TORONTO -- Although Bryce Vine’s latest single says “I’m not Alright,” plenty of Canadians are more than alright with his tour kicking off in Vancouver.
The Platinum-earning rapper-singer is launching his first tour north of the border to a sold-out show in B.C. this weekend.
He told CTV News Channel he loves Canada and shared “I’ve been to Vancouver a couple of times and I always enjoy it.”
Both his first EPs Lazy Fair and Night Circus exploded to critical acclaim. He believes his music “makes people feel better. I think they come to relieve their own stresses in their life.”
His 2018 Platinum single “Drew Barrymore” even got a shout out from the Hollywood actress herself during his recent appearance on The Kelly Clarkson Show.
“I love that song so much,” the actress told Vine during a surprise recording shown to him during his segment on the talk show. He told CTV News Channel, “I was not expecting that at all … I had no idea it was coming. I was a total nerd. I was way over-excited.”
His genuineness and self-confessed awkwardness are also parts of his persona on stage, where Vine said “I really let loose in that environment.” He said “I’m pretty awkward” and just wants attendees to feel like themselves.
This past year, Vine’s two singles “La La Land” and “I’m Not Alright” have been well received, with the latter -- featuring Canadian DJ duo Loud Luxury -- reaching 13th on Billboard Canadian Hot 100 last month.
One of his earliest breaks came when he successfully auditioned on Ryan Murphy’s short-lived, reality TV show about musicals, “The Glee Project,” in 2011.
Third Eye Blind and Blink 182 are some of Vine’s musical inspirations and he said, growing up in Los Angeles with his mother, music was therapy to him.
“I would listen to songs and hear what people were going through and it got me through stuff as an adolescent,” he said. “And that's why I started making music … I wanted to write songs about real things people go through.”
