         |
click here to go 2004 and later news! |
November 23, 2003 - EMERSON DRIVE seems just a little bit giddy about their winter tour schedule. And why shouldn�t they be? They�ve been asked to open for SHANIA TWAIN on the American leg of her Up! Tour, which runs into early winter 2004. BRAD MATES says, �We have been having such a fantastic time on the road with Shania that when we received the news that we picked up more shows touring with her in the United States, we were thrilled! This tour was a huge dream for us and it doesn�t get better than this.� Originally Emerson Drive was scheduled to open just a handful of Shania�s Canadian dates. Then they were added to the reaminder of her Canadian shows. Finally, it was announced recently that the Grand Prairie, Alberta-based band would join Shania for all the North American dates. Congrats, guys! |
October 2, 2003 - It�s now official: EMERSON DRIVE will be following SHANIA out west to open for her during the Western Canadian leg of her Up! World Tour. Until now, it was reported that Emerson Drive would only open for Shania during her Ontario dates. By the way, Shania�s husband and professional partner, MUTT LANGE, wrote �Only God,� Emerson Drive�s latest single. Watch for their new album sometime early in the new year. Also, the pride of Grand Prairie, Alberta is set to appear on an upcoming episode of the show, �A Makeover Story.� They�ll give style tips to the makeover winner. |
September 18, 2003 - Great news for EMERSON DRIVE and for Emerson Drive�s Canadian fans in Ontario, as it was just announced that they will be opening for SHANIA TWAIN for her Up! World Tour dates in Hamilton on Sept. 25th, Ottawa on the 27th and Toronto on October 2nd and 3rd. What a fantastic month it�s turning out to be for ED after winning the Group of the Year Award at the CCMAs on September 8th. |
June 16, 2003 - �Only God� is becoming a big hit for EMERSON DRIVE, but it was cut by three different acts before the boys from Grand Prairie, Alberta got a hold of it. MUTT LANGE wrote the song, which is the third and final single to be released from the guys� first album. Lead singer BRAD MATES says, �One thing about being anew act is that your songs last a long time, more than a TOBY KEITH or a GARTH BROOKS. They can get songs out in three months and be on to the next one. Us, it takes like seven months, and then you�re on to a new single.� The video for �Only God� was shot in Houston and Montreal, and each band member has his own little part in the video. |
June 9, 2003 - Canada�s own EMERSON DRIVE is taking part in this year�s Fan Fair. Thursday night they performed at the Wildhorse Saloon, where CMT�s Elissa Lansdell met up with them. Elissa had a chance to chat with the guys, then she sat back to take in some of their set. Emerson Drive will be on the Grand Ole Opry this Saturday. Tune into CMT every Saturday night to catch your favorite artists on the Grand Ole Opry, 8PM EST/ 10PM PC. |
June 2, 2003 - It�s been quite a week for EMERSON DRIVE. First an ACMA for Top New Vocal Group, then just days later, abceprep.com reports that keyboardist CHRIS HARTMAN has quit the band to go to college, to be replaced by DALE WALLACE. Upon receiving their award last week in Las Vegas, lead singer BRAD MATES said, �This is unreal for us. We started this band eight years ago in my parents� basement, and to be a part of this country now and to be doing the bulk of our work down here and having people accept it is probably one of the greatest feelings that we�ve ever experienced.� The group has already been nominated for a Juno award here in Canada. |
May 28, 2003 - Grand Prairie, Alberta natives EMERSON DRIVE were thrilled to receive their first American award for Top New Vocal Group last week at the ACMAs. While the group has won prior Juno awards north of the border, this award is particularly meaningful, according to lead singer BRAD MATES. Says Brad, �This is unreal for us. We started this band eight years ago in my parents� basement, and to be a part of this country now and to be doing the bulk of our work down here and having people accept it is probably one of the greatest feelings that we�ve ever experienced.� |
May 23, 2003 - Alberta natives EMERSON DRIVE landed the Top New Vocal Group/Duo award at this year�s ACM�s. Being from Canada, the honour meant a lot to them. Lead vocalist BRAD MATES explains, �This is unreal for us. We started this band eight years ago in my parents� basement. To be a part of this country now and to be doing the bulk of our work down here and having people accept us is probably one of the greatest feelings we�ve ever experienced.� |
