Peterson’s debut album is a long time coming

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This article was published 06/05/2022 (1311 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

While a lot of musicians are eager to perform in front of live crowds once again, Emma Peterson is particularly excited to get back on stage.

The Brandon-based performer was riding a wave of momentum heading into 2020, having just won the Emerging Artist award at the 2019 Manitoba Country Music Awards following the release of her debut single, “Maybe Tonight,” earlier that year.

Unfortunately, the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic put a lot of Peterson’s big plans on hold, which included opening for some major country music artists throughout that summer.

“I thought 2020 was supposed to be the year that I had all these exciting things happen and when it didn’t happen, it was really hard,” she told the Sun Thursday. “And I was scared no one would care once the pandemic ended.”

Even though the pandemic is not over, Peterson is looking to get things back on track later this month with the release of her debut album, “Just for the Record,” and a promotional tour that includes stops in Winnipeg, Brandon and Dauphin.

“It feels really good to be back,” she said. “I know I have a lot of friends and family coming out to my show at Lady of the Lake, so I think it’s going to be a lot of fun.”

Outside of giving Peterson the opportunity to perform material from her new album in person, this upcoming tour will also serve as a celebration of sorts, given how far she’s come in her music career.

Growing up in the rural community of Winnipegosis, Peterson was always a fan of singing and performing for her family, but didn’t take music seriously until she listened to Taylor Swift’s eponymous debut record in 2006.

After that, Peterson simply bought a $50 guitar from Walmart and learned to play the instrument online through YouTube tutorials, with no instructor being available in town.

She eventually became good enough to claim the top spot at CMT’s 2016 Chevy Tailgate contest, which paved the way for more high-profile performances and collaborations down the line.

“The thing about the music industry is that everyone’s journey is so different,” she said. “You’re navigating everything, you’re learning things for the first time. You want it to happen but you have to figure out how to make it happen, and that takes a lot of hard work.”

Peterson’s work ethic remained high even during the pandemic, having made enough industry contacts ahead of time to ensure her album could be put together remotely.

She even managed to book some contributing musicians from as far as Nashville, with the album’s title track being overseen by producer David Thomson.

“There were so many Zoom calls, FaceTime calls. There were so many times I was supposed to go to [Winnipeg] to record vocals and [then] there were more restrictions,” she said. “It was just a lot of back and forth.”

Outside of these logistical hurdles, Peterson said the pandemic had a much bigger presence in her life than most people, since she also worked as a nurse in the Brandon Regional Health Centre’s COVID unit.

Despite being on the frontline of a global health crisis, Peterson still found time to write and compose music on the side, viewing this creative outlet as a necessary escape from the human suffering she witnessed on a daily basis.

“Coming home and being able to play guitar or write a song or just be creative is a way for me to transition my stress into something positive.”

While none of the songs on “Just for the Record” reference COVID directly, Peterson said some of the lyrics do present a window into her mind throughout the last two years.

For example, the track “Backroad Dreams” calls back to the early days of the pandemic when Peterson was returning home to Winnipegosis and feeling very nostalgic for a much simpler time.

“I was looking at all these back roads and I was reminiscing on a time in my life, probably eight years prior,” she said. “And writing that song kind of helped me … escape the stress of the pandemic.”

But now that looser provincial health restrictions have allowed for the return of in-person concerts, Peterson admits she is nervous at the prospect of headlining her own solo tour, since this is the first time she’s performed at a conventional show since February 2020.

However, that anxiety is being kept in check by the idea of getting to mingle with her fanbase, who have mostly been relegated to the online sphere over the last two years.

“I’ve been able to connect with a lot of people online through social media, which has been really nice. I’ve found different fans and different people who enjoyed my music, which I really appreciate,” she said.

“So now, to be able to meet them in person and play music for them from the new album makes those more personal connections.”

Looking ahead, Peterson said this upcoming album release and accompanying tour is only the beginning, since she still doesn’t have any intention of slowing down.

“I’m proud of myself for how far I’ve come and I know there’s more to come,” she said. “I’m just trying to soak in what’s going on right now, because this is really special and I feel like I’ve hit some goals for myself that I didn’t know were possible.”

Peterson is scheduled to perform at Lady of the Lake in Brandon on May 27, with a followup show taking place at Dauphin’s Watson Art Centre on May 28.

The official release date for Peterson’s debut album “Just for the Record” is May 20.

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