ST. PAUL - While originally from St. Paul, Jarrid Poitras - who is also known by his stage name Jarrid Lee - has taken his musical career one province over, delving into the music scene in Saskatoon.
Poitras ventured to Saskatoon, since that is where his wife is from, but there was more to it than that. "I saw potential in making music a career for myself and it was a fresh start," says Poitras, who is set to release a new album on June 10. "The move to Saskatoon helped by getting me plugged into a network of like-minded people from the Saskatchewan Country Music Association, along with the supportive staff at SaskMusic who help guide my career along and point me in the right direction."
When asked about his musical influences, the country music singer-songwriter says he is often inspired by 90s country music, along with along 2000s rock, mixed with newer country sounds.
"Some of the artists I look up to would be people like Duane Steele, Jason Aldean, Luke Bryan, Morgan Whallen, Brooks & Dunn, Brett Kissel and of course Garth Brooks," says Poitras..
"I got involved in music at the age of 12 when dad (Rolly Poitras) bought me my first electric guitar, but I also started singing at a very young age, maybe around three. However, I wasn’t able to put both together until my mid 20s," explains Poitras. Country music has always been part of his life and holds a special place.
"I found that country music has been with me through every event in my life, and it captures stories that speak to my soul. And, I want to be able to share that feeling I get with others when they listen to my music," says Poitras.
His upcoming album, Up on Stage, includes five songs inspired by various parts of Poitras' life - and even features some local folklore. The EP is described as a short and sweet taste of things to come.
'Country girls' is a song based on a trip to Edmonton in a new truck on some days off from work, which included a crazy fun-filled night at Cook County Saloon with some new friends, explains Poitras.
Then, there's the song “Small Town,” which was inspired by his time growing up in St. Paul. "(The song) speaks to a lot of people from all backgrounds and in various parts of the country," says Poitras. The song also earned him the main stage at Cravens Country Thunder, as well as capturing his first songwriters award through CKRM in Regina called “The Spirit of Saskatchewan.”
'Up on Stage' is a song based on a frequently asked question that people ask Poitras all the time - What is it like to be up on stage?
"I do my best to answer it in as many analogies as possible."
'Glass of Wine' was written by Poitras and his wife. "She was at home on a Friday night sipping on a glass of wine while I was working night shift out driving truck. I got my first taste of jealousy, merely over a glass of wine that I wished was me," says Poitras, as he describes the song.
And the last song has a bit of local history to it.
"We have all heard stories or tales of the Spedden Devil around the Lakeland, so the fun part about this song was that I wrote it in the wee witching hours of a 3 a.m. inspiration, thinking about the tales I heard about how the devil had made an appearance in the small hamlet of Spedden," says Poitras. "This song was super fun to work on, making it an eerie sounding upbeat mockup of a lower quality Devil-went-down-to-Georgia style tune with some amazing fiddle done by Kyeler Tymafichuk (from Edmonton) and James Steele, a fellow musician here in Saskatoon, all rolled up into a song that will hopefully stand the test of time."
When asked how people can help support and encourage Poitras from afar, he says he would simply like people to listen to the songs he's written "because they come from a place of truth, and we will find we all have a lot in common. Maybe one of the songs on this album will speak to you and inspire you in some way."
The album will be available on all digital platforms on June 10. Physical CDs will also be available for purchase through www.JarridLee.com
"Also, please call, text, email your local country radio station to play any one of the five songs on the album. But as it stands, 'Up on Stage' is the new single so let’s get that one up there," says Poitras.
With the current COVID-19 pandemic altering plans for many musicians and performers, Poitras is having to approach things in a new way to promote his music.
"COVID-19 has put a stall into my live performances . . . I knew that this was going to be the start of a new creative way of doing business, so all of my live shows have since been cancelled."
Poitras plans to do a couple live concerts on social media, along with a virtual radio tour with various country radio stations across Canada. Looking further head, Poitras says he plans to record a full album and hopefully tour the country once the global pandemic subsides.
