t think it is just a moment, though,” Jeninga said. “I think it is this incredible growth that we are seeing really sustain and build.” Jeninga pointed to one simple reason as to why more fans are connecting with the Canadian genre. “People are really craving authentic music that speaks to what they are experiencing,” she said. True, authentic storytelling has always been at the core of Canadian country music. James Barker, the lead vocalist of the James Barker Band, says the industry experienced some major changes in the last decade. Now that AI has the ability to create music that “sounds very real,” Barker said there is a greater emphasis on writing lyrics that focus on human connection. “It doesn’t need to feel real, it needs to be real,” he said. “That is our new North Star.” Barker and his bandmates are making waves across the country and south of the border with their music and they are not alone. Several Canadian country artists are seeing international success across the U.S., Europe and Australia – a testament to the quality of Canada’s talent, Barker said. “We are very export heavy right now, if you want to say that, in the Canadian country music scene,” he said. Writing songs that resonate with fans is nothing new for the genre. Small-town living, rural experiences and Canadian values are often reflected in the songs. “Their message comes from the heart,” Canadian country music fan Kirk Kidd said. “When they make their songs, they are true to Canada.” Emma Panter has been a Canadian country music fan her entire life. She comes from a small town and grew up listening to the music with her family. “There is a lot of stuff in there that is about being out on the farm… and that is where I’m from,” she said. “You can hear that the artists are down to Earth. They are here and they know what it is like to live here and be here.” For emerging artists like Saskatchewan’s Josh Stumpf, it is easy to write and sing about what you know. Stumpf is known for singing about roads in his songs titled “Highway Money” and “Nobody Roads.” “All I talk about is driving,” he joked. “But that is because where I am from that is what we did in our spare time. We drove around.” The best in Canadian country music will be honoured this weekend when the James Barker Band hosts the 44th annual CCMA Awards in Saskatoon on Saturday, Sept. 19. The show will be broadcast live on CTV at 8 p.m. ET and streaming on Crave.
