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Dan Davidson bought greater than he bargained for earlier this month when he went to Edmonton nation station CFCW to advertise his songwriting collection, Heartstrings and Honky Tonks.
The station was already concerned within the undertaking. Davidson and his pal, fellow Alberta songwriter Clayton Bellamy from the Highway Hammers, had modelled the collection on the Grand Ole Opry, the place performers can be beamed out to the radio waves throughout reside broadcasts. To rejoice its seventieth birthday, CFCW would broadcast the 5 theatre exhibits with a rotating group of artists that Davidson and Bellamy organized for Sherwood Park, Fort Saskatchewan, Calgary, Spruce Grove and Camrose. As a part of the deal, Davidson was requested to sub in for the station’s morning present hosted by Stella Stevens and promote Heartstrings and Honky Tonks on the similar time. Regardless of having no actual expertise in radio, Davidson determined to offer it a go.
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“A few weeks glided by and I bought the decision and requested if I needed the job,” he says. “So now I’m the morning man there. I’ve been doing it for the previous three weeks or so. So it’s a pleasant little change for me. It’s actually cool for me as an artist, as a result of I can present a little bit little bit of a distinct perspective than plenty of radio folks may need.”
Fortunately, Davidson has at all times been a morning particular person, which he admits is a rarity amongst musicians. The present begins at 6 a.m., which suggests the singer shall be placing in a protracted day on April 3 when Heartstrings and Honky Tonks involves the Nationwide Music Centre. It’s the third of 5 within the collection and can characteristic Davidson, Bellamy, native visitor Alex Hughes and veterans George Fox and Patricia Conroy, who will swap songs and tales with CFCW program director Jackie Rae. It’ll all be broadcast reside on the station.
At previous exhibits, the collection has featured Danny Hopper, Duane Metal, Mariya Stokes and Hailey Benedict. The Spruce Grove present will characteristic Kalsey Kulyk and Bobby Wills on April 5, whereas Good Horse and Steele are scheduled for Camrose on Could 1. The setup is supposed to be a tribute to Nashville however it additionally has a realistic facet. Davidson says it’s getting tougher to tour due to prices, so gathering 4 or 5 artists in a single spot additionally makes monetary sense.
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Davidson and Bellamy have been impressed not solely by the Grand Ole Opry, which Bellamy has performed but in addition by Nashville’s iconic Bluebird Cafe, a venue that has hosted generations of singer-songwriters. It has develop into a ceremony of passage for a lot of Canadian songwriters as effectively, together with Davidson.
“We strive to verify we keep genuine to the vibe and make it in regards to the tales and provides folks a little bit peek backstage into the thoughts of a songwriter,” Davidson says.
Born and raised in Edmonton, Davidson first entered the nation scene in 2016. He has since acquired seven Canadian Nation Music Award nominations and 10 Alberta Nation Music Awards.
He has tended to remain in Canada for many of his profession – though he has a big following in Australia – fairly than spend a lot time in Nashville. However, he made a pilgrimage to the Bluebird in 2019. It was a memorable expertise, even when he was initially shocked by the venue.
“It was nerve-wracking,” he says. “It’s holy floor. It’s the identical chairs that Willie Nelson, Loretta Lynn, and Dolly Parton have sat (in). The humorous factor is that it’s in a strip mall, someplace off the overwhelmed path. It’s one other outdated, sleazy chicken-wing bar. It occurs to have some good historical past behind it. I began to speak to the viewers and realized it was 95 per cent Canadians within the viewers. I began to really feel increasingly more at house the extra I bought via it.”
Heartstrings and Honky Tonks shall be at Studio Bell, house of the Nationwide Music Centre, on April 3. Doorways open at 6:30 p.m. Go to https://www.heartstringsandhonkytonks.com/
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