Ryan Newton’s first song from his first album in an award winner.
On April 28 it was announced that the Nanaimo singer-songwriter won the Independent Music Award for best alt. country song for Casting Shadows (On the Heels of Tomorrow). The prize was decided by fan vote.
“Simply put, it feels fantastic and it’s always nice to receive some recognition for all the hard work,” Newton said. “It really puts a nice bookend on a five-year journey.”
Recording his first album had been a 20-year dream for Newton, and over the past five years he’s been working to make that dream a reality. Last year Newton released that album, also called Casting Shadows (On the Heels of Tomorrow).
He said the fact that the award was determined by listeners made it even more meaningful.
“I don’t have the largest of fan bases, so it really showed that people really like the song,” he said.
Newton said he’ll be receiving a commemorative red vinyl record as an award and he already knows where he’s going to put it.
“I think I’ll definitely frame it up and it’ll be showcased in front of my little recording studio that I’ve got downstairs with all my guitars,” he said. “It’ll definitely have a place on the wall.”
The Independent Music Awards have been recognizing indie artists from around the world for the past 18 years. This year, there were more than 400 nominees from 119 countries.
arts@nanaimobulletin.com
Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter