Alberta’s own Justin Sutton is gearing up for a busy summer, bringing his high-energy brand of country music to fans across Canada. With his six-piece band in tow, Sutton is hitting the road with a packed tour schedule that spans from the Yukon to the East Coast, with plenty of stops across our province.
“We just got back from Whitehorse and have plans to be all over at rodeos and festivals,” says Sutton. “It’s crazy, every time the phone rings, it’s another opportunity we’ve been waiting for.”
Fans can expect a full-on country experience when they catch a show. “If you come out and see the band, you're going to get a high-energy country show. The band’s firing pretty good this summer,” he says.
Sutton recently released a new single titled How Bout Today, a reflective ballad inspired by his time working in construction.
I wrote it while framing houses on the outskirts of the city. Back then, it was all open space, now it’s suburbia,” he explains. “But I don’t like to give away too much about what a song’s about. I think everyone should listen and make up their own meaning.”
Sutton’s musical journey began during the early days of the pandemic. Despite the setback of canceled gigs and delays, he and his band stuck with it.
“We kept practicing and tightening up. Once we were ready, we had it all down.”
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Raised in the trades, Sutton says the leap to music was fueled by a bit of encouragement and a lot of determination.
“I think I can speak for any blue-collar worker, it’s long hours and pretty thankless. But some people heard my songs and told me I should get out there. So about five years ago, we took a run at it.”
This summer, Sutton is working on booking shows in southern Alberta, including potential stops in Lethbridge and Calgary during the Stampede. Looking beyond the summer, Sutton hopes to record a full-length album with songs that showcase the band’s live performance style.
“Some of it might not be so radio-friendly, but they’re songs people like to hear live, and we want to get them down on tape.”