Interview with Dave Hartney
In a short period of time,\xa0Dave Hartney\xa0has racked up an impressive list of accomplishments for a new Country artist.\xa0He has opened for the likes of Dallas Smith, High Valley, Tebey, Black Jack Billy, Aaron Pritchett, Dierks Bentley, Jerrod Neimann, Thompson Square, and many more. He has played renowned events including Sunfest,\xa0Rockin\u2019 River Musicfest, Merritt Mountain Musicfest, The Cloverdale Rodeo, the 2010 Olympics, and at numerous fundraisers, like Gone Country. Dave\u2019s live show is sure to impress and win over new fans.\n\nDave grew up in North Vancouver, and re-connected with a childhood love of country music while attending the University of Saskatchewan. There, he frequently visited live music bars and watched artists passing through town, including a young Dierks Bentley performing at the campus bar. Dave\xa0began to write songs of his own on his downtime at school, and after returning to Vancouver, he began playing guitar for various artists and industry friends\xa0including Karen Lee Batten, Damian Marshall and Bobbi Smith and created his former band. One of Dave\u2019s personal highlights was later opening for Dierks, one summer in Merritt, BC. Dave grew up influenced by classic rockers and songwriters like Tom Petty, and more recently of guitar-slinging country starts like Keith Urban, Brad Paisley, Vince Gill, and Travis Tritt. His sound, a mix of modern country and southern rock, is being recognized as Dave was recently selected as a 2015 Top 5 BCCMA Artist Discovery Competition finalist, and his songwriting was previously recognized with a CCMA Songwriters\u2019 Showcase. He was nominated for the 2016 Ray McAuley Horizon award by the BCCMA.\n\nDave recentlyreleased his first single \u201cParty Lights".\xa0The song was recorded with producer Jeff Johnson (George Canyon, Wes Mack).