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Island ‘surfer girl’ making her mark as a rising star on country music scene

Kylee Epp performing new tunes Friday at the Rockin’ River Music Fest
Kylee Epp
Kylee Epp hits the stage at 3:10 p.m. Friday as part of the Rockin’ River Music Fest.

Kylee Epp, Rockin’ River Music Fest, Aug. 15-17. For more information rockinriverfest.com.

 “I knew that loved to sing and I knew that I loved music but I didn’t really understand how this was a career and how this worked.”

From the moment Kylee Epp stepped into a professional recording studio for the first time in the sixth grade she knew exactly what she wanted to do with her life.

 “It totally changed things for me and from then on I was more focussed. I wanted to write music and record,” she says.

Today Epp is performing at the Rockin’ River Music Fest in Mission.

 “I am just super excited,” Epp says. “It’s probably the biggest show I’ve ever booked as an independent artist. Opening for Brad Paisley is insane.”

The country singer’s career began even earlier than Grade 6. She began singing at a young age and often perfromed at birthday parties and also sang the national anthem at local baseball and hockey games. 

This past January Epp released her first record, a self-titled six-track EP. The Qualicum Beach native says she touches on a little bit of everything on the recording.

 “It is fun and light-hearted. When I was writing the record I was aware of the fact that I would be going out and performing to support it. So I wanted to write songs that would translate well live,” she says. “It is a little snapshot into my life in that time.”

Epp travelled back and forth to Nashville and worked with songwriters Steven Lee-Olsen, Patricia Conroy and Tim Taylor.

“I write what I know. I write from my own experiences. To me that is the most honest way to do it,” Epp says. “I have to be inspired when I’m writing.”

Prior to embarking on a solo career, Epp spent eight years as Jessie Farrell’s backup vocalist and acoustic guitar player.

 “That was an incredible experience. I learned so much on tour with Jessie,” Epp says. “Being in her band I was sort of able to watch her career progress and see how it is done. I feel like that experience now that I’m out releasing my own records for the first time and starting to play shows, is all so applicable because I watched her go from playing opening slots to touring across Canada.”

 Epp along with Farrell opened up for a long list of established artists including Alan Jackson, Brooks and Dunn, Toby Keith and Sugarland.

  “Even just watching their shows and night after night you learn the tricks of the trade as far as performers,” Epp says. “I learned how to transition from song to song and what moment to savour and when to quickly move on to the next song.”

 “One of my favourite things about being a musician and performing live is all the traveling I’ve been able to do,” she says.

 Epp’s music career has taken her across Canada, Europe and South Asia including a 2008 concert for the King and Queen of Malaysia.

While performing for the Malaysian royals no one in the audience is allowed to get out of their seats and dance something that Epp wasn’t aware of until after the performance.

 “We started playing and we played three or four songs and nobody danced,” she says. “We were used to people reacting and getting up and moving. Finally we played a song and we noticed the Queen got up and started dancing and then everybody got up and started dancing.”

Last October Epp was nominated for four B.C. Country Music Association Awards and in December she received the Ray McAuley Horizon Award rising star trophy at the BCCMA Awards ceremonies. 

 “To be acknowledged from the community that has been supporting is pretty incredible. It definitely takes a community of people to make this happen. I’ve been working at this for a long time.”

In June, Epp released her newest single titled “You Will” and will be pushing it to radio later this month.

 “It is a song about looking back and realizing what you’ve lost,” she says.

 In addition to her passion for singing, Epp also has a love for surfing. As a teenager she used to compete in Roxy Quicksilver competitions in Tofino.

 “I spent a lot of time as a kid in Tofino,” Epp says. “It’s a great place where you can surf. I have many memories going surfing all day and then coming in evening and playing on the acoustic guitar and sitting around the fire. That all is locked in time.”

Kylee Epp hits the stage at 3:10 p.m. Friday afternoon as part of the Rockin’ River Music Fest.