at age 12 and by age 15 was already performing in public at various local events and singing competitions. Now he’s set to release his first CD, “The Road Ahead.”They start young in Saskatchewn, Canada. Codie Prevost taught himself guitar at age 12 and by age 15 was already performing in public at various local events and singing competitions. Now he’s set to release his first CD, “The Road Ahead.”
“Basically the whole economy in Saskatchewan is farm based,” Prevost explained in a recent email interview. “My family is a farming family who grow grain and raise cattle. Coming from a farming province, country music is very popular here. There are music festivals every weekend during the summer across the province, some featuring big name acts such as Lonestar, Tim McGraw and Emerson Drive.”
The debut CD includes 12 songs, all co-written by Prevost. Listening to the music, you can hear his country influences (Johnny Cash, Keith Urban Paul Brandt and “all the more traditional country artists”) as well as his youthful enthusiasm. “When I first started playing guitar, I was more into punk rock music, but my parents talked me into buying an acoustic and so I started learning some country songs to play around the campfires. I enjoyed playing and singing those types of songs and found I had the voice to sing country music. Shortly after, I started writing my own songs and people seemed to really enjoy them, so I realized that this was the style of music for me.”
The first single, released in May in Canada, is a rocking number, “Not Just the Beer Talkin’,” about the need for a little courage when meeting the girls:
“That’s when my mouth starts running like draft tap
And I’m professing my love to her over and over
But I can’t tell her till I have a little liquid confidence
But I mean what I say and I say what I mean
Though I say it with a slight slur
I love her and it’s not just the beer talkin’”
Many of Prevost’s songs are similar to other young country stars, Dierks Bentley and Keith Anderson, especially the musical styles that mix honkytonk and blue grass and the subjects -- women, drinking and moving on – not necessarily in that order. Prevost could put his own songs up against theirs. “Better Off Alone” and “A Lot to Be Said for Leaving,” have upbeat rhythms and catchy phrases.
“Women 101” suggests that learning about women is much more important than political science and “The Road Ahead” talks of all the things yet to do
“I’ve cut the chains on yesterday,
Got my mind on tomorrow instead.
I’m just looking at the road ahead.”
Prevost traveled to Nashville to write with and produce the CD with Steve Fox. “I’m hoping to get back to Nashville soon and do some songwriting with some of the great writers I met on my first trip, hopefully in October. As far as gigs while I’m in Nashville, I’m going to try to do a few open mikes and open stages. For the rest of the States, if there’s some interest in having me perform, I’d love to.”
Prevost has a way to go to stardom, but he’s got a running start – and seems to be having fun along the way. Maybe the final song on the CD sums up his youthful outlook:
“It’s the same old story with the same old ending every time
Friday, Saturday party all night
Sunday morning I’ll vow I’m never drinking again
But you and I both know that we’ll do it again next weekend.”
Good Luck!
You can find more about Codie Prevost at codieprevost.com
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