Jake Vaadeland grew up in Big River, Sask., hearing, “No one likes bluegrass and country music,” and getting teased for the way he dressed.
Well … looks like he’ll get the last laugh.
Now 21 years old, the Cut Knife resident and frequent performer at the Vic Juba Community Theatre won his first-ever Juno Award on March 30.
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The sharply-dressed Vaadeland and his band, The Sturgeon River Boys, took home Traditional Roots Album of the Year for Retro Man … More and More (Expanded Edition) at the 54th Annual Juno Awards in Vancouver.
“I heard my name called and was excited for a second, then entertainment mode kicked in. People at my table were trying to hug me and later said I ran away too fast,” joked Vaadeland, explaining his priority was stage presence.
“I wasn’t going to let there be any dead air on the Junos. I was making sure I had good stage presence, a good speech, and I wanted to say as much as I could in those 30 seconds before the music came on to get me off the stage.”
For Vaadeland, the win is special, but it also reassures him that he made the right choice in pursuing his dream of being an entertainer.
“It means a lot, and it’s special,” he said, explaining he wrote half of Retro Man … More and More (Expanded Edition) while still in high school.
“A lot of the songs are about the way I was treated in school by the naysayers — including teachers. Although they were nice to me, they were very discouraging of my hopes, dreams, and ambition to become a full-time entertainer,” he said.
“The kids made fun of the way I dressed and told me no one likes bluegrass and country music,” Vaadeland added. “Hearing that made me want to do it even more — so I left school and wrote a bunch of those songs.”
According to Vaadeland, the album is especially meaningful because it wasn’t recorded in a professional studio.
“We were recording on the road, and those songs are written about those experiences and the people that gave me a hard time,” said Vaadeland. “It wasn’t recorded in a professional studio, but in someone’s basement and random accommodations on the road … and that’s the album that won a Juno.”
Vaadeland also made Canadian music history this year as the youngest artist to achieve ‘Road Gold’ certification by selling 25,000 tickets in 12 months across Canada.
Jake Vaadeland and the Sturgeon River Boys head to Europe in August following several Canadian tour dates.
Be sure to check future Vic Juba Community Theatre events for Vaadeland’s next show in the Border City.
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