The Boots and Hearts Sit down with Carolyn Dawn Johnson
In a few weeks we head across the pond to experience our first Canadian country music festival at Ontario’s Boots and Hearts. This years festival will be headlined by The Jonas Brothers, The Chicks and Rascal Flatts, however there is plenty of homegrown talent on show too for Canadian fans. Prior to The Chicks on Saturday night, 17-time CCMA Award winner Carolyn Dawn Johnson will be taking over the main stage where 25 years after the release of her breakout album Room With A View. We caught up with Carolyn this week to look ahead to the festival weekend.
Hey Carolyn, thanks for chatting to us as we count down to Boots and Hearts.
Well, you know what, it's interesting, because I'm trying to get a lot of Boots and Hearts stuff done. We had some rooms booked about 20 minutes away that I booked months ago because I knew they're gonna be scarce. I didn't have the right tour manager yet, so, I got all that booked and now there's 3 rooms booked for 2 nights, but now I really only need 3 rooms the first night to the second night! I needed to cancel one night for one of the rooms and I’ve been going in circles on the website, because I already called the hotel, they said, no, you booked through Booking.com, you have to do it through them. I've been going back and forth for about an hour, and I finally got AI to help me cancel the third room on the second night, and they cancelled the whole reservation! I panicked, called the lady at the front desk, who had talked to me earlier and said, no, I can't do it, you have to do it through the third-party site so now she's like, can you hold, please? And I said, I really can't, but yes, I'll hold, but I'm the same girl that called you earlier, needing to cancel that one room for one night. I just tried to do that, like you told me to do, and they cancelled the whole thing. Do not let those rooms go! The band has to stay there, and I have to stay there! She did her thing, got back to me, I was on hold, and then we had to rebook everything, and it's more expensive. I'm gonna have to, after I talk to you, go back to that website and see what I can do, because the only rooms they had, is the ones I just let go! I was worried we'd end up having to stay much further out, and that would not be good, because it's just exhausting going back and forth and trying to figure things out. I just know how show days are. Everything gets crunched way more than you ever think, all the time, so I don't want to be far away. It's already 20 minutes away. That’s been me today so, nice to meet you!
Nice to meet you! Do you feel like this is now countdown mode is on?
Yes. Absolutely. I just finished a whole bunch of other stuff and some shows. I’ve been vocal producing on this new artist, and we literally just wrapped up her EP, 8-song EP, yesterday, all the vocals. I put all the bows on, everything is good, and today we had video shoot stuff for her that we had to do for content stuff, and we got done earlier than we were supposed to. Now I’m like, Boots and Hearts! This is a big festival, I gotta get all the stuff done, and my agent had sent me this massive list of all these people, you included, so thank you for taking the time.
Well, I land in Toronto on the Wednesday so have a quick turnaround to get through the jetlag before heading to the festival site. I’ve been to Canada so many times and even lived in BC, but I’ve never done a festival, and everyone has just said it is the festival of festivals in Canada.
Yeah. I have never played it. Which is shocking that I haven't played it.
Have you been as a fan at least?
I have not. You know, I feel like I've played almost every other festival on the planet, in the US and Canada, that is, but I have not played it, and I haven't been there as a fan, so I'm really looking forward to it, I gotta say.
What tips have people given you about it?
I actually don’t know, I just think I’ve mostly heard, hey, that’s the biggest festival in Canada, or everybody loves Boots and Hearts, and I remember kind of watching it rise. I remember hearing about this festival when it first started, and really, Ontario needed this festival. They didn’t have anything like this. Ontario is full of country music fans, and it’s so populated that why would you not have an amazing festival? I know there was one that I played back early on in my career, that was right across the border also. It was huge also, and that went away in a few years and then nobody replaced it, and then finally Boots and Hearts came about.
Having done so many festivals, is it still exciting to get the phone calls for one you've not done before?
