The last 365 days have roared by for country singer Jess Moskaluke.
During that time the Saskatchewan native has released a full-length album, won a Canadian Country Music Association Award, had one of her singles become gold certified, earned two Juno Award nominations and has just kicked off a nationwide tour.
“It is just so overwhelming in the best way possible,” she said.
On April 4, Moskaluke, 24 will be performing with Chad Brownlee and Bobby Wills at the Arbutus Meadows Event and Equestrian Centre in Nanoose Bay. Her performance marks the end of the When The Lights Go Down tour, which began in Summerside, P.E.I. last week.
Moskaluke was born in Langenburg, Sask., and began singing at an early age.
“I just loved it,” she said. “I started doing some competitions and then it was just a natural growth from there.”
This past summer proved to be a big one for the Saskatchewan singer.
Moskaluke, who released her first full-length record, Light Up The Night last April, earned a CCMA Award for Female Artist of the Year and had her single Cheap Wine and Cigarettes certify gold by Music Canada, making her the first female Canadian artist to do so since 2004 when Shania Twain accomplished the feat with her single Party for Two.
“Everything was so surprising,” she said. “Definitely nothing you expect. I am always of the mindset that if you expect something you’re feeling a little too entitled maybe. I would much rather be pleasantly surprised by those things and I really really was. I don’t think I have ever been more surprised in my life.”
In January, Moskaluke was nominated for Breakthrough Artist of the Year and Country Album of the Year (Light Up The Night) at the upcoming Juno Awards in Hamilton.
Moskaluke said she was shocked to find out that she was nominated for two Juno Awards.
“I was really shocked again,” she said. “It was a really special moment. It was hectic and scary. The nominees don’t find out before everybody else.”
Although she is currently on the road, Moskaluke is starting to work on a new full-length record.
“We are writing songs and looking for songs,” she said. “But we haven’t started the recording process. So I don’t have a date as to when it will be out.”
Moskaluke said that she has no plans to release the same type of album and hopes to experience the same kind of success as she did with Light Up The Night.
“I am not going to put out the same album six times,” she said. “That’s just not something that I am interested in doing but it will be true to who I am and what I want.”
When Moskaluke looks back at the past 12 months, she struggles to pick out one memorable moment.
“This whole past year has been the most memorable moment,” she said. “It just seems to have gone by so fast.”
Moskaluke performs at Arbutus Meadows on April 4. For tickets and more information, please visit www.jessmoskaluke.com or www.facebookcom/JessMoskalukeMusic.
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