All those garage rehearsals, playing cover songs in bars – because it’s what the crowd wants to hear – before getting a chance to play what YOU want to hear as a musician, to your first concerts before big crowd, first recording contracts, and all that touring to get your name out, it appears the country music industry in Canada is hearing the James Barker Band, loud and clear.
The Barrie-based foursome of Barker, Taylor Abram, Connor Stephen and Bobby Martin has been nominated for six Canadian Country Music Association Awards (CCMAs), to be dished out in Saskatoon on Sunday, Sept. 10.
As, arguably, no young stars have risen faster than the Barker Band, it should come as no surprise if James and his pals take the Rising Star Award. Still, the competition should be tough from the likes of Meghan Patrick, Dan Davidson, Jojo Mason and Aaron Goodvin.
But the local band is also in line for some of the meatier hardware at this year’s ceremony. The quartet’s Game On is up for Album of the Year (against Patrick, High Valley, Dallas Smith and perennial contender Dean Brody, with whom the boys toured, including a sold-out show at CasinoRama last April, on behalf of Radio for Cardiology).
Barker and the gang are also up for Single of the Year for their song Lawn Chair Lazy (again battling Brody, as well as Dallas Smith, Jess Moskaluke and Brett Kissel), and for Group of the Year (up against Cold Creek County, High Valley, The Road Hammers and the Washboard Union).
Their white-hot hit Chills has merited the band two nominations; one for James, Gavin Slate, Travis Wood, Donovan Woods, as co-Songwriters of the Year, and for Best Video.
The boys are on tour, of course, doing what they love to do best, and have probably not taken it all in. Their current tour winds its way through smaller centres like Sarnia and Seven Persons, eventually heading to Quebec in mid-August, for gigs at the Bell Centre in Montreal and Centre Videotron in Quebec City.
It was just announced this week that the James Barker Band, Dallas Smith and The Voice’s Blake Shelton will perform that Sunday night, Sept. 10, in Saskatoon. James and the boys will be joining previously announced performers such as Brody, Kissel and Moskaluke. All in all, it should be a great experience for the boys, followed by a great deal of recognition.
