TWOSHINE COUNTY
What is your favourite songwriting experience so far?
DARON: It’s so hard to pick just one favourite songwriting experience, but I’m going to keep it local and go with Mr. Mike Little. It’s always a super fun hang and when he gets that magical accordion playing, you can’t help but find some inspiration.
DENNIS: Like many artists do over the course of their careers,we have ventured to Nashville in search of writing that magic tune. What was uniquely and sentimentally thrilling to us, was that some of the absolutely best co-writes we did in Nashville… Were with other Canadians. It’s so uplifting to know and be reminded that the level of talent in Canada absolutely does match that of our friends south of the border, and our scene of creators and artists is continually growing at such a fast pace, and is seeing the rise of so much amazing Canadian talent. We love our Canadians!!
Which CCMA Nominated artists would you love to write with?
DARON: I think a songwriting session with Dean Brody would be pretty cool. We could all just head out to the lake side, put on our sun glasses, get a nice big fire going, swap some stories and disappear from the hear and now, and by morning……..we’d have a song. Way too coooool!!!
DENNIS: There’s no doubt TwoShine are big Tim Hicks fans! Great music, and an even greater guy, he’d be a blast to write with! Another writer/artist who would be such an exciting fit for us would be Steven Lee Olsen. Totally has a unique and killer style!
Which artists (from anywhere) do you look up to the most?
DARON: Obviously there’s a ton of artists that have, in some way, influenced or inspired our musical paths. But when you find an artist that has that innate ability to keep it ALL together, it’s very inspiring. Tim Hicks seems to hold many of the attributes needed to succeed in the industry and at the same time maintain friendship, family, reciprocity and a general caring for all those that come across his path. This guy is the REAL DEAL!!!
DENNIS: The biggest international influence on TwoShine is definitely Keith Urban. A lot of what TwoShine has become has closely to do with our mutual appreciation for some of our favourite country guitar players and writers. Keith Urban definitely strikes a chord with us as he is a prolifically awesome guitar player, and one hell of a writer.
What has brought you here to this moment, becoming a Discovery artist?
DARON: It seems like a lifetime of experience…haha. If only we had the ability to calculate the hours of focus, work hard, sacrifice, practice, growth, etc…..then we would know. But aside from all of that, I think you need tenacity, perseverance and the ability to kick yourself in the proverbial butt. This Canadian Country Music Family has also been amazing….the strength, encouragement and support that we have received, keeps us moving forward.
DENNIS: A love for what we do! There’s nothing quite like playing live to fans, locking yourself in a studio to create, and pushing yourself to get better at your craft. It’s a lifelong journey that sees ups and downs, disappointments and triumphs, and for every day we get to be a part of this crazy roller coaster, we are so grateful. It’s this love and passion that has kept us going, kept us motivated, and landed us this opportunity to be a part of such an amazing program. To the CCMA, we are immensely grateful!!
How did it feel when you found out?
DARON: I don’t think you can ever truly define or explain what it feels like to have these types of successes. It’s like, when you hear your song on the radio for the first time or you’re playing to a packed crowd and look out to see people singing along to your song. You feel blessed, inspired and overwhelmed. So incredibly honoured to be apart of this program.
DENNIS: Finding out made for hell of an awesome day that’s for sure!! We were absolutely elated, and had our minds spinning of what was to come. Who would we meet? What would we learn? How FUN was all this gonna be? With all the ups and down that can take place in a music career, this truly was a beacon of light, and a huge motivator to always push forward, and to never forget the best is always around the corner.
What can we expect from you over the next year?
DARON: Being apart of this program has really lit a fire in us. It’s time to take this to the next level. There is a full album in the cards…..so stay tuned for that and of course More writing, More recording, More touring, and a whole bunch of other fun stuff up our sleeves.
DENNIS: This next year is going to the biggest and best yet for TwoShine, seeing us release a full length album, more singles, and playing a bombardment of shows all over the country, taking our high energy performance and sound on the road again, and seeing it reach people all across the nation. Its always an intense thrill, a rush you can’t match!
