The Sit Down with Chevy Beaulieu
Last month, breakout Canadian Indigenous country artist Chevy Beaulieu, dropped the official music video for his brand new single “If We Want To.” His debut release on 604 Records, the track is already making incredible waves across country radio and DSPs in Canada, being named Stingray’s New Country Trending Track, and quickly racked up over 200,000 streams across platforms since its release. With its infectious hooks and undeniable energy, "If We Want To" has already struck a chord with fans and radio alike, solidifying Beaulieu as a rising star in the Canadian country music scene. We recently caught up with Chevy to find out more about the Steen River, Alberta native and his latest release
Hey Chevy, how are you?
I’m good thanks, just in Vancouver at the minute doing a couple of shows, shooting a few acoustic videos and some songwriting
Thanks for taking the time. You're originally from Steen River, which is right up at the top of Alberta
Yeah, and I went to school in Hay River, so I was always just straddling the border there between Alberta and Northwest Territories. There’s lots of fishing; lots of running around in the trees; there's a beach up north; and we're on a river where I live too. There's lots of stuff to do in the summertime.
When you're that far away from a sort of a main town and main city, how do you pick up country music roots?
I grew up around music my whole life. My grandfather and then my father were musicians. My father's a three-time Canadian fiddle champion and I've been playing music with the family band since I was about 18 - since I was old enough to go in the bars and stuff.
Is there quite a lot of touring around that northern Alberta area then?
Yeah, there's quite a few spots. They do carnivals and stuff up there, but I had to move out of there for the stuff that I wanted to do and move own to Calgary
How important has that move been down to Calgary these last few years to try to get yourself out to a wider audience?
Well, initially I was working up in the mines there and driving to and from the studio in Edmonton when I recorded my first record. After that, I realised it would have been a lot cheaper if I just moved instead of driving back and forth all the time! I have lots of friends that are living in the Calgary area and I’ve made a lot of friends over the last few years living down there. You get to meet a lot of different musicians and different artists and get different perspectives, so I had to move. There's no way around it!
We've spoken to quite a few artists from Alberta and they always share that there is close-knit artist community there despite it being such a big state and the artists split mainly between Calgary and Edmonton. Do you kind of get that feeling?
Yeah, it’s a very close-knit community and everyone is so friendly. We all have our own individual groups but still all interact with each other eventually when it comes to awards and shows. The CMAB’s are really fun!
Your most recent single, If We Want To, has been out for about a month now and I saw you recorded the video at Ranchman’s in Calgary. It's already picked up quite a bit of traction on radio across Alberta and playlisting. How’s it been from your view these first few weeks of release?
Yeah, it’s been nice to have new music out. It had been over a year since I put out a new song and this was my first with 604 Records having signed with them last year. It’s good to have a good team around me as I’ve been putting music out since about 2019 and doing the whole radio thing but went about as far as I could by myself.
The music video is now out. Is that a side of it you enjoyed doing in making this first ever music video?
The first one I did was really awkward! I shot one on Sunday and it was a lot easier. Getting behind the camera was new to me. I'm used to being just behind it behind a microphone. It's easy to hide behind a mic. It helps out with stress and nervousness!
I guess you're so used to doing your own thing on stage and now being directed of how to do it and things must be very different!
Yeah, on stage I can just do what I want and do it naturally but it's nice to have a format and a direction to go rather than just running around like a chicken with your head cut off!
Hey Chevy, how are you?
I’m good thanks, just in Vancouver at the minute doing a couple of shows, shooting a few acoustic videos and some songwriting
Thanks for taking the time. You're originally from Steen River, which is right up at the top of Alberta
Yeah, and I went to school in Hay River, so I was always just straddling the border there between Alberta and Northwest Territories. There’s lots of fishing; lots of running around in the trees; there's a beach up north; and we're on a river where I live too. There's lots of stuff to do in the summertime.
When you're that far away from a sort of a main town and main city, how do you pick up country music roots?
I grew up around music my whole life. My grandfather and then my father were musicians. My father's a three-time Canadian fiddle champion and I've been playing music with the family band since I was about 18 - since I was old enough to go in the bars and stuff.
Is there quite a lot of touring around that northern Alberta area then?
Yeah, there's quite a few spots. They do carnivals and stuff up there, but I had to move out of there for the stuff that I wanted to do and move own to Calgary
How important has that move been down to Calgary these last few years to try to get yourself out to a wider audience?
Well, initially I was working up in the mines there and driving to and from the studio in Edmonton when I recorded my first record. After that, I realised it would have been a lot cheaper if I just moved instead of driving back and forth all the time! I have lots of friends that are living in the Calgary area and I’ve made a lot of friends over the last few years living down there. You get to meet a lot of different musicians and different artists and get different perspectives, so I had to move. There's no way around it!
