Video helped the radio star. Contrary to what the Buggles suggest in their hit song “Video Killed The Radio Star”, video certainly played a key role in propelling Teigen Gayse onto country music radio and major streaming services. Specifically, her TikTok posts have racked up over 50 million views, no mean feat for a girl who hails from the picturesque small town of Chetwin, B.C.
“TikTok is so important right now”, says Teigen from her home in Nashville, where she recently relocated. “It’s so great to be able to have a platform that you can, out of nowhere, reach millions of people. I had no idea what was going to happen when I first started doing TikTok, but I’m grateful that it’s out there because it is so important to have all of these platforms to reach wider audiences.”
Her exposure on TikTok has resulted in three consecutive Canadian country hits, the latest of which, “Better Mistake”, was co-written with Nashville songwriting veterans David Thompson and Phil Barton. The variety of available co-writers was just one of the reasons for Teigen’s move to Music City.
“I’ve been coming back and forth to Nashville for the last couple of years. I just love it so much here because it’s just kind of non-stop music, and it’s so electric. You’re in the mindset of music 24/7 and I wanted to live that life, so I decided to make the move.
“I actually wrote “Better Mistake” on one of my first writing trips to Nashville”, she continues. “It was my first time writing with Phil and David. The song has just kind of been in my pocket for the last couple of years. When it came time to pick a new single, we still really liked the song and decided to go with it. It’s cool how sometimes a song will sit on the shelf for a while, and then come up and about when it’s time.”
Teigen was a natural when it came to portraying the female lead in the video for “Better Mistake”. She also showed she was very comfortable in front of the camera during the recent Country Music Association of Ontario Awards show, which she co-hosted with Jason McCoy. Perhaps some future work on that front might be in order.
“I absolutely love film and TV,” she admits. “I was excited when they wanted me to act in the video, and co-hosting the awards was always something that I wanted to do. I have a good feeling I’ll be doing more of that because I love it so much. Before I took off on my music career I really wanted to do acting, which I did for a year. I loved it, but you kind of have to put your all into one thing and give it everything you have. I chose music because that’s where my heart and soul is.”
Teigen’s previous single, “Sleeping With Her”, a hurtin’ breakup song of the first order, is the polar opposite of “Better Mistake”, a buoyant number about a newly kindled romance. Teigen admits that when it comes to country subject matter, she prefers heartbreak over happiness. (“I’m a hurtin’ song girl for sure,” she laughs. “Give me sad songs that make me cry; those are definitely my favourites.” “Sleeping With Her”, capped off a stellar year for her which included racking up Female Artist of the Year, Songwriter of the Year, and Interactive Artist of the Year at the 2023 British Columbia Country Music Awards. She has also been nominated for Breakthrough Artist of the Year at the upcoming Canadian Country Music Awards in September, all of which has left Teigen feeling slightly awestruck.
“It’s absolutely crazy,” she says “It’s moments that you dream of happening and when they do, it feels like it’s an affirmation that you’re on the right track and you’re meant to be doing what you’re doing. I’ve always wanted to be a performer, and it’s nice that people are noticing and liking my music. All the hard work is paying off so it’s a very gratifying feeling”.
The song that really started people noticing Teigen’s music was “If You Show Me Yours”, a heartfelt number with an unlikely co-writer in the form of Nickelback’s Chad Kroeger. The song came about as a result of being in the right place at the right time.
“I was recording a song at Chad’s studio with Simon Clow, who is good friends with Chad,” she recalls. “While we were recording that song Chad was in the studio and we ended up writing that song. We all liked it and it was just kind of cool how it happened. I still can’t believe I wrote a song with this guy. I’ve had a lot of pinch-me moments in the last couple of years and that was one of them.”
With Teigen being such a fan of Chad’s, we wondered about whether the possibility of cutting a countrified version of a Nickelback song might be in the cards for her. It might be a little more of a stretch than, say, Luke Combs’ version of Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car”, so perhaps a Nickelback cover may need a test run with her TikTok followers.
“Oh my God, their song “How You Remind Me” is what I think of when recalling my childhood. I’d be walking to school with my Walkman, listening to that song, and daydreaming about my crush at the time. If I was to do a country version of one of their songs, “How You Remind Me” would definitely be that song. That would be so sick.”
Teigen has a couple of festival appearances lined up for August, culminating in a show at the Canadian National Exhibition (CNE) Bandshell on August 30 in a double-bill with The Reklaws. Whether it’s a coincidence or fate, one of country’s biggest stars, Johnny Cash, graced this same Bandshell stage exactly 30 years ago on August 30, 1994, so Teigen is following in some rather large footsteps.
“No way,” she exclaims. “Oh my God, that just gave me shivers. That is so cool. I’ve never been to the CNE so it’ll be a first time for me and I’m excited. I’m a big fair girl, and I just love that I’m opening for The Reklaws because they’re incredible. Summer is going to go out with a bang and I get to be there.”
Other Country stuff:
Amid his hottest festival season to date, P.E.I.-born country artist Ben Chase has unleashed his summer smash “Bad Day To Be A Beer“. The high-energy track captures the essence of summer in every note. “This song is a tailgate, pool party, boating jam,” Ben says. “If you’re looking for that song to add to your playlist to get the party started, this is it”.
Following up his fourth #1 at country radio earlier this summer, multi-platinum artist Jade Eagleson is back on the airwaves with the release of his new single“Do It Anyway”, featuring Texas native Jake Worthington. “When Jade asked if I would join him on the song, it was an easy yes,” shares Jake. “I am a fan of what he’s doing and the good ole country music he’s making.”
Breakthrough artist Tony Steven is a first-time Canadian Country Music award nominee in the coveted “Songwriter of the Year” category for his hit single “Whiskey In Colorado”. The song is currently in the Top 10 on the Canadian Country radio charts and has accumulated over two million streams to date. “Songwriting is my favourite way to be creative,” says the B.C. native. “Being nominated for Songwriter of the Year at the CCMAs is something I have dreamed of.”
Open Spaces is a monthly column by Roman Mitz, covering the up-and-coming in the country music scene across Canada.