Yeah, absolutely. A festival crowd's a different crowd. I think I probably shine the most in a theatre situation. I'm a singer-songwriter, I like to tell stories. I like to get really intimate with people, but you can still actually do that at a festival, but there's something just really fun about going out there, rocking, getting with the people, and just feeling that energy, because I have been a fan at festivals. Before I ever launched into my own life and career, as a musician, I was starry-eyed looking at all of my people that I wanted to be like, and loved country music so much, so I've been to them, and they are so much fun, and so I just like being part of the energy.
Then getting booked for the main stage on the same day as The Chicks must be a nice bonus for it as well.
Yes, and you know that girl that I was talking about, that we just wrapped up her vocals, yesterday she brought me a little gift and, it was a vinyl of The Chicks! I had to play for her today during some of that video stuff, and we played Ready to Run. She’s a huge Chicks fan, I’m a huge Chicks fan. I don’t really know Natalie, but I know the girls. I’ve met Natalie, I’ve been to their shows and love them, so I’m extremely pumped to be on the same day as The Chicks.
Do you still kind of get that urge to go and buy the poster or find some kind of memento to keep?
You know, I am a poster buyer, interestingly enough that you would say that, because if I can, if I don't want another t-shirt, I try to support artists as much as I can. Even in Nashville, I'll go out and see friends and whatever, and I'll try to get something. I love posters, because then I just stick them up in my studio. I was telling somebody the other day that when I was in high school, I started my school binder, which came every year and stayed with me. I feel like my kids get a new binder every year, whereas me, I had to hang on to the same one every year, and I had a list on the front of it, of everybody that I saw in concert, and I would keep track of everybody that I saw. I wasn't just a country music fan, I listened to all kinds of music, but I was the country girl. Posters are another way of keeping track of who you've got to see. I wonder if they'll have one of those posters for the day or the weekend. I remember I did this festival in Nashville early on in my career and it was a rock festival, and my agent somehow got me on there. I was the only country girl, and I was opening for No Doubt and John Mayer. I was like, this is really cool to be on this poster, and I do have that poster. And Garbage played too! That's who else was on it. It's fun to have those posters! I knew I was on this festival, and then it was the day when you're doing sound check and all this stuff, I'm like who am I playing with? I felt, pretty cool to be on it because they were definitely not country people!
Hey Carolyn, thanks for chatting to us as we count down to Boots and Hearts.
Well, you know what, it's interesting, because I'm trying to get a lot of Boots and Hearts stuff done. We had some rooms booked about 20 minutes away that I booked months ago because I knew they're gonna be scarce. I didn't have the right tour manager yet, so, I got all that booked and now there's 3 rooms booked for 2 nights, but now I really only need 3 rooms the first night to the second night! I needed to cancel one night for one of the rooms and I’ve been going in circles on the website, because I already called the hotel, they said, no, you booked through Booking.com, you have to do it through them. I've been going back and forth for about an hour, and I finally got AI to help me cancel the third room on the second night, and they cancelled the whole reservation! I panicked, called the lady at the front desk, who had talked to me earlier and said, no, I can't do it, you have to do it through the third-party site so now she's like, can you hold, please? And I said, I really can't, but yes, I'll hold, but I'm the same girl that called you earlier, needing to cancel that one room for one night. I just tried to do that, like you told me to do, and they cancelled the whole thing. Do not let those rooms go! The band has to stay there, and I have to stay there! She did her thing, got back to me, I was on hold, and then we had to rebook everything, and it's more expensive. I'm gonna have to, after I talk to you, go back to that website and see what I can do, because the only rooms they had, is the ones I just let go! I was worried we'd end up having to stay much further out, and that would not be good, because it's just exhausting going back and forth and trying to figure things out. I just know how show days are. Everything gets crunched way more than you ever think, all the time, so I don't want to be far away. It's already 20 minutes away. That’s been me today so, nice to meet you!
Nice to meet you! Do you feel like this is now countdown mode is on?