We've spoken to quite a few artists from Alberta and they always share that there is close-knit artist community there despite it being such a big state and the artists split mainly between Calgary and Edmonton. Do you kind of get that feeling?
Yeah, it’s a very close-knit community and everyone is so friendly. We all have our own individual groups but still all interact with each other eventually when it comes to awards and shows. The CMAB’s are really fun!
Your most recent single, If We Want To, has been out for about a month now and I saw you recorded the video at Ranchman’s in Calgary. It's already picked up quite a bit of traction on radio across Alberta and playlisting. How’s it been from your view these first few weeks of release?
Yeah, it’s been nice to have new music out. It had been over a year since I put out a new song and this was my first with 604 Records having signed with them last year. It’s good to have a good team around me as I’ve been putting music out since about 2019 and doing the whole radio thing but went about as far as I could by myself.
The music video is now out. Is that a side of it you enjoyed doing in making this first ever music video?
The first one I did was really awkward! I shot one on Sunday and it was a lot easier. Getting behind the camera was new to me. I'm used to being just behind it behind a microphone. It's easy to hide behind a mic. It helps out with stress and nervousness!
I guess you're so used to doing your own thing on stage and now being directed of how to do it and things must be very different!
Yeah, on stage I can just do what I want and do it naturally but it's nice to have a format and a direction to go rather than just running around like a chicken with your head cut off!
How important is it to get on a well-established label like 604 who have some big names on their roster?
Well, I was watching them for a while. My little brother would always joke around and tell me did I know who would be a good label to sign with – 604! He was a big music nerd growing up and I didn’t know them that well. If you were to tell me all this 5 to 10 years ago I wouldn’t believe you!
Have you reached out to any of the artists on the label yet for any advice or anything?
I’ve got a few friends on it, including my good buddy Simon Clow and buddy Jojo Mason's on there as well. I got to open up for Jojo in Red Deer in Calgary during his tour with Steven Lee Olson. It was a good experience for me. It's funny because my music's different than theirs, but it's good to have variety and it was a really great experience
Is it nice to get that phone call to go along and open these shows to introduce yourself to some different people who maybe wouldn't necessarily listen to your sound and music?
Yeah, it was really nice and there's a lot of people that I've been noticing that are liking my sound because I'm a little bit of mix of everything. The songs I've been working on are a little bit outlaw country; a little bit of honky-tonk music; a little bit of pop country; rock and roll; straight up rock and it's nice. Most people say they have a little bit of everything for everyone on their projects, and there's a lot of variety on this one!
Now you're transitioning to this new cycle of music was it an opportunity to play new songs as well if you're introducing yourself completely to fans?
When I opened for those boys I played some songs that I hadn’t even recorded and a few that I haven’t released yet. It was a great opportunity to show what I could do.
With the 604 deal, are you now at the start of a good cycle for releasing music?
Working with them and releasing music with them has made me feel privileged working with these people. For the new release, it's been a better push than usual which is great as they have more of a broader reach for the business, which is nice. Like I said, you need a good team to back you up and I’m happy that I have a great team around me now.
It sounds like it's a good opportunity to learn that business side of the industry and even more so being based in such a hub in Calgary as well
Yeah, it's interesting to have that because I grew as an artist learning on my own about registering songs and sending things to radio. I asked here and there with different artists. My producer helped out a lot but basically when I first started out I had to teach myself. People just tell me this do this website, go to this website, but it doesn't help me any and I had to learn myself!
Has it been nice seeing these radio play ads and knowing you haven't had to call directly to that station to get the track on there?
It definitely helps a lot because it was a hard go before. Before you just send your music out to trackers but now I get to work direct with them which is great.
Now you've got over that hurdle of the first release with 604, do you think it's full steam ahead to an EP release?
I’ve got 12 songs on the go and this next music video will be out in April. I’m really looking forward to releasing more music but I’m not sure of our long-term release plan and next step yet. It was a long wait to get the first single out but we’re getting there.
Was it strange getting used to the length of that process because I guess some artists think I've signed with the label so I can release music straight away, whereas as you said, in reality you've had 10 11 months of waiting to get this one out there.
Especially when you gotta wait for paperwork to be done and all the documentation! If I have songwriters for our songs from other songwriters and stuff like that, you gotta wait for all the okays from all the public publishers and stuff like that. I went 5050 with this record that I'm working on, so it's either co-written or written by me and 50% also was pitches.
Do you think it's important to have those songs written by you to make sure it is your sound?
I prefer it that way. I think you have to be able to write at least one or two songs of your record.
When people know your story and know where you're from, they would almost know if it's authentic or not, wouldn't they?
Oh, yeah. It's funny because my background is very mixed. I got family members that ride rodeo, and I got family members that are blue-collar workers, fishermen stuff like that! I’ve got that variety so I have lots to write about and it's pretty hard to call me on stuff.
