Country fans in Cochrane are in for a treat this summer as Airdrie-based singer-songwriter Kyle McKearney joins the lineup for Bow Valley Boot Stomp, the town’s very own country music festival.
McKearney, whose roots lie just 30 minutes up the road in Airdrie, says he’s looking forward to playing to a local crowd.
“Yeah, yeah, I can't wait. I'm really looking forward to that,” McKearney said. “It's very close to home, first of all, and just looks like a good time from what I've seen so far. So I can't wait to be a part of it.”
The award winning McKearney walked away last month from the 14th Annual Country Music Alberta Awards with several awards, including Fans' Choice Award, Roots Artist of the Year, and Horizon Single of the Year for Broken Hearts Hide.
McKearney has been gaining momentum in Canada’s country scene and recently had a standout moment teaming up with one of the country's most iconic artists, Jann Arden, for her latest project, Mixtape, a collection of '90s covers.
McKearney appears alongside Arden on a cover of Simon and Garfunkel’s The Boxer.
“A mutual friend, Russell Broom, works with both Jann and I,” McKearney explained. “Jann started to hear some of the stuff Russell and I were working on and became a fan. Then she asked me if I’d do the track with her, it was as simple as that.”
The opportunity to collaborate on such a classic hit was a career highlight.
“It’s an awesome song. I mean, Simon and Garfunkel, I was honoured to do that.”
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Kyle McKearney’s mix of outlaw country and modern Americana is sure to be a highlight of Bow Valley Boot Stomp, bringing local talent to the forefront of Cochrane’s growing country music scene.
McKearney will play on Saturday night, starting at 8 p.m. before headliner Tony Stevens takes the stage.
Bow Valley Boot Stomp will go July 19 & 19 at the Cochrane & District Ag Society grounds.