Yes. Absolutely. I just finished a whole bunch of other stuff and some shows. I’ve been vocal producing on this new artist, and we literally just wrapped up her EP, 8-song EP, yesterday, all the vocals. I put all the bows on, everything is good, and today we had video shoot stuff for her that we had to do for content stuff, and we got done earlier than we were supposed to. Now I’m like, Boots and Hearts! This is a big festival, I gotta get all the stuff done, and my agent had sent me this massive list of all these people, you included, so thank you for taking the time.
Well, I land in Toronto on the Wednesday so have a quick turnaround to get through the jetlag before heading to the festival site. I’ve been to Canada so many times and even lived in BC, but I’ve never done a festival, and everyone has just said it is the festival of festivals in Canada.
Yeah. I have never played it. Which is shocking that I haven't played it.
Have you been as a fan at least?
I have not. You know, I feel like I've played almost every other festival on the planet, in the US and Canada, that is, but I have not played it, and I haven't been there as a fan, so I'm really looking forward to it, I gotta say.
What tips have people given you about it?
I actually don’t know, I just think I’ve mostly heard, hey, that’s the biggest festival in Canada, or everybody loves Boots and Hearts, and I remember kind of watching it rise. I remember hearing about this festival when it first started, and really, Ontario needed this festival. They didn’t have anything like this. Ontario is full of country music fans, and it’s so populated that why would you not have an amazing festival? I know there was one that I played back early on in my career, that was right across the border also. It was huge also, and that went away in a few years and then nobody replaced it, and then finally Boots and Hearts came about.
Having done so many festivals, is it still exciting to get the phone calls for one you've not done before?
Yeah, absolutely. A festival crowd's a different crowd. I think I probably shine the most in a theatre situation. I'm a singer-songwriter, I like to tell stories. I like to get really intimate with people, but you can still actually do that at a festival, but there's something just really fun about going out there, rocking, getting with the people, and just feeling that energy, because I have been a fan at festivals. Before I ever launched into my own life and career, as a musician, I was starry-eyed looking at all of my people that I wanted to be like, and loved country music so much, so I've been to them, and they are so much fun, and so I just like being part of the energy.
Then getting booked for the main stage on the same day as The Chicks must be a nice bonus for it as well.
Yes, and you know that girl that I was talking about, that we just wrapped up her vocals, yesterday she brought me a little gift and, it was a vinyl of The Chicks! I had to play for her today during some of that video stuff, and we played Ready to Run. She’s a huge Chicks fan, I’m a huge Chicks fan. I don’t really know Natalie, but I know the girls. I’ve met Natalie, I’ve been to their shows and love them, so I’m extremely pumped to be on the same day as The Chicks.
Do you still kind of get that urge to go and buy the poster or find some kind of memento to keep?
You know, I am a poster buyer, interestingly enough that you would say that, because if I can, if I don't want another t-shirt, I try to support artists as much as I can. Even in Nashville, I'll go out and see friends and whatever, and I'll try to get something. I love posters, because then I just stick them up in my studio. I was telling somebody the other day that when I was in high school, I started my school binder, which came every year and stayed with me. I feel like my kids get a new binder every year, whereas me, I had to hang on to the same one every year, and I had a list on the front of it, of everybody that I saw in concert, and I would keep track of everybody that I saw. I wasn't just a country music fan, I listened to all kinds of music, but I was the country girl. Posters are another way of keeping track of who you've got to see. I wonder if they'll have one of those posters for the day or the weekend. I remember I did this festival in Nashville early on in my career and it was a rock festival, and my agent somehow got me on there. I was the only country girl, and I was opening for No Doubt and John Mayer. I was like, this is really cool to be on this poster, and I do have that poster. And Garbage played too! That's who else was on it. It's fun to have those posters! I knew I was on this festival, and then it was the day when you're doing sound check and all this stuff, I'm like who am I playing with? I felt, pretty cool to be on it because they were definitely not country people!