I’m definitely looking forward to hearing more tracks to come.
We’ve got a bit of time to wait till the next one but If We Want To is doing great at radio at the minute and we’re really happy about that.
Did you expect it to get picked up this quickly, especially with the streaming numbers?
I think we’re just over 200,000 now. I haven’t checked the last few days, but I don’t like checking my phone too much as you can check these numbers and it can get pretty addictive. I’ve never done anything this big before! Previously, I was just doing it on my own through radio trackers and making the phone calls like a true independent artist. It gets tiresome after a while and feels like you just you can only go so far. I grew up playing a cover band with my father and I got tired of playing cover songs. I did the total opposite though as everybody else and I did radio. I don't play as many shows as I'd like to but you get other artists that are playing about 80 shows a year over the country and then there's me trying to do the radio thing.
I guess sometimes being on the road non-stop can be exhausting in the other end of the spectrum, can't it?
For sure. At my day job I work as a diamond plant operator, so I process diamonds. It’s two weeks in, two weeks out in the tundra. I'm getting tired of them minus 60 below days. When I left last time, we were starting to get a bit of daylight up there! Then we get the opposite in the summer where the sun doesn’t go down at all. Every two weeks I change from nights to days and up there in the summertime on nights is really weird, we'll be at one o'clock in the morning and the Sun still in the sky.
It must give you plenty of time for song-writing and plenty of inspiration there by the sounds of it!
For sure. Most of my inspirations been coming from since I was about 18 there. I got to open for a guy named Shane Yellowbird and that was the big inspiration of why I wanted to push to play music. I saw him on stage and thought I can do this. It took a little while though. I put my first record out in 2019 and I’m still chugging along!
Getting to play those bigger venues on the Country Night in Canada tour must make you want to have your own shows and headline those venues?
Yeah, that’s the dream. I want to be on the road and live comfortably doing it. I strive to be in this industry for the right reasons. I love to make music and would love to make enough money so I can be fulltime.
Do you have the bucket list items at the minute of getting to play shows down in Nashville or heading over to Europe
Yeah, I’ve never been out of the country! I would love to go play down in Texas, Louisanna and Nashville would be great. I’ve always been interested in the Cajun Country area because that's the type of music my dad plays and it's what I grew up on. I grew up on Doug Kershaw - the Ragin’ Cajun. My dad met him there in Dawson Creek a few years ago, I don't even think I was born yet, so a lot of years ago! He always told me a story about my big sister almost running away with his son. I was watching videos of them the other day, he’s still kicking! I still listen to Jo-El Sonnier and he's another Cajun boy. I’ve always been just taken by that sort of music
Do you think you're able to get that into your sort of new tracks?
I'm gonna be working towards it after this record.
We can’t wait to hear more Chevy. Thank you for the time today and again congratulations on the release of If We Want To.
Thank you
Be sure to follow Chevy in all the usual places to keep up to date as he continues to cement his place as one of the top Canadian country artists to watch in 2025.
TikTok | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | Amazon Music | Apple Music | Spotify
Well, I was watching them for a while. My little brother would always joke around and tell me did I know who would be a good label to sign with – 604! He was a big music nerd growing up and I didn’t know them that well. If you were to tell me all this 5 to 10 years ago I wouldn’t believe you!
Have you reached out to any of the artists on the label yet for any advice or anything?
I’ve got a few friends on it, including my good buddy Simon Clow and buddy Jojo Mason's on there as well. I got to open up for Jojo in Red Deer in Calgary during his tour with Steven Lee Olson. It was a good experience for me. It's funny because my music's different than theirs, but it's good to have variety and it was a really great experience
Is it nice to get that phone call to go along and open these shows to introduce yourself to some different people who maybe wouldn't necessarily listen to your sound and music?
Yeah, it was really nice and there's a lot of people that I've been noticing that are liking my sound because I'm a little bit of mix of everything. The songs I've been working on are a little bit outlaw country; a little bit of honky-tonk music; a little bit of pop country; rock and roll; straight up rock and it's nice. Most people say they have a little bit of everything for everyone on their projects, and there's a lot of variety on this one!
Now you're transitioning to this new cycle of music was it an opportunity to play new songs as well if you're introducing yourself completely to fans?
When I opened for those boys I played some songs that I hadn’t even recorded and a few that I haven’t released yet. It was a great opportunity to show what I could do.
With the 604 deal, are you now at the start of a good cycle for releasing music?
Working with them and releasing music with them has made me feel privileged working with these people. For the new release, it's been a better push than usual which is great as they have more of a broader reach for the business, which is nice. Like I said, you need a good team to back you up and I’m happy that I have a great team around me now.
