Orillia native looks for hometown support to propel her to next big break
A singer with deep roots in the Sunshine City hopes some hometown support can help propel her to her next big break.
Parker Graye has made it to the Top 8 of SiriusXM Canada's Top of the Country competition in partnership with the Canadian Country Music Awards. The Orillia native has tried to make it into the contest in years past but has never been accepted until 2024.
"Being independent, it's like you don't get the same exposure the way you would if you were on, say, even a smaller boutique label or a major label," Graye said.
"Having the opportunity to be collaborating with SiriusXM Canada in the way that we have where our songs are being played on top of the country [charts] as well as the industry is getting to see us kind of on a higher stage; it's amazing."
Graye now lives in Nashville and is working towards advancing her career. Last summer, she was back home, securing a spot in the 2023 Boots & Hearts Music Festival, performing right in her own backyard.
As part of the Top 8 of this most recent competition, she was flown to Toronto to create a video for her chosen song. She selected her latest single, 'Lyin' to Me'.
"I've released a ton of singles before that but I was really wanting to release a project and a collection of songs that truly just embody all of the things that I've been kind of working on since I started in 2016."
She says she has multiple releases planned over the coming year.
If she makes it to the top three, she'll be one step closer to the grand prize of $25,000 as well as a performance at the CCMA Country Music Week.
To vote for Graye you can click here. The deadline is April 9 at 11:59 p.m.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
The story of how a B.C. man found his birth mother
After his adopted parents died, Dave Rogers set out to learn more about his birth mother. DNA results and a little help from friendly strangers would put him on a path to a small town in England.
Montreal man on the hook for thousands of dollars after a feature on his Tesla caused an accident
A Montreal man is warning Tesla drivers about using the Smart Summon feature after his vehicle hit another in a parking lot.
Italy's white-collar mafia is making a business killing
Italy's mafia rarely dirties its hands with blood these days. Extortion rackets have gone out of fashion and murders are largely frowned upon by the godfathers.
Spike in 'violent rhetoric' since Oct. 7 attack from 'extremist actors,' CSIS warns
The Israel-Hamas war has led to a spike in 'violent rhetoric' from 'extremist actors' that could prompt some in Canada to turn to violence, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service warns.
Russia announces nuclear weapon drills after angry exchange with senior Western officials
Russia plans to hold drills simulating the use of battlefield nuclear weapons, the Defense Ministry announced Monday, days after the Kremlin reacted angrily to comments by senior Western officials about the war in Ukraine and Moscow warned that tensions with the West are deepening.
Summer forecast: What to expect as El Nino weakens
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Actor Bernard Hill, of 'Titanic' and 'Lord of the Rings,' has died at 79
Actor Bernard Hill, who delivered a rousing cry before leading his people into battle in 'The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King' and went down with the ship as the captain in 'Titanic,' has died.
Dash cam catches moment suspected drunk driver hits parked car, sends it careening into North Shore flower shop
Police say it’s fortunate no one was injured or killed in a collision at North Vancouver’s Park and Tilford shopping centre Saturday evening that sent one vehicle careening into a flower shop and another into a set of concrete barriers outside a Winners store.
Israeli army tells Palestinians to evacuate parts of Gaza's Rafah ahead of an expected assault
The Israeli army ordered some 100,000 Palestinians on Monday to begin evacuating from the southern city of Rafah, signaling that a long-promised ground invasion there could be imminent and further complicating efforts to broker a cease-fire in Gaza.