April 28, 2003 - EMERSON DRIVE, pin up boys? The guys from Grand Prairie, Alberta grace the cover of the current issue of the U.S.-based Enterteenment Magazine. They�re also featured in a rock-climbing themed spread in the April 15th edition of Country Weekly magazine. The guys are also celebrating their very first ACM Nomination, in the Top New Vocal Duo or Group category. Catch the ACM Awards live on CMT May 21st! Also watch for Emerson Drive to perform on the Grand Ole Opry June 7th. |
April 2, 2003 - PAT ALLINGHAM of EMERSON DRIVE married his longtime girlfriend KRISTA WILLIAMSON on March 8th. Now bandmate CHRIS HARTMAN is getting in on the matrimonial action: he just got engaged to his girlfriend TERRI HOFFERD. Emerson Drive is up for a Flameworthy Award this Monday night in the Breakthrough Video category. Their competition in the category? STEVE AZAR, JENNIFER HANSON, JOE NICHOLS, and BLAKE SHELTON. |
March 25, 2003 - The guys of EMERSON DRIVE have a busy few months ahead of them. They�ll be heading to Ottawa April 6th where they�re up for a Juno for Best Country recording. Then it�s off to Vegas for the ACM Awards, where they�ve been nominated in the Top New Vocal Group/Duo category. They�re up against NICKEL CREEK and PINMONKEY for the honour. And watch for the Grand Prairie guys to hit a town near you this summer as they hit the road for some summer festival dates. Their brand new video for �Only God� was shot in Montreal, and Dreamworks, Emerson Drive�s label, thinks this song is a number one. |
March 22, 2003 - The guys in EMERSON DRIVE are keeping a close eye on their equipment these days. They�ve had stuff stolen twice, on both sides of the border. At the Calgary Stampede, someone hitched up their trailer right in front of the venue and drove it away. The same thing happened in Nashville a couple of years back. Danick Dupelle says they have better safeguards now, but he�s still missing the 1974 TeleCaster guitar his dad gave him when he was 11. Emerson Drive are up for a Flameworthy Award in the Breakthrough Video category for �Fall Into Me.� |
March 13, 2003 - Grand Prairie, Alberta band EMERSON DRIVE is excited to be nominated in the Breakthrough Video of the Year category for this year�s Flameworthy Awards. Lead vocalist Brad Mates says, �When �Fall Into Me� went to number one on the CMT Top Twenty Countdown, it marked our very first number one on a national chart, and now we have our very first CMT Flameworthy nomination. Trey Fanjoy [director of the video] did a great job with the video. It has all of the elements that Steven Spielberg used in Jaws � water, sharks and underwater activity.� |
March 7, 2003 - BRAD MATES of EMERSON DRIVE responded to the band�s ACM nomination for Top New Vocal Group yesterday. Brad says, �Two top 5 singles out of the box, Billboard and R and R�s Most-Played New Artists of 2002, the Juno nomination, and now the ACM nomination! We are so honoured with the early acceptance and success of Emerson Drive and so excited to be part of the first-ever ACM show to take place in Las Vegas. Congratulations to Pinmonkey and Nickel Creek � see you in Vegas!� Wonder if the boys are placing any friendly wagers on this one! |
March 6, 2003 - Congratulations, EMERSON DRIVE! The boys from Grand Prairie, Alberta are up for their very first ACM award in the Top New Vocal Duo/Group category. This nomination comes on the heels of their recent Juno nod in the Country Recording of the Year category for their debut album, Emerson Drive. That album entered the Billboard Country Album chart at number 13. Their third single from that album, �Only God Could Stop Me Loving You,� hits the radio airwaves on Monday. |
February 24, 2003 - We�re sending a big shout-out to Alberta�s EMERSON DRIVE for scoring their first #1 video on CMT�s Chevy Top 20 Countdown this week. �Fall Into Me� has hit the #1 spot in its 17th week on our charts. The guys hit #3 last summer on our chart with �I Should Be Sleeping�. Emerson Drive is doing really well south of the border too with a couple of top five singles under their belts so far this past year. Recently, they named hit maker TIM McGRAW as a big influence. �When we started playing the bars a lot and started learning covers and stuff and what we tried to do was stay away from � everybody plays the same covers in bars and not a lot of people played Tim McGraw so we did a lot of Tim McGraw stuff,� says the band. �And he�s just so cool. He�s got a unique voice, great production, great songs, awesome, and he�s a really big influence on us.� |