It sounds like it's a good opportunity to learn that business side of the industry and even more so being based in such a hub in Calgary as well
Yeah, it's interesting to have that because I grew as an artist learning on my own about registering songs and sending things to radio. I asked here and there with different artists. My producer helped out a lot but basically when I first started out I had to teach myself. People just tell me this do this website, go to this website, but it doesn't help me any and I had to learn myself!
Has it been nice seeing these radio play ads and knowing you haven't had to call directly to that station to get the track on there?
It definitely helps a lot because it was a hard go before. Before you just send your music out to trackers but now I get to work direct with them which is great.
Now you've got over that hurdle of the first release with 604, do you think it's full steam ahead to an EP release?
I’ve got 12 songs on the go and this next music video will be out in April. I’m really looking forward to releasing more music but I’m not sure of our long-term release plan and next step yet. It was a long wait to get the first single out but we’re getting there.
Was it strange getting used to the length of that process because I guess some artists think I've signed with the label so I can release music straight away, whereas as you said, in reality you've had 10 11 months of waiting to get this one out there.
Especially when you gotta wait for paperwork to be done and all the documentation! If I have songwriters for our songs from other songwriters and stuff like that, you gotta wait for all the okays from all the public publishers and stuff like that. I went 5050 with this record that I'm working on, so it's either co-written or written by me and 50% also was pitches.
Do you think it's important to have those songs written by you to make sure it is your sound?
I prefer it that way. I think you have to be able to write at least one or two songs of your record.
When people know your story and know where you're from, they would almost know if it's authentic or not, wouldn't they?
Oh, yeah. It's funny because my background is very mixed. I got family members that ride rodeo, and I got family members that are blue-collar workers, fishermen stuff like that! I’ve got that variety so I have lots to write about and it's pretty hard to call me on stuff.
I’m definitely looking forward to hearing more tracks to come.
We’ve got a bit of time to wait till the next one but If We Want To is doing great at radio at the minute and we’re really happy about that.
Did you expect it to get picked up this quickly, especially with the streaming numbers?
I think we’re just over 200,000 now. I haven’t checked the last few days, but I don’t like checking my phone too much as you can check these numbers and it can get pretty addictive. I’ve never done anything this big before! Previously, I was just doing it on my own through radio trackers and making the phone calls like a true independent artist. It gets tiresome after a while and feels like you just you can only go so far. I grew up playing a cover band with my father and I got tired of playing cover songs. I did the total opposite though as everybody else and I did radio. I don't play as many shows as I'd like to but you get other artists that are playing about 80 shows a year over the country and then there's me trying to do the radio thing.
I guess sometimes being on the road non-stop can be exhausting in the other end of the spectrum, can't it?
For sure. At my day job I work as a diamond plant operator, so I process diamonds. It’s two weeks in, two weeks out in the tundra. I'm getting tired of them minus 60 below days. When I left last time, we were starting to get a bit of daylight up there! Then we get the opposite in the summer where the sun doesn’t go down at all. Every two weeks I change from nights to days and up there in the summertime on nights is really weird, we'll be at one o'clock in the morning and the Sun still in the sky.
It must give you plenty of time for song-writing and plenty of inspiration there by the sounds of it!
For sure. Most of my inspirations been coming from since I was about 18 there. I got to open for a guy named Shane Yellowbird and that was the big inspiration of why I wanted to push to play music. I saw him on stage and thought I can do this. It took a little while though. I put my first record out in 2019 and I’m still chugging along!
Getting to play those bigger venues on the Country Night in Canada tour must make you want to have your own shows and headline those venues?
Yeah, that’s the dream. I want to be on the road and live comfortably doing it. I strive to be in this industry for the right reasons. I love to make music and would love to make enough money so I can be fulltime.
Do you have the bucket list items at the minute of getting to play shows down in Nashville or heading over to Europe
Yeah, I’ve never been out of the country! I would love to go play down in Texas, Louisanna and Nashville would be great. I’ve always been interested in the Cajun Country area because that's the type of music my dad plays and it's what I grew up on. I grew up on Doug Kershaw - the Ragin’ Cajun. My dad met him there in Dawson Creek a few years ago, I don't even think I was born yet, so a lot of years ago! He always told me a story about my big sister almost running away with his son. I was watching videos of them the other day, he’s still kicking! I still listen to Jo-El Sonnier and he's another Cajun boy. I’ve always been just taken by that sort of music
Do you think you're able to get that into your sort of new tracks?
I'm gonna be working towards it after this record.
We can’t wait to hear more Chevy. Thank you for the time today and again congratulations on the release of If We Want To.
Thank you
Be sure to follow Chevy in all the usual places to keep up to date as he continues to cement his place as one of the top Canadian country artists to watch in 2025.
TikTok | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | Amazon Music | Apple Music | Spotify
