ACR: First, congratulations on all your amazing success! 2019 has been amazing to you. It was like once you won the CCMA National Spotlight Performance Contest in 2018, the flood gates opened for you, so to speak. Take me through what the last year has been like for you.
CG: Thank you so much. Yes, looking back, the CCMA Spotlight Artist win was a pretty big thing for me. At the time, I was so wrapped up in everything that I didn’t realize the doors that it was opening. That’s really what kick started everything, from meeting the songwriters, the producer, the Radio Tracker, right down to my manager, Trisha Richardson, from Seattle. The last year really has been amazing as I’ve had the opportunity to record my first full length album, tour parts of the US and BC, meet some amazing people and really start living my dream.
ACR: Your latest single, “We Both Bleed” was released a few weeks ago. What has the feedback been like for you, so far?
CG: The feedback has been fantastic for my single “We Both Bleed”. We were number one on the 28th of May for downloads to radio and number three on the top ten for that week for downloads of any genre of music in Canada. I also came in at number fifty-eight on the top 100 on the iTunes charts. It really is a great song written by Trey Bruce (“Look Heart, No Hands” for Randy Travis) and Chris Jansen (“Buy Me A Boat”), out of Nashville. I was really fortunate that they were gracious enough to pitch me their song and have the confidence that we could do it justice.
ACR: The single is part of an upcoming album titled, “Welcome to my World” to be released this year. Did you write your own music for this album, or did you get the chance to work with collaborators?
CG: Welcome to My World is an 11-song album of my originals and songs from some really great writers that I met through CCMA’s last year. I originally had wanted to write an album of all of my own music but that wouldn’t have given anyone involved the best possible record we could put out. With several writers coming on board and sending me those songs, along with some of my own, I feel we have produced the best 11-song album possible. I had the pleasure of having a very special guest on this record as well. Georgette Jones, daughter of George Jones and Tammy Wynette came on board and recorded a duet called “That’s Love”. She is wonderful and I’m very fortunate to have her sing with me.
ACR: Are there plans for an extensive tour to promote?
CG: We did do a pre-release tour to promote the single and the record. We started in the US in Portland, Oregon, then through Washington state and then finished off through BC. The shows and the songs were very well received. We are taking off once again in August for another run of shows in the US and BC right before CCMAs. We also have a show on August 31st with Whey Jennings, grandson of Waylon Jennings, in Portland, Oregon, which I’m so pumped for. Waylon Jennings and George Jones are a couple of my biggest influences so getting the duet with Georgette and the show with Whey is very cool.
ACR: Being that you’re an Islander, what does it mean to you to get to perform at Cavendish Beach Music Festival?
CG: It’s an absolute thrill to be performing at the Cavendish Beach Music Festival this year. I had applied a few times before over the years but really had no credentials to warrant a spot on the stage. I’m very excited to be at this point where we are now playing this great festival. It’s going to be a blast!
ACR: Which artists are on your current playlist?
CG: I appreciate all genres of music. My playlist at the moment consists of George Jones and Waylon, Travis Tritt, Dean Brody and Luke Coombs but also listening to some classic Blue Rodeo, Aerosmith and Def Leppard.
If you want to catch Cory’s performances at this year’s Cavendish Beach Music Festival, he is set to perform on the Cavendish Farms Kitchen Stage on Friday, July 5th at 3:00pm.