Canada’s biggest breakthrough independent Americana artist of the past year, Kyle McKearney, has added another accolade to his trophy case. Kyle’s sophomore album, A Traveler’s Lament was named Alternative Country Album of the Year at the 2023 Canadian Country Music Association Awards.
The award was given out as part of the CCMA Industry Gala Dinner, presented by Stingray, prior to the televised award ceremony held at FirstOntario in Hamilton, Ontario on Sept. 16.
A Traveler’s Lament was released March 31 via Believe Digital and found Kyle working once again with JUNO-winning producer Russell Broom (Jann Arden, Paul McCartney, Lindsay Ell). The 10 songs on A Traveler’s Lament display the Alberta-based singer/songwriter’s ever-evolving skills at combining country, blues, R&B and rock ‘n’ roll, all driven by his powerful voice and engaging storytelling. It’s all contained on the album’s current single, “Rebel Child,” which followed previous singles “Mercy,” “River Rain” and “Grandfather” that have pushed Kyle’s total streams to over two million.
Since the release of Kyle’s 2021 debut album Down-Home, he has also been named a SiriusXM Top of the Country semi-finalist, placed second in Alberta Music’s Project Wild (for which he was awarded $75,000), and shared stages with The Black Crowes, Kip Moore, Our Lady Peace and Dean Brody.
Honesty and authenticity have formed the bedrock of every song Kyle has written to date, a reflection of being born and raised in small-town northern British Columbia, and his family’s Metis heritage. Kyle grew up listening to country, bluegrass, and rockabilly, all of which sparked his interest in music. He would later explore rock and pop sounds with various projects, including playing guitar in the band that accompanied the touring production of QUEEN’s We Will Rock You.
Kyle has now taken the next major step forward with A Traveler’s Lament, an album that celebrates the importance of family and friendship, two things that have been crucial to helping Kyle get to this point, and beyond.