Each year, Boots hosts an Emerging Artist Showcase. For someone who has seen and experienced so much in this industry, how important do you think it is for those 6 artists to get that feature and opportunity so early in a career?
Very important. First of all, to even get to that point takes a lot of grit, time and effort. Then to be chosen to be part of that is a huge deal. The visibility, not only with the fans, but the business players in the field of music, it’s very important. What they do with it after that, is up to them, and how they end up showcasing themselves while they’re there. It’s not the end-all, be-all of a career, but it’s a very nice boost. And how cool that Boots and Hearts even does that, actually. Not everybody does that. Not every festival gives some of those chance so it’s pretty cool.
I hadn't realised that that's where Josh Ross and James Barker ultimately got their first break by winning doing it.
I didn't know that. Josh has been flying high pretty much these days, so that is amazing. You just never know. What I love is that it shows that it can happen, and when I think about people that came before me like Michelle Wright, or Shania Twain, Terri Clark, they showed me it's possible, which made me venture down south into the country music capital of the world. That's what someone like James Barker and Josh Ross have shown. Everybody who's on that stage, not that anybody wouldn't go for it every time when they have that shot, but I think in the back of their mind, they could actually be like, who knows? Let's go for it. This could be the pivot in my life and career. That's exciting. It just gives me chills thinking about that. You just never know.
Very important. First of all, to even get to that point takes a lot of grit, time and effort. Then to be chosen to be part of that is a huge deal. The visibility, not only with the fans, but the business players in the field of music, it’s very important. What they do with it after that, is up to them, and how they end up showcasing themselves while they’re there. It’s not the end-all, be-all of a career, but it’s a very nice boost. And how cool that Boots and Hearts even does that, actually. Not everybody does that. Not every festival gives some of those chance so it’s pretty cool.
I hadn't realised that that's where Josh Ross and James Barker ultimately got their first break by winning doing it.
I didn't know that. Josh has been flying high pretty much these days, so that is amazing. You just never know. What I love is that it shows that it can happen, and when I think about people that came before me like Michelle Wright, or Shania Twain, Terri Clark, they showed me it's possible, which made me venture down south into the country music capital of the world. That's what someone like James Barker and Josh Ross have shown. Everybody who's on that stage, not that anybody wouldn't go for it every time when they have that shot, but I think in the back of their mind, they could actually be like, who knows? Let's go for it. This could be the pivot in my life and career. That's exciting. It just gives me chills thinking about that. You just never know.
For you, how different is it going to be for someone who does quite a lot of intimate shows at places like The Listening Room to then go into this huge main stage, in front of 50,000 people.
Is that how many people are gonna be there? Well, I play as if there’s two people, and there’s 50,000 people every time. I try to. I just try to emote and give whatever I can. I’m excited to play for that many people. Here’s my thoughts. I’m hoping to gain some new fans, and I’m hoping to reignite the ones that listened to my music all these years.
Is that how many people are gonna be there? Well, I play as if there’s two people, and there’s 50,000 people every time. I try to. I just try to emote and give whatever I can. I’m excited to play for that many people. Here’s my thoughts. I’m hoping to gain some new fans, and I’m hoping to reignite the ones that listened to my music all these years.
I'm going to take it away from boots for a second, because I'm sure there's one other poster you've had from this year. Do you have the Ryman?
I do! Good note! Yes, I do. Oh my gosh, I was like, are they gonna do a poster? Are they gonna do a poster? Yes, they did. They do it for every show or every night - I definitely have mine. I don't have it framed yet, but I'm gonna get its own frame for that, because out of all the years I've done this I've played the Opry there when the Opry has been held at the Ryman, and I've done some charity events there, but I've never done a Carolyn Dawn Johnson set. I played 35 minutes, me and my guitar, for this stunning crowd that listened and hung on my words and my notes, and I got off there feeling very grateful and overwhelmed. You never know if that's ever gonna happen again, so I soaked it up. I do have that poster, and it was a very special night. It was awesome.
