changed their lives or found their passion. How did they do it? At the time, I was with someone who asked me, “If you could do anything you wanted and it didn’t matter how old you were or what money or opportunity you had, what would you do just for you?” I said, “I would play music.”And he said,“Why don’t you play, just because you love it? It doesn’t have to be your everything.” So, I bought a new guitar. He helped me make my first video and post it to YouTube. And it was like a switch flipped - I knew in my heart I was going to go for it. I knew it wouldn’t happen instantly, but I knew I would start. When I decided to leave my job, I went home to CB to stay with my mom for a few months to reset. With each passing day, it became harder and harder for me to imagine leaving. So I didn’t. I decided to stay in Cape Breton and pursue music to the best of my ability, right here at home. And now, here we are - still here, and it’s going pretty well!! Spotlight on Business: Tell us about the first time you heard one of your songs on the radio. EA: I still remember it clearly. It was here in Cape Breton, and I had entered CBC Searchlight in 2020. I made the top 100, and Wendy Bergfeld played my first single, Forever, on CBC Main Street. I thought I had made it. That feeling is one I’ve never stopped experiencing - every milestone, every show, every time something happens, I feel like “This is it.” And I think that’s what it’s all about. If you’re doing what you love, it always feels like “this is it.” Spotlight on Business: What is it like to be nominated for the Music Nova Scotia Awards and the East Coast Music Association (ECMA) Awards? Tell us about winning Country Recording of the Year and what that achievement means to you. EA: It was incredibly exciting to be nominated for both the Music Nova Scotia and ECMA Awards in different categories. For me, it was reassuring. My music straddles the rock-country line. As a songwriter first, I can hear my country influences in my music, but if you see my live show, you’ll know I aim to deliver a rock performance on stage. So, being nominated and then
winning Country Recording of the Year with Music Nova Scotia in 2023 - followed by a nomination for Rock Recording of the Year at the ECMA’s in 2024, felt like a big win. It made me think, “Okay, people get it.” I was proud to see that you don’t have to fit into one genre. You can be influenced by various artists, genres, and sounds, all filtered through my own experiences. That’s who I am. Winning with Music Nova Scotia felt validating - it was confirmation that I’m doing something that resonates with people and connecting with my audience. Spotlight on Business: What is the biggest lesson you have learned along the way in your artistic journey? EA: It’s definitely a journey. I’m someone who likes to move fast, but I’ve learned that you can’t control everything, and things won’t happen on the timeline you expect. It’s a long game. There will be days, even weeks or months, when it feels like nothing’s happening. That’s when you must hold on. I’ve said many times that I get why some people quit. You start to panic a little, asking “Did I make the right choice? Can I keep going?” But that’s when you need to hang on because as they say, it’s always darkest before the dawn. Spotlight on Business: What was one thing that you wish you would have done differently? EA: I would have slowed down a little bit. Things don’t always happen on your timeline - and I like to move fast. In the early days, I probably wasted money, time, and energy on things that didn’t matter. Looking back, I see that everything unfolded on its rightful timeline. There were opportunities I wanted that I’ve since gotten, and I realize that if they’d come sooner - I wouldn’t have been ready for them. Spotlight on Business: What has been one of your biggest surprises? EA: Winning Music Nova Scotia’s 2024 Entertainer of the Year was a huge surprise - I felt too new for that! It’s a voted category and the support from the community was incredible. Just getting the nomination and seeing the list of fellow nominees, it was an
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Winning Music Nova Scotia’s 2024 Entertainer of the Year was a huge surprise - I felt too new for that! ”
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INDUSTRY • SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE 23
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