Nova Scotia: oceans of music at the edge of the Atlantic

Drawing on music from the Gaelic folk brought by Scottish refugees to hip-hop imported from New York, the Canadian province has a sound all of its own

Nova Scotia’s dynamic music scene is filled with a distinctive array of musical influences and an eclectic mix of genres. It is centered around Halifax, a city with a large student population. Sitting on the edge of the world’s second-largest harbour, it is a city steeped in history, from the Halifax explosion in 1917 that killed thousands, to the hundreds of bodies laid to rest there after the sinking of the Titanic. It’s a place that has inspired many musicians and singer-songwriters (Sarah McLachlan spent her formative years here, while folk singer Anne Murray based her career in Nova Scotia), and has deep ties to Scotland and Ireland, dating to the Gaelic diaspora who first settled there in the late 1700s.

The rugged sea coast of Cape Breton Island forms the northernmost tip of the province. It is a place of vast, winding valleys that lead you into the heart of Celtic culture and tradition. Acclaimed fiddler Natalie MacMaster is one of the region’s most celebrated musicians, while Ashley MacIssac broke new ground with his distinctive rock-infused fiddle sound.

Singer and songwriter Gordie Sampson was born and raised on Cape Breton Island. He earned a Grammy for co-writing the country hit Jesus, Take the Wheel, performed by Carrie Underwood, and has written for some of the biggest names in country music, including Keith Urban, Blake Shelton and Hunter Hayes. Sampson’s invitation-only songwriting camp is a choice destination for a select group of promising young musicians each year, who make their way up to Cape Breton hoping to glean what they can from his years of industry experience.

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It might be the only showcase during an upcoming music festival where you can see more than a dozen artists on stage at once – the Gordie Sampson Songcamp Circle.

“Officially, it started, I think, two years ago at Nova Scotia Music Week, but on smaller stages, and it’s really started to gain momentum,” said Sampson, the Cape Breton singer/songwriter that started the songcamp five years ago. “Last year, it took a really big leap. We took over the ballroom in Sydney and couldn’t fit everyone in.”

Over the years, the songcamp has been bringing a number of musicians – including former Truro resident Nicole Curry – to Ingonish for the songwriting circuit.

During Molson Canadian Nova Scotia Music Week, which runs Nov. 6 to 9 in Truro, 15 of those musicians will be participating in the songcamp showcase.

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Nova Scotia Music Week is just around the corner, and the Gordie Sampson Songcamp is proud to have 10 Songcamp writers showcasing this year at Nova Scotia Music Week. All of these artists have had a busy and productive year – with new albums, tours, and award nominations.

Here is the list of their showcases:

Breagh Mackinnon
Friday / 11:00–11:30pm
Split Crow Pub

Carleton Stone
Friday / 10:15-10:45pm
Holiday Inn – Elm/Oak Ballroom

Sunday / 7:00pm – all ages
Big Dog/Cat Country Present: Blue Rodeo

Carmen Townsend
Friday / 10:00-10:30pm
Royal Canadian Legion Br 26

Corey LeRue
Friday / 8:45-9:15pm
Holiday Inn – Ballroom Stage

Corey LeRue – Neon Dreams
Thursday / 11:15-11:45pm
Holiday Inn – Elm/Oak Ballroom

Friday / 7:15-7:45pm
Royal Canadian Legion Br 26

Dana Beeler
Thursday / 9:00-9:45pm
Split Crow Pub

Dave Sampson
Saturday / 8:45-9:15pm
Split Crow Pub

Dylan Guthro
Saturday / 11:00-11:30pm
Holiday Inn – Elm/Oak Ballroom

Kyle Mischiek
Friday / 6:30-7:00pm
Royal Canadian Legion Br 26

Friday / 11:45pm-12:15am
Holiday Inn – Elm/Oak Ballroom

Molly Thomason
Friday / 12:30-1:00am
Holiday Inn – Elm/Oak Ballroom

Seamus Erskine – The Brood
Thursday / 1:30-2:00am
Holiday Inn – Elm/Oak Ballroom

For more information about the schedule of events, visit nsmw.ca

Photos by: Mary Quase

If you’re going to write a hit song, you might as well try and do it in a place that looks like paradise. That’s Gordie Sampson’s rationale for bringing Nova Scotia’s youngest and brightest musical talent to the Cape Breton Highlands for a week every summer, to find inspiration in the hills overlooking Ingonish Harbour and to ease them into the songsmith’s equivalent of military training.