February 13, 2003 - The members of Juno nominated EMERSON DRIVE are basking in the success of two top five singles from their debut, self-titled album. Lead vocalist, BRAD MATES, recently said of their latest top 3 hit, �Fall Into Me�, �It�s incredible to see how one single changes a crowd coming out to the show.� The crowds have been pretty large too. Emerson Drive is the only other act besides the DIXIE CHICKS to sell out the Beaumont Club in Kansas City, Missouri over the past ten years. Way to go guys! |
January 6, 2003 - Three Canadian artists are currently muscling their way into the top of the U.S. country charts. TERRI CLARK, EMERSON DRIVE and AARON LINES are all currently lodged deep into the upper regions of the American country charts. One look at this week�s Billboard Country Singles Chart shows that three of our finest are in or near the U.S. Country Top Ten. Emerson Drive�s second U.S. single, �Fall Into Me�, sits at #5. Terri Clark�s �I Just Wanna Be Mad� is holding strong at #7 and AARON LINES� debut U.S. single, �You Can�t Hide Beautiful� jumped up two spots to #11. Both Clark and Lines have albums coming out this month. |
December 18, 2002 - Five country newcomers have been selected to perform during the New Faces Show at the upcoming Country Radio Seminar. STEVE AZAR, TAMMY COCHRAN, KELLIE COFFEY, EMERSON DRIVE and JOE NICHOLS will all do a private concert for a group of country radio programmers. The seminar takes place in February. |
July 24, 2002 - EMERSON DRIVE has arrived. The six-member group from Northern Alberta has made a big splash on the country scene over the past year and five CCMA nominations are the result. The band recently celebrated their first top five single stateside and toured with TOBY KEITH earlier in the spring. The guys are up for Single and Video of the Year for �I Should Be Sleeping�, Album of the Year for their DreamWorks debut, Group or Duo of the Year and the GM/Chevy Trucks Rising Star Award. Emerson Drive is the only new artist among four that all have five CCMA nominations a-piece. Last year�s 10-time nominee, CAROLYN DAWN JOHNSON, picked up nods in five categories. So did perennial favourites PAUL BRANDT and last year�s Entertainer of the Year, TERRI CLARK. It�s interesting to note that all four top nominees originally hail from Alberta. Manitoba�s DOC WALKER also proved they�re a hot commodity with 3 major CCMA Award nominations, as well as 3 nominations in the Independent Artist categories. Last year�s CCMA Male Artist of the Year, JASON McCOY, also has three chances at the podium. Newfoundland�s ENNIS SISTERS debuted this year to the tune of 2 CCMA Award nominations. CHRIS CUMMINGS, JIMMY RANKIN and MICHELLE WRIGHT are all double nominated as well. CCMA President, RANDY STARK, said that, ��while Canada�s favourite artists obviously deliver the music and excitement fans love, the number of newcomers in 2002 sends a powerful message about the future. 2002 may just be the launch year for many country stars.� The 2002 CCMA Awards will be given out on September 9th. Here is a full list of major category nominees: FANS� CHOICE AWARD � Paul Brandt, Terri Clark, Adam Gregory, Carolyn Dawn Johnson, Jason McCoy. SINGLE OF THE YEAR: �Cowboy Hats� � Chris Cummings, �Empty� � Terri Clark, �I Don�t Want You To Go� � Carolyn Dawn Johnson, �I Should Be Sleeping� � Emerson Drive, �Small Towns and Big Dreams� � Paul Brandt. ALBUM OF THE YEAR: �Curve� � Doc Walker, �Emerson Drive� � Emerson Drive, �Small Towns and Big Dreams� � Paul Brandt, �Small World� � Steve Fox, �Song Dog� � Jimmy Rankin. CMT VIDEO OF THE YEAR: �Cowboy Hats� � Chris Cummings, �Empty� � Terri Clark, �I Don�t Want You To Go� � Carolyn Dawn Johnson, �I Should Be Sleeping� � Emerson Drive, �Shut Up and Kiss Me� � Michelle Wright. FEMALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR: Lisa Brokop, Terri Clark, Patricia Conroy, Carolyn Dawn Johnson, Michelle Wright. MALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR: Paul Brandt, Adam Gregory, Jason McCoy, Duane Steele, Rick Tippe. GROUP OR DUO OF THE YEAR: Doc Walker, Emerson Drive, Ennis Sisters, The Good Brothers, Poverty Plainsmen. ROOTS ARTIST OR GROUP OF THE YEAR: Scotty Campbell, Great Big Sea, Natalie MacMaster, Mike Plume Band, Jimmy Rankin. RISING STAR AWARD: Doc Walker, Emerson Drive, Ennis Sisters, Aaron Lines, Jake Mathews. SOCAN SONG OF THE YEAR � �Empty� � written by Terri Clark/Gary Burr, �I Don�t Want You To Go� � written by Carolyn Dawn Johnson/Tommy Polk, �Small Towns and Big Dreams� � written by Paul Brandt, �Ten Million Teardrops� � written by Jason McCoy/Tim Taylor, �Young� � written by Naoise Sheridan/Steve McEwan/Craig Wiseman and recorded by KENNY CHESNEY. |
