The 2024 Gala Country will be honouring Québec’s country music community on Oct. 24 at Mtelus in Montréal. As we always do, Paroles & Musique takes a closer look at the five nominees in the Breakthrough category.
Jay Kutcher
Select the image to play the YouTube video of the Jay Kutcher song “Another You”
Jérôme Couture has chosen the stage name Jay Kutcher for a very practical reason: his new brand of pop-tinged country music is aimed primarily at the English-speaking market. “It’s the best way for them to pronounce Couture so it sounds a bit French,” Kutcher tells us.
He’s decided to target audiences internationally, a decision that, for obvious reasons, limits the airplay he can get on Québec’s Francophone country radio. But that didn’t prevent the 40-year-old musician from finding his audience.
Formerly a backing singer in the hit musical Elvis Story, then in Les Misérables and Québec Issime, the finalist in La Voix (the Québec franchise of The Voice TV singing competition) in 2013 (the same year as Charlotte Cardin, he points out) is far from a new kid on the block. In 2015, he even won a SOCAN Classic Award for his song Goodbye Girl. He has since released three albums on the L-Abe imprint. “Country is the ideal vehicle for my vocal timbre,” he says.
He released a self-titled EP in February 2023 through his own label, Les Productions G-Cout inc. “I’m not afraid to do ballads, I’m gentle and romantic guy in general, I’m not a gun-toting cowboy who’s partying constantly in his music,” he says.
His latest single, “Happy Hour,” reached the Country Top 40 in Canada. “I make accessible music, so that people can get on board with me,”: says Kutcher. “I couldn’t just do pop anymore, people told me it was too sing-songy, too catchy, but I’m a happy guy, I make positive music. My strength is earworms.”
Trudy
Select the image to play the YouTube video of the Trudy song “Shouldn’t Have To”
It’s no accident that Trudy Simoneau is nominated in four different categories at this year’s Gala Country. Winner of Occupation Double South Africa in 2019, and contestant on The Voice France in 2015, she says her stars are now aligned. She’ll also perform onstage during the Gala.
Trudy released a nine-song EP, Go Sol, in 2023. She likes to prioritize melodies and choruses. She was signed by her then-manager Corey Hart, via Warner France, and is also pursuing a parallel career as a model.
Besides her nomination in the Breakthrough category, she’s also a finalist for three other Willie trophies: Public Choice, Female Artist – Other Languages, and Album – Other Languages. “I’m super-happy,” says Trudy. “I’m 32 and in my fourth record deal.” Despite that, a full album that was supposed to be released by Universal France was shelved and never saw the light of day. “They said my songs weren’t commercial enough,” she explains.
During an interlude between deals, she wrote the songs for Go Solo. It was produced by Connor Seidel, who is behind the success of Bobby Bazini’s 1969, Half Moon Run, and so on. The songs “Shouldn’t Have To” and “You and Your Golden” gave us superb music videos and her appearance at Montréal’s Lasso Festival gave her wings. “I’m self-produced now, and I’m extremely proud of doing things on my own,” says Trudy. “But best of all, I’m starting to feel recognized as a singer-songwriter, thanks to this nomination.”
Les Gars du Nord
Select the image to play the YouTube video of the Les Gars du Nord song “Bootleggers”
They were four on their first two albums. Now, there are seven of them. Their third album, Les fils du père, was released in 2023 and propelled the seasoned musicians into the limelight. It was a welcome change of pace for the Northern New Brunswick band, who, up until that point, weas mostly perceived as a “Christmas-y” band.
“Ten years on, our band needed a change,” admits Danny Boudreau. “In a way, it’s a bit like our first album. We wrote songs with the mindset of, ‘Let’s see where this takes us.’ We’re really happy, because about 80 percent of our shows are in Québec, and the reception couldn’t be better.”
Not entirely country, not entirely roots, from the small village of Petit Rocher, Danny Boudreau explains to us the band’s new philosophy. And let’s not forget that one of the band members is none other than Wilfred Lebouthillier, who burst onto the scene more than 20 years ago. One might be forgiven for comparing them to Salebarbes, but Boudreau sees a different nuance: “Our country colours, and our Acadian and Celtic roots, are never far away when we write songs about rural life and childhood memories. Our success can be a little surprising, because we weren’t originally made for a wider audience.
“We put a lot of emphasis on vocal harmonies and sharing verses, and it’s great to see that people are attracted by the simplicity of what we have to offer.”
Émilie Daraîche
Select the image to play the YouTube video of the Émilie Daraîche song “Et alors?”
Daughter of Paul Daraîche and niece of Québec’s country music Queen Julie Daraîche, Émilie has accompanied her illustrious father, a country music icon, all over the province since the age of sixteen.
Sporting a tattoo of Céline Dion’s face on her thigh, and another of the diva’s first name on the inside of her left arm, the Gala Country nominee may have been immersed in music all her life, but her career path wasn’t mapped out.
Ailleurs is the title of her most recent album, one that helped the 32-year-old country singer get nominated in two categories, Breakthrough and Classic Country Album. “I was very surprised to be nominated in the Breakthrough category, since I’ve already released two albums!” she says.
Ailleurs was released in 2023 under the supervision of pop singer Mario Pelchat. They know each other well, since it’s Émilie, to this day, who operates the teleprompter during the singer’s shows.
The contribution of Christian Turcotte, her partner in both life and songwriting, was invaluable. “I don’t write, and I don’t compose,” Daraîche explains, “but I knew I wanted my sophomore album to be folk/country.”
The duo’s modus operandi is simple: the singer suggests song subjects, and a small team of authors come up with ideas. She picks her favourites, and makes her final choices. Among her team of frequent songwriters are the aforementioned Danny Boudreau (Les Gars du Nord), Stéphane Blanchette, Mario Pelchat, David Myles, Léa Jarry, and Cindy Bédard. “I’m still involved in the creative process,” she says, “I express my wishes regarding the instrumentation and the colour of the songs.”
Andie Thério
Select the image to play the YouTube video of the Andie Thério song “Golden Wings”
Andréanne Thériault, a self-taught songwriter from Beauharnois, places herself squarely in the “new country” camp. Nominated in the Female Singer – Other Languages, Country Album -Other Languages, and Breakthrough Artist categories, her participation in the septet Grande Ourse also earned her two additional nominations.
“Country is not a choice I made,” says Thériault. “While I was composing my music, the connection to this musical lineage appeared. I’ve written songs since I was 13, and I’m always vulnerable and sincere with myself. My songs are dictated by my emotions, basically.”
Back to You (Disques Far-West), her most recent self-produced album, was released in 2023, and acts as a new and refreshing follow-up to She’s Good, her 2022 EP, with the beautiful country nugget, “Good Memories.”
In the summer of 2024, she had the opportunity to perform 14 shows, including a performance at the Lasso Festival, whose popularity continues to increase since its inaugural edition at Montréal’s Parc Jean-Drapeau three years ago. It was Thériault’s second appearance in this urban celebration of country music, and she also opened for none other than Brother Osborne at the Festivent in Lévis.
It goes without saying that the Mecca of country music festivals, the St-Tite Festival, was also on her agenda. “All these opportunities have opened a lot of doors for me,” she says, with great satisfaction. “There’s no envy or jealousy between us,” she adds, in reference to Québec’s country music community. “Everybody helps everyone else get to the top. The country community truly is like a big family!”