Airdrie musician Kyle McKearney's next album will have a big budget behind it, after the roots-country artist took home $75,000 on March 26 as the runner-up in the Project WILD competition.
“It was amazing,” McKearney said. “It feels really nice when your province looks at you and selects you out of everybody that applied. To make the top three was mind-blowing because I’m not a commercial country artist. You can’t expect these things when you’re in the trenches I’m in. It’s rare, and very much appreciated.”
Put on by Alberta Music and Calgary country station WILD 95.3 FM, Project WILD is a yearly development program and contest that seeks to develop, promote, and launch the careers of the province's emerging country artists.
Created in 2014, Project WILD was part of a seven-year, $4.9 million program funded by the Jim Pattison Broadcast Group. This year marked the fifth and final instalment of the annual competition, after two years of COVID-related delays.
After an initial application process, the top 12 finalists were announced in 2021. Afterwards, the finalists had to participate in a music boot camp that included industry-related challenges designed to further their skills in performance, songwriting, marketing, media strategy, music business and accounting, tour strategy, and social media.
In addition to their participation in the virtual boot camp, each of the finalists took home $7,500, and got to perform at the King Eddy music venue in downtown Calgary during one of three showcase performances in February.
Final time out to the King Eddy for the final performances and winner reveal for #projectwild. Here’s #Airdrie’s Kyle McKearney, who is a top-three finalist, performing earlier. pic.twitter.com/zzWdnKhRcf
— Scott Strasser (@scottstrasser19) March 27, 2022
Back at at the King Eddy on Saturday night, the top three finalists – McKearney, Shaela Miller from Lethbridge and Drew Gregory from Strathmore – each performed one last time in front of a sold-out crowd.
Afterwards, Miller was announced as Project WILD's grand-prize winner of $100,953, while McKearney and Gregory took home the runner-up prizes of $75,000 and $50,000, respectively, to help further their career development.
McKearney said he was thrilled to see Miller take home the top prize, adding all the participants were rooting for each other to succeed.
“It never felt like a competition, the whole time we were doing it,” he said. “I think they did a good job at Alberta Music and Project WILD. They know how to do it so that it just feels like everyone is rooting for each other. It felt like that on the last night as well. I was super happy to see Shaela to take first place and super happy for my outcome as well.”
Looks like Kyle McKearney finishes with the runner-up cheque, but $75k is certainly nothing to sneeze at! pic.twitter.com/nv6H44TBXN
— Scott Strasser (@scottstrasser19) March 27, 2022
According to McKearney, the contest winnings will help him produce another album – his first, Down-Home, was released in 2021 – and spend more time on the record than he did on the first.
“It’s going to allow me to not worry or have to hustle for money,” he said.
McKearney wasn't the only Airdrie-based artist who competed in Project WILD this year. Local brothers Ryan and Brad Fleischer, who comprise the country duo Flaysher, were also top-12 finalists, and were at the King Eddy on March 26 to cheer on the final three.
Robert Adam, from Crossfield, was also a top-12 finalist.
McKearney added the local representation in Project WILD is proof of the Airdrie region's country talent at the moment.
“There’s something in the water,” said McKearney, who has lived in Airdrie for four years. “I think there’s lots to draw from here. We’re in the country out here. It’s rural, there are wheat fields just outside my back window.
“There’s farming, agriculture, and livestock – all the things that feel like that [country] essence. Rather than being in the city, out here, you get more of a taste for that, and it inspires those kinds of feelings in songs.”
