Editor's note: The following is the third of four stories that will be published this week, featuring musicians with Colchester County ties who are nominated for East Coast Music Awards. The awards will be given out this week. Part one featured Matt Brouwer; part two featured Will Fisher; part four featured Lone Cloud.
The McCallum Settlement native is nominated for two this year – blues recording of the year and R&B/soul recording of the year – for his latest album ‘Triumph & Disaster.’
A’Court, 34, has a total of seven ECMA nominations and is a two-time winner.
“The ECMAs are always a bit of an anxious time. There’s so much excitement – you’re surrounded by some great music,” he said, shortly after returning from Folk Alliance in Toronto.
“I want to be a part of that. I want people walking away from one of my showcases saying, ‘wow.’ I want to create a buzz.”
Having attended the event, which is now a week long, in the past, A’Court knows how hard organizers work to get just the right delegates from the music industry to attend.
“As much as the ECMAs celebrate a musician’s creative side, it’s a chance to maximize the business side of your music. It’s a great opportunity to raise your profile and an opportunity for some touring.”
Without the ECMAs, A’Court wouldn’t have gone on tours throughout Germany, the United States or Australia.
“Those were because delegates were brought to the ECMAs and sought out my music,” he said. “Through the conference, you can do some networking with a lot of these big players. The artists are able to develop long-term relationships with the delegates.”
Having been named a semi-finalist to the International Songwriting Competition, A’Court has seen a lot of success with Triumph & Disaster since releasing it this past fall.
“The reaction has been super positive. It’s got some great momentum, and that’s encouraging. As soon as the ECMAs are over, I’m right back to Australia for a month-long tour.”
With a tour of Canada and some local shows on his radar for the summer and fall, A’Court is also hoping fans and music lovers alike will listen to a new song he recently recorded a video for.
‘Not A Fan Of Me’ is something the singer-songwriter has had in his back pocket for about a year now. It touches on bullying and the effects it can have.
“It’s such a raw topic in communities across Canada, particularly in Truro, and we keep revisiting the topic every couple of weeks, especially with politicians talking about taking action against bullying.”
He said two teen suicides with Truro connections – Jenna Bowers-Bryanton from Truro, and B.C.’s Amanda Todd who has family in the area – have stayed with him.
“It’s not a happy song, but it’s very honest and important. There are a lot of great, positive songs, but there is the tragic side of bullying.
“As a community, we need to be very open with bringing bullying to the forefront of society.”
He’s not sure if ‘Not A Fan Of Me’ will make it to his next album and he’s not certain when that album will be, nor what frame of mind he will be in at the time.
“I think I’ll start performing it in my live shows and I would love it if it did make it on an album – even if it was on someone else’s. It would be great if a high-profile artist out there wanted to record it.”
A’Court is also aiming for a spot at Eric Clapton’s Crossroads Festival and is relying on online support to make it to the top 100. That would put his profile before a panel of judges, who will pick one of those artists for an opening slot at the festival.
“It’s a tough competition to try to encourage fans to show their support on a regular basis. What they don’t understand is that they can’t just vote once. They can vote everyday. There’s still time to make it happen.”
rtetanish@trurodaily.com
Twitter: @TDNRaissa
ABOUT CHARLIE A’COURT
Age: 34
Native of: McCallum Settlement
Currently resides: in Halifax
Family: Married to Emily for four years; son Daniel is 2 ½.
When not on the road: Tries to be as connected as a father and husband as he can. He loves playing with Daniel, from making racecars out of cardboard boxes to dressing up as Captain Underpants
ECMA nomination: Blues recording of the year and R&B/soul recording of the year for ‘Triumph & Disaster’
Online: charlieacourt.com (info on the Crossroads Festival is available on his website, as is the video for ‘Not A Fan Of Me’).
