Entertainer of the Month
Steve Newsome, Round 2
You may recall that we had Steve Newsome as our Entertainer of the Month back in April. We did not expect to be revisiting him so soon but the major player in the country music scene of Edmonton has made some incredible leaps in his career in a very short time. We needed to get in there before he got too famous, so we could get some insider secrets and see how he is doing it.
So we mentioned major achievements... How about sharing the stage with Brett Kissell and Washboard Union at the Rainmaker Rodeo and more recently, opening for Emerson Drive. You will find him playing next as opener for the Dungarees on October 14 at the Horizon Stage in Spruce Grove. His song, 'Tried, Tested and True' has been climbing the charts and recently hit #1 in California. It has also achieved major global recognition in places like Switzerland, France, Brazil and Sweden.
To top it off, he was in Nashville in September and was nominated for 5... yes, F-I-V-E Josie Awards. He was chauffeured by Doug Supernaw's manager for a whole week. Equally exciting to the nominations, he has been invited to play some shows in Nashville in some amazing TBA shows.
This has all happened in the last 5 months! The most amazing thing about it all is that Steve is mostly playing in Alberta. Just to clarify, he has performed 4 shows outside of the province and he is still reaching out with his music on a massive scale.
With such a competitive industry, how does someone that does not do shows overseas or live on the road (yet), make it so far so fast? What does he do that is so different?
I would say, aside from his music, it is his engaging stage performance, his enthusiastic personality and his perseverance. It's his will to continue to reach out and give back t his communities and play where ever he is invited to. That means, though he is starting to hit big stages, he still plays restaurants, cafes, small venues and community events.
"A lot of it is promotion. Just getting out there and doing it. Having a great manager helps, Jazz Matthews is putting us out there in front and center. He likes to wiggle his way into everything and has really put a lot of effort into this.
It also has a lot to do with saying thanks to the people that wanna hear us play. If they want to hear us, we will be there."
The Edmonton Muse got to cover his show with Emerson Drive and we got to see Steve in action, on and off the stage. After finishing with an awesome set, he engaged his fans by signing pictures and merch (that was provided by Thistle Entertainment) and taking pictures. He then stayed for his headliners set, while walking around and chatting with the crowd. Talk about making a personal impression!
During his interview, Steve was incredibly humble and was always quick to recognize the efforts of his band and team mates. His appreciation for his successes is apparent and he comes by it honestly.
"I have a great team behind me and that is what is putting a lot of this on the forefront. We are just all having fun getting out there and doing it too, which really makes a big difference."
And what is his Muse?
"The western lifestyle has always been good to me. I also love the mountains. If I ever need to get out and write a song, I go there."
Steve's career so far is a great example of how Edmonton can be a place of success for artists and musicians. The opportunity is here and the industry is growing to sustain careers and open doors. We don't need to move away to gain this success, we just have to make the efforts. If that inspiring, I don't know what is!