LAKELAND - A musician with roots in the St. Paul area has climbed to the top of the Canadian Indie Country Countdown.
Jarrid Poitras, also known as Jarrid Lee, now lives in Saskatoon, where he is pursuing a career in country music. He says seeing his song "Up on Stage" climb to the top of the Canadian Indie Country Countdown earlier this month was a great way to start 2021, especially after the many challenges seen throughout 2020.
Jarrid's debut album was released in June of 2020, and he started climbing the charts in October of 2020. The Canadian Indie Country Countdown features some of Canada’s top independent artists, which means they are not signed to a major record label. This countdown gives artists the platform needed to reach wider audiences, with the show broadcasting on 20 different stations and various countries around the world.
“This past year was very challenging for me, so I had to find ways to adapt and overcome during the midst of a global pandemic," says Jarrid.
When the first show of the year was aired, Jarrid was sitting at number three. When the song got to the number one spot on the countdown on Jan. 9, Jarrid says he was in "disbelief, shock, and in total awe. . . I knew this year was starting off right." The first phone call he made to share the good news was to his mom.
Growing up, Jarrid often followed his dad's band County Express to many events, getting a taste of the music life at a young age.
His dad, Rollie, bought him his first electric guitar at the age of 12. Four years ago, Jarrid decided to make the move to Saskatchewan. He has played at numerous venues and shows across western Canada opening up for names such as Trooper, Collin Raye, David Lee Murphy, Midland, and his idol Luke Bryan. He has also opened up shows for Tom Cochrane, Red Rider, and music legend Tanya Tucker, among others.
Jarrid is thankful to all of his friends and family back home in the Lakeland, as well as the new fans discovering his music.
“There will come a day when we can all gather together for some much-needed live music, but for now I’m only a click away," said Jarrid.
To follow and support Jarrid, visit his website. He adds a full-length album is on the horizon