Does it just make you want the phone to ring so you can go back?
It does. The guy who runs the Ryman came to my dressing room after, and he goes. I watched your set, that was wonderful, we need to get you back. And I said, please! Please get me back. Somehow, we’ll have to plan that somewhere down the road. It was wonderful. I was anxious going into it, because I desperately wanted to feel like I belong. I think every time you get on that stage, for me, even when I play the Opry, every single time, you’re like, am I allowed to be here? Have I earned my right? All those things. Sometimes you think that, and then you have to push that away and go, you’re here. Let’s go give the people everything you got today. You got here somehow and that’s not by chance. I have to have that self-talk, and then once I get out there and start singing, then I’m able to just be with the people, and it’s pretty beautiful.
It does just show that no matter how long you do it for, there's always something you can achieve and want to achieve as well.
Isn't that interesting? It's so true. I had actually rewritten some goals shortly after 2020 and 2021, where it was like, okay, you know what, we are not granted anything. We do not know what tomorrow holds, so I'm gonna sit down and go, what else do I still want to do? I want to try and continue to make the most of the life that I have, so when it came around, I was like, was somebody listening? I guess so! I mean, I've always been a person that dreams, puts it out there and writes things down, but sometimes you get in the middle of your career, and you forget to recalibrate. I thought it was kind of shocking that that Ryman show came around.
Well, if you’re needing a new item for the Bucket List, let’s add a UK show or two.
Oh, gosh, I need to get over there. I went over in what feels like a million years ago, but I think it was 2005 or 6, and my record company had brought over all these different journalists and stuff from different countries, and we centred everything in London. I just remember people saying, so are you gonna come back? And I said, of course I am. And then I never came back. Stuff changed in my career, and I didn’t get back there, and I’ve just always wanted, and I just feel like I’ve never really worked with the right people that prioritised it, and I’m like, how do I do that? And I’m watching my sweet friend, Tenille (Townes), who went fully independent not that long ago, and she has just been grabbing the bull by the horns, and I’m like, I am so proud of you. This is amazing what you’re doing, because I know how much work it is. When you don’t have a team to do this, and this, and this, and this, and this, and this. It’s more than people think to make these things happen, and so I’m super proud of what she’s doing.
She has certainly made the UK a second home and is set to be over here again very soon. She has really grafted to get the crowds and now they keep coming back and the venues are getting bigger each time.
Well, we're supposed to have dinner sometime soon, because I'm going to pick her brain on some things. I've been working on new music. It's been taking me a while. I'm about halfway done, and I just still love to make music. I obviously still play, I play out as much as I can, but I also have this collection of songs that I want to get out there to everybody, and I just need to finish it up. Now that I wrapped up on this latest project I can dive back into some of my own stuff again, which will be wonderful, and then I've just gotta figure out, how do I get to the people.
You can come and play new or old music for us any time. We’re probably even more of an attentive crowd now than you remember
That sounds amazing.
Thank you for your time and I’m certainly joining you on the countdown to Boots and Hearts and I’m looking forward to seeing you there.
Thank you. It's been amazing meeting you. I am gonna get on somehow with Booking.com, but I don't know if I can get past AI!
Let’s now hope you don’t all end up in tents!
That’s right.
I guess good luck with Booking.com then!
Thanks again, and you take care, and have a safe flight over.
Canada’s premier country music and camping experience returns to the Burl’s Creek Event Grounds in Oro-Medonte, Ontario, from August 7–9, 2026. Featuring a star-studded lineup headlined by The Chicks, Rascal Flatts, and the Jonas Brothers
I do! Good note! Yes, I do. Oh my gosh, I was like, are they gonna do a poster? Are they gonna do a poster? Yes, they did. They do it for every show or every night - I definitely have mine. I don't have it framed yet, but I'm gonna get its own frame for that, because out of all the years I've done this I've played the Opry there when the Opry has been held at the Ryman, and I've done some charity events there, but I've never done a Carolyn Dawn Johnson set. I played 35 minutes, me and my guitar, for this stunning crowd that listened and hung on my words and my notes, and I got off there feeling very grateful and overwhelmed. You never know if that's ever gonna happen again, so I soaked it up. I do have that poster, and it was a very special night. It was awesome.
