On the heels of his stellar self-titled debut disc, Jade Eagleson performs at Bo’s Nov. 4th.
Eagleson has signed on with Gord Bamford’s current ‘Honkytonks and Dive Bars Tour’ that also includes JoJo Mason.
Meanwhile, produced by Todd Clark, Eagleson’s four-track EP includes two versions of the crowd-favourite and top 15 radio hit Got Your Name On It, break-up song Count The Ways and the love song Still Gonna Be You.
The 24-year-old has certainly found his niche in his chosen genre, with a voice that sounds beyond his years in depth and maturity.
He cites some of his most favourite artists as Keith Whitley, George Jones, Johnny Cash and Randy Travis, and their influences certainly surface as one listens to Eagleson’s tunes.
But there’s plenty of originality as well, as his unique interpretive stamp is unmistakably there.
“I sure am proud of these songs and hope everyone loves them as much as I do,” he said, adding that part of the goal was to step into that timeless, classic country type of sound.
“We’re hoping that we can build out a brand that is really authentic country and bring it back to the way it should be and the way that it used to be,” he said.
He’s also thrilled for the opportunity to hit the road with Bamford.
“I was on the phone with one of my managers and he said, ‘We might have something for you that’s pretty cool … how would you like to go on tour with Gord Bamford?’ I had to check my ears – did I hear that right?
“It’s just been a crazy ride so far. It’s been so much fun – more fun than I ever could have imagined,” he said of the tour, which numbers about 37 dates. “It’s been an amazing experience.”
His debut single with Universal Music Canada, Got Your Name On It, recently entered the top 15 at Canadian Country Radio and continues to climb.
The Got Your Name On It music video also recently hit 3.5 million views on YouTube and became the first Canadian-signed artist of any genre to be selected as YouTube’s Trending ‘Artist On The Rise’ playlist in the U.S.A.
Raised on his grandparents’ farm, Eagleson worked alongside his father tending crops and raising livestock.
“When I was really young, I always dreamed of being onstage, playing and singing to people. That was always a huge dream of mine – I always loved playing the guitar and singing. But mainly I grew up with hopes to be a farmer,” he said.
He lived in Calgary for a while working for his uncle, but decided ultimately to move back home and set his sites on building a career in music. “I played as many bars as I could, and as many gigs as I could. I started a classic country cover band and then did some originals which back then were extremely traditional sounding,” he recalled.
“I just kind of built onto that, and was really pleasantly surprised at the amount of support I got from fans and family. I also met a lot of new friends who taught me how to perform better onstage. From there I thought this is a potential career for me,” he said.
“It’s turned out to be this amazing dream that I’m getting to live right now.”
Music was something treasured on both sides of the family.
“I’d go from listening to ABBA to Def Leppard to Hank Williams Sr. in ten-odd minutes, so it was pretty crazy,” he added with a laugh.
For Eagleson, there’s just no better path to travel. And country music suits him perfectly.
“I love all music of course, but country music is different in the sense that it completely speaks to a listener,” he explained. “If you put on some Garth Brooks or Randy Travis music, there’s a story to those songs.
“That really encompasses what music should be all about.
“It’s really amazing to be able to play the music that I love the most. Country music really speaks to me on that level – it’s got heart.
“It’s also really cool to step out and see people who are excited to listen. They’re loving what you do, and you are doing what you love. When those two aspects of it all connect, it’s really unfathomable. There’s this energy between you and the audience, and it’s really amazing.”
