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Cranbrook performer a Searchlight favourite
After three weeks of watching, sharing and voting for your favourites, the results are in for the regional top tens in CBC’s Searchlight competition.
And Cranbrook’s Dawson Rutledge, holding down the popular vote, leads a cast of 10 acts from Interior and Northern B.C. heading into round two.
Nine of the top 10 finalists are chosen by CBC Music judges (per region) and one was chosen by popular vote.
Round two begins now and closes Friday, April 29.
Interior and Northern B.C. top 10
Dawson Rutledge (popular vote); Beamer Wigley; Talk Sick; Amistad; Andrew Judah; Louvois; Dylann Heidi; Jason + Anna; The Burn Ins; Gorden James.
Dawson Rutledge is an 18-year-old solo singer/songwriter, musician and performer from Cranbrook.
In 2015, he was awarded the top male musician scholarship from Mount Baker Secondary School and a District/Authority Scholarship by the Ministry of Education for his exceptional musical ability, his bio on CBC’s music website outlines.
Dawson’s first performance of an original song, Mysterious Woman, was in June of 2015 at the Key City Theatre. Since that time, he has been busy performing, writing, and recording, and is now releasing a self-produced album of original songs, with another album in the works.
This debut album, titled Today, Tonight, Tomorrow, features eight folk/alternative songs.
“Dawson’s songs often demonstrate themes of love, adventure, the inevitability of time, and important worldly issues. His style of performing is very unique and extremely entertaining. He switches between his acoustic and electric guitars, and accompanies himself by playing a kick-drum and a tambourine with his feet,” the CBC bio related.
“His style has been compared to that of artist Shakey Graves and his vocals compared to singer/songwriter David Gray. Dawson has been playing guitar since the age of 10 and started singing in choirs at the age of eight, but truly found his passion to be a singer/songwriter in his senior year of high school.
“He has a powerful and captivating stage presence which has developed from many years of music training, lessons, and acting in musicals. His music is available to download/purchase on iTunes and Bandcamp.”
So get aboard East Kootenay folk – and let’s help Dawson keep forging forward. Click HERE for more info and to vote.
The Top 10 for Calgary and Southern Alberta: MissFudge (popular vote); The Wellington Folk; Flowshine; Daisy Blue; Jake Vance; Amelia Allen; The Heirlooms; Midwest Mindset; Lexi Strate; Johnny 77.
To watch all top tens, click here and search by either name or region.
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