Does it just make you want the phone to ring so you can go back?
It does. The guy who runs the Ryman came to my dressing room after, and he goes. I watched your set, that was wonderful, we need to get you back. And I said, please! Please get me back. Somehow, we’ll have to plan that somewhere down the road. It was wonderful. I was anxious going into it, because I desperately wanted to feel like I belong. I think every time you get on that stage, for me, even when I play the Opry, every single time, you’re like, am I allowed to be here? Have I earned my right? All those things. Sometimes you think that, and then you have to push that away and go, you’re here. Let’s go give the people everything you got today. You got here somehow and that’s not by chance. I have to have that self-talk, and then once I get out there and start singing, then I’m able to just be with the people, and it’s pretty beautiful.
It does just show that no matter how long you do it for, there's always something you can achieve and want to achieve as well.
Isn't that interesting? It's so true. I had actually rewritten some goals shortly after 2020 and 2021, where it was like, okay, you know what, we are not granted anything. We do not know what tomorrow holds, so I'm gonna sit down and go, what else do I still want to do? I want to try and continue to make the most of the life that I have, so when it came around, I was like, was somebody listening? I guess so! I mean, I've always been a person that dreams, puts it out there and writes things down, but sometimes you get in the middle of your career, and you forget to recalibrate. I thought it was kind of shocking that that Ryman show came around.
Well, if you’re needing a new item for the Bucket List, let’s add a UK show or two.
Oh, gosh, I need to get over there. I went over in what feels like a million years ago, but I think it was 2005 or 6, and my record company had brought over all these different journalists and stuff from different countries, and we centred everything in London. I just remember people saying, so are you gonna come back? And I said, of course I am. And then I never came back. Stuff changed in my career, and I didn’t get back there, and I’ve just always wanted, and I just feel like I’ve never really worked with the right people that prioritised it, and I’m like, how do I do that? And I’m watching my sweet friend, Tenille (Townes), who went fully independent not that long ago, and she has just been grabbing the bull by the horns, and I’m like, I am so proud of you. This is amazing what you’re doing, because I know how much work it is. When you don’t have a team to do this, and this, and this, and this, and this, and this. It’s more than people think to make these things happen, and so I’m super proud of what she’s doing.
She has certainly made the UK a second home and is set to be over here again very soon. She has really grafted to get the crowds and now they keep coming back and the venues are getting bigger each time.
Well, we're supposed to have dinner sometime soon, because I'm going to pick her brain on some things. I've been working on new music. It's been taking me a while. I'm about halfway done, and I just still love to make music. I obviously still play, I play out as much as I can, but I also have this collection of songs that I want to get out there to everybody, and I just need to finish it up. Now that I wrapped up on this latest project I can dive back into some of my own stuff again, which will be wonderful, and then I've just gotta figure out, how do I get to the people.
You can come and play new or old music for us any time. We’re probably even more of an attentive crowd now than you remember
That sounds amazing.
Thank you for your time and I’m certainly joining you on the countdown to Boots and Hearts and I’m looking forward to seeing you there.
Thank you. It's been amazing meeting you. I am gonna get on somehow with Booking.com, but I don't know if I can get past AI!
Let’s now hope you don’t all end up in tents!
That’s right.
I guess good luck with Booking.com then!
Thanks again, and you take care, and have a safe flight over.
Canada’s premier country music and camping experience returns to the Burl’s Creek Event Grounds in Oro-Medonte, Ontario, from August 7–9, 2026. Featuring a star-studded lineup headlined by The Chicks, Rascal Flatts, and the Jonas Brothers