July 22, 2002 - EMERSON DRIVE has arrived. The six-member group from Northern Alberta has made a big splash on the country scene over the past year and five CCMA nominations are the result. The band recently celebrated their first top five single stateside and toured with TOBY KEITH earlier in the spring. The guys are up for Single and Video of the Year for �I Should Be Sleeping�, Album of the Year for their DreamWorks debut, Group or Duo of the Year and the GM/Chevy Trucks Rising Star Award. Emerson Drive is the only new artist among four that all have five CCMA nominations a-piece. Last year�s 10-time nominee, CAROLYN DAWN JOHNSON, picked up nods in five categories. So did perennial favourites PAUL BRANDT and last year�s Entertainer of the Year, TERRI CLARK. It�s interesting to note that all four top nominees originally hail from Alberta. Manitoba�s DOC WALKER also proved they�re a hot commodity with 3 major CCMA Award nominations, as well as 3 nominations in the Independent Artist categories. Last year�s CCMA Male Artist of the Year, JASON McCOY, also has three chances at the podium. Newfoundland�s ENNIS SISTERS debuted this year to the tune of 2 CCMA Award nominations. CHRIS CUMMINGS, JIMMY RANKIN and MICHELLE WRIGHT are all double nominated as well. CCMA President, RANDY STARK, said that, ��while Canada�s favourite artists obviously deliver the music and excitement fans love, the number of newcomers in 2002 sends a powerful message about the future. 2002 may just be the launch year for many country stars.� The 2002 CCMA Awards will be given out on September 9th. Here is a full list of major category nominees: FANS� CHOICE AWARD � Paul Brandt, Terri Clark, Adam Gregory, Carolyn Dawn Johnson, Jason McCoy. SINGLE OF THE YEAR: �Cowboy Hats� � Chris Cummings, �Empty� � Terri Clark, �I Don�t Want You To Go� � Carolyn Dawn Johnson, �I Should Be Sleeping� � Emerson Drive, �Small Towns and Big Dreams� � Paul Brandt. ALBUM OF THE YEAR: �Curve� � Doc Walker, �Emerson Drive� � Emerson Drive, �Small Towns and Big Dreams� � Paul Brandt, �Small World� � Steve Fox, �Song Dog� � Jimmy Rankin. CMT VIDEO OF THE YEAR: �Cowboy Hats� � Chris Cummings, �Empty� � Terri Clark, �I Don�t Want You To Go� � Carolyn Dawn Johnson, �I Should Be Sleeping� � Emerson Drive, �Shut Up and Kiss Me� � Michelle Wright. FEMALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR: Lisa Brokop, Terri Clark, Patricia Conroy, Carolyn Dawn Johnson, Michelle Wright. MALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR: Paul Brandt, Adam Gregory, Jason McCoy, Duane Steele, Rick Tippe. GROUP OR DUO OF THE YEAR: Doc Walker, Emerson Drive, Ennis Sisters, The Good Brothers, Poverty Plainsmen. ROOTS ARTIST OR GROUP OF THE YEAR: Scotty Campbell, Great Big Sea, Natalie MacMaster, Mike Plume Band, Jimmy Rankin. RISING STAR AWARD: Doc Walker, Emerson Drive, Ennis Sisters, Aaron Lines, Jake Mathews. SOCAN SONG OF THE YEAR � �Empty� � written by Terri Clark/Gary Burr, �I Don�t Want You To Go� � written by Carolyn Dawn Johnson/Tommy Polk, �Small Towns and Big Dreams� � written by Paul Brandt, �Ten Million Teardrops� � written by Jason McCoy/Tim Taylor, �Young� � written by Naoise Sheridan/Steve McEwan/Craig Wiseman and recorded by KENNY CHESNEY. |
June 20, 2002 - It�s been quite a road but the six members of Alberta�s EMERSON DRIVE are starting to be able to say that they�ve truly arrived in country music. A debut appearance on the Grand Ole Opry stage last weekend marked a year that has seen this young group heading straight for the top. The two songs that the guys played on the Opry last weekend included their current hit single, �I Should Be Sleeping�, an impressive first try up the U.S. country charts, where the song sat firmly entrenched in the top five this week, right between ALAN JACKSON and LONESTAR. In a recent interview with the Calgary Sun, lead singer Brad Mates, 23, said, �People are coming out to our shows and singing along�it�s great.� It�s a familiar story of what seems like overnight success that�s actually a number of years in the making. Even though the members of the group are all young, they played for a number of years in Canada under the name, 12 Guage. �We�ve been playing for seven years now,� says Mates, �If it wasn�t for the club scene, we wouldn�t have found Emerson Drive�s sound.� The band�s current success has a lot to do with persistence too. They made five trips to Nashville before things started to click and they landed a booking agent, showcases for major labels came not long after. Three labels were interested and DreamWorks is where they ended up signing on, also home to TOBY KEITH and JESSICA ANDREWS. The guys are currently wearing a rut in the highways with their bus doing over thirty dates between now and the end of August throughout the U.S. They recently shot their second video for the song �Fall Into Me� so, look for it soon on CMT. |