Mixing the old with the new, The Prairie States was born out of a desire to put a fresh touch on a classic design. As seven time Country Music Alberta Award recipients including the 2018 Rising Star, 2019 Horizon Group/Duo Of The Year, and 2020 Songwriters fo the Year, as well as 1st place in the 2018 Project Wild Artist Development Program, it’s proof that this Edmonton based band is moving in the right direction.
Mat Cardinal (Big Stone Cree Nation, Wabasca/Desmarais AB), Jeff Dick (Edmonton AB), Mike Nash (Edmonton AB), Doc de Groot (Cranbrook BC), and Jay Der (Red Deer AB) formed The Prairie States in 2017 and immediately started writing songs for their full length album, Lost In The Right Direction. Independently released in June 2018, it was nominated for the CMAB Album Of The Year and included three radio singles, which all broke the top 100 Mediabase Canadian Country Chart. Since then, the band has released three more singles, Every Little Town, Low Life, and High That I’m Riding, all of which also cracking the top 100.
To go along with the release of Low Life, the band teamed up with Edmonton based Sea Change Brewing Co to create a custom branded beer called Low Life Lager. The brewery made 17000 tall boys of this perfect summer sipper which included a Spotify QR code so the person enjoying the beverage could also “Scan The Can” to instantly hear Low Life.
The group’s latest release, Ferris Wheel, is mix of joyous vocals, upbeat rhythms and haunting guitars. A bittersweet yet raucous song that dances listeners through a dimly lit journey headfirst toward the horizon. It’s about holding on tight to the ones you love, because they’ll be who get you through the highs and lows of life.
Exploring new technology is also as important to The Prairie States as expanding their musical palette. They recently became one of the first Canadian bands to release NFTs (non-fungible tokens) of their EP, available via OpenSea.io.
The Prairie States have been out on the road and wowing crowds with their undeniable live show. In their short time as a band, they’ve shared stages with Aaron Goodvin, Clayton Bellamy, as well as Brothers Osborne and Canadian legend Charlie Major while kicking off the 2019 Big Valley Jamboree.
Ready with a stack of brand new recordings underway with Juno and CCMA award wining producer Bart McKay, this band shows no signs of slowing down.
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