Industry News

London's Own Genevieve Fisher to Grace the Stage at CMAO 2017 Awards

By Ryan Labreche
June 5, 2017 at 12:42 PM

This Sunday, June 11, The Country Music Association of Ontario is hosting its 2017 Awards at Centennial Hall. Although the CMAO is packing a whole slew of talent from across the province, one nominee stands out on the list – and that’s London’s own Genevieve Fisher.

Being introduced to singing and country music at a young age, Genevieve instantly recognized music and song writing were her biggest passions. Her talents have led her to accomplish quite a bit in a short amount of time, having shared the stage with and performed alongside many modern country legends.

Among her accomplishments are:

10 radio releases that hit Top 100
5 of which reached Top 50
Her first national hit was “July” co-written with Nashville songwriter, Jennifer Schott
She has been heard on over 100 stations across Canada
She is one of top 10 most played Canadian female country artists over the last 4 years
She was selected by the Canadian Country Music Association’s New Artist Showcase in 2012, held in Saskatoon
Her most recent hit, “Take it on Home”, reached Top 20 in Canada
She has played many shows and festivals including Boots & Hearts, Manitoulin Country Fest and Aboriginal Day Live

With no signs of slowing down, she’s currently nominated for Female Artist Of The Year award at the 2017 CMAO Awards.

It’s been a busy week for the young artist however; we're pleased she was able to find time out of her frantic schedule to answer a few questions about herself and her experiences in the industry. Here’s what Genevieve had to say:

LMO: How young were you and what inspired you to become a musician?

GF: “I always loved singing. Growing up, my grandparents played a lot of country music like Patsy Cline, Brenda Lee, Merle Haggard and Shania Twain – that’s what got the fire started. I entered my first singing competition when I was 2 and since then, it’s been a part of my life.

LMO: How has live music played a role in your life as a spectator and as an artist?

GF: As a spectator, I feel like live music is like the heart of an artist. To see an artist live, you get to see another side of them – you get to see your favourite musicians and inspirations in a state of true, raw emotion.

As an artist, I love to show my fans what I love to do, to show them what I live for and see my personality. Performing live is a huge part of an artist because it gives them an opportunity to express their emotions and their hard work and art to their fans.

LMO: Having risen from local musician to touring artist, how would you like to see the music industry evolve to accommodate emerging artists?

GF: I feel it is important to give emerging artists greater performance and radio opportunities. Radio play is extremely important for new artists as it exposes them to many different audiences. It can be difficult to get radio play as a new artist, so I feel that radio stations should all have a mandatory category for new artists.

LMO: What was one of the biggest barriers or challenges you had to overcome when entering the music industry? How did you overcome it?

GF: The highs and lows of the industry – one minute, things are riding high and then things can fall down. It can be hard to find momentum, but being open to new opportunities keeps me going. Going to Nashville to write and learning from other artists is what keeps me going.

For newcomers in the music industry, it’s hard to find your place among others who have made. You just have to be yourself and express what makes you unique.

LMO: What are some of the highlights or best experiences you’ve had in your career?

GF: Most recently my single, “Take it on Home”, hit top 20 in Canada! Being a part of Boots & Hearts and Trackside in my hometown have been great experiences. I’ve met plenty of artists and writing in Nashville is definitely one of the best experiences.

LMO: What advice can you give to today’s aspiring artists?

GF: To keep an open mind – you’re going to have good and bad days but keep everything in stride. Always be open to new things, take as many opportunities to perform as you can and be open to new experiences.

LMO: What are some things or people that inspire you artistically?

GF: