Kat Harlton
Photo: provided via artist / PR Team
11-time Country Music Alberta Award-winning band The Prairie States, who recently received a Canadian Country Music Award (CCMA) nomination for Video of the Year for “Trouble Is” , just released the band’s new single “Not So Much No More”. With themes of love, loss, and second chances, The Prairie States showcase their evolving sound and dedication to raising the bar in their work.
Formed in 2017, The Prairie States is composed of Mat Cardinal, Jeff Dick, Mike Nash, Jay Der and Doc de Groot. Emerging from the heartland of Canada, the band delivers rock-infused country anthems through authentic storytelling. Since the release of Trouble Is, their third album and first LP on Willing Records, the band has achieved remarkable success, including two charting singles and their breakout hit “Waiting On You,” which reached number 24 on the Canadian charts. Trouble Is has also surpassed six million streams since its January 2024 release.
I had the opportunity to chat with Jeff Dick about the band’s musical journey, the inspiration behind their latest single, being nominated for a CCMA Award and more.
Kat: Can you share with us a bit about The Prairie States and your musical journey so far?
Jeff: The Prairie States started out as a song writing partnership between Jeff & Mat. As we added the rest of the band we started to gel as a unit. It took us a while to find our sound and style, but once we did we never looked back. It has been one hell of a ride so far! We’ve been lucky enough to find people who have shared and supported our vision. Now we find ourselves with a team helping us to reach the next level.
Kat: Can you talk about the inspiration behind your latest single, “Not So Much No More”?
Jeff: Our label Willing Records has a working relationship with Universal Music. We were lucky enough to get pitched a stack of high quality songs from them and Not So Much No More really stood out. We like to call it the “break up song of the summer”. It’s a triumph over heart break and getting back on that horse. The song is a lighthearted look at getting over someone and getting back out there to find new love.
Kat: What do you hope fans take from the track?
Jeff: We hope the fans find the song as fun as we do. The message is that even though it hurts, this too shall pass. When someone dumps you there are good times and a chance to find new love just around the corner. Plus it’s a great song to take a spin on the dance floor!
Kat: How does it feel to be nominated for the CCMA Award for Video of the Year for “Trouble Is”?
Jeff: This is our second CCMA nomination. It is truly an honor to be nominated, especially when you see the list of artists in our category. We are very proud of the video for Trouble Is. Cooper and O’Hara were the crew who brought the vision to life and they did a tremendous job. The video shoot was a fantastic couple of days in a beautiful location. They captured the message of the song and the beauty of our home province of Alberta beautifully. It’s also really cool that the CCMAs are being held in our hometown of Edmonton this year.
Kat: What do you find is the most challenging part of your creative process?
Jeff: I find that the muse is fickle and you can’t always wait for inspiration. I once read a great book by Stephen King about writing. He makes it a habit to sit down every day and work whether he feels like it or not. Some of those days when you aren’t really feeling inspired can yield great results. Making a commitment to do the work is key. Get to work and the rest will come.
Kat: What has been a career highlight for you so far?
Jeff: Our career has been filled with a lot of highlights. There have been awards, nominations and big festival crowds. It’s great to get recognition from the industry and your peers but nothing beats connecting with an audience live. For me personally it’s been the moments where I stand on stage, look at the crowd and they are singing the words we wrote back at us. There’s nothing like that in the world.
Kat: What have you learned along the way that you would like to share with other aspiring artists?
Jeff: The music business can be a tough one. At the end of the day you are the one who has to believe in what you are creating. There is a lot of rejection and trying times but stick with it. We have a saying in our band, “never stop never stopping”. Do the work and the rest will come.
Kat: What else can fans expect from you for the balance of 2024?
Jeff: 2024 is shaping up to be another great year for the band. The summer festival season is coming to an end after a run of great shows. We have more music on the way with a whole bunch more waiting to be finished off. There’s going to be some dates in the fall where we hope to see our fans out on the road. We love to play live and we will see you out there soon!
Connect With The Prairie States
Instagram: @theprairiestates
Twitter: @prairiestates
Facebook: @ThePrairieStates
Website: https://theprairiestates.com