Instead of the lonely late-night bedroom, or a fluorescent-lit office on Nashville’s Music Row, they get the sweeping grandeur of Cape Smokey as a backdrop and the comfy surroundings of historic Keltic Lodge. Read more…

We are thrilled to have the Gordie Sampson Songcamp writers nominated for a total of 16 Music Nova Scotia awards! The awards will be handed out during Nova Scotia Music Week, which takes place from November 6-9 in Truro Colchester County.

Here are the list of the Music Nova Scotia award nominees:

Carlton Stone – Entertainer of the Year
Carleton Stone, Draws Blood – Male Artist Recording of the Year
Carleton Stone, Draws Blood – Recording of the Year
Carleton Stone – SOCAN Songwriter of the Year
Carleton Stone, Draws Blood – Pop Recording of the Year
Dave Sampson, No Pressure No Diamonds – Pop Recording of the Year
Gloryhound (Evan Meisner, lead singer/guitar), Loaded Gun – Group Recording of the Year
Gloryhound – Digital Artist of the Year
Gloryhound – Rock Recording of the Year
Mo Kenney – Entertainer of the Year
Molly Thomason, Columbus Field – Female Artist Recording of the Year
Molly Thomason, Columbus Field – Rock Recording of the Year
Neon Dreams (Corey LeRue) – Digital Artist of the Year
Nicole Ariana, 4 Seasons EP – Urban Recording of the Year
The Brood (Seamus Erskine, lead singer/guitar), All Debit No Credit – New Artist Recording of the Year
The Brood, All Debit No Credit – Alternative Recording of the Year

We’ll be hosting our annual Songcamp Songwriter’s Circle at Nova Scotia Music Week and we’ll share more details with you about the show closer to the date.

Congratulations to all the nominees; we’re looking forward to celebrating together!

Songcamp in Germany is great so far! We’re staying in a beautiful castle that used to be a prison during the war. Winston Churchill’s son was actually a prisoner here. Writing some cool songs – bit hard to get over the language barrier initially but everyone seems to be enjoying the cowriting and collaborating.

Facilities are amazing.. grand pianos in every studio room, Anika has been great to deal with and has been super helpful with everything!

From Dave, Breagh & Carleton

Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Gordie Sampson — who’s had his songs recorded by Carrie Underwood, Faith Hill, Keith Urban, Willie Nelson and Bon Jovi, among others — hosted the fifth annual version of his Gordie Sampson Songcamp from July 13-19, 2014, in Ingonish, Nova Scotia.

Taking part this year were 15 returning writers (including Molly Thomason, Dylan Guthro and 2013 SOCAN Songwriting Prize winner Mo Kenney); four instructors (including Carleton Stone and Steven McDougall); three special guests (including Donovan Woods and Chris Noxx); and Sampson himself.

In five years, the songcamp has become an annual tradition for aspiring songwriters, Sampson — who spends a portion of each year living and writing songs in Nashville — has made it his business to nurture emerging songwriters from across Nova Scotia; allow them to network with their instructors and each other; give them access to useful knowledge; and help them develop tools to benefit their careers.

In 2013, the songcamp released its first compilation album, of 15 songs created by 22 songwriters. They were chosen from more than 150 written during the songcamp from 2010-2013, and ranged in style from the folk of “Harbourtown” to the pop/rap of “All the Time In the World” to the reggae groove of “Flip Flops.”

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Did you know the Gordie Sampson Songcamp is on Twitter? Follow us @Songcamp to catch the latest in new music news from Songcamp songwriters, and, you can visit our Songwriters page to follow the writers on Twitter, too.

Happy tweeting!

Check out this video of Laura Roy’s interview on Global TV.
Big shout-out for Songcamp!