Johnny Reid Has More Than a Juno Award to Celebrate

Platinum-selling indie artist Johnny Reid has more than a Juno Award to celebrate from Saturday night's awards gala. The country artist, said to be going in a more soulful, Springsteen-type direction for his next album, is now signed with Manhattan Records in the U.S. and EMI Canada.

Backstage in the media room, the Scottish-born singer-songwriter, who has retained a thick brogue despite 22 years living in Canada, was escorted by the EMI publicist, not someone from Open Road/Universal, which released the Juno-winning 'Dance With Me' that earned him Country Album of the Year, although it's laced with soul, R&B and rock 'n' roll.

"The thing with Open Road/Universal, I sort of completed my contractual obligations and it just so happened that I did so on the back-end of a very successful album," Reid tells Spinner.

"So that opened up some opportunities for me and one of the opportunities was to work with a guy who I have respected for a long time and that's Ian Ralfini from Manhattan Records in New York. It just so happens it's an EMI company and he was a man who was introduced to me by [EMI Music Canada] president Deane Cameron.

"EMI Canada is basically spearheading the Canadian record and they're working with Manhattan/EMI on an international release. So it's a pretty exciting thing for me. You can imagine, I've been able to sing for so many people in Canada and I've spent a lot of time here. I've grown a lot of deep roots and now I've got this opportunity to take my wee bit of Canada and go off-shore."

As for word his next album, which he has already started recording with long-time producer Brent Maher, will not be country, Reid laughs. "I'm glad there's other people that think they know. I'm being myself and I've made a living being myself so this next album's gonna reflect the last year and a half of my life.

"I lost my Granny in May and experienced a loss of love and two days after she passed, I found out we're having a baby girl so I experienced the birth of love again. All my albums reflect my life, what I've experienced and how it made me feel. And the guitar and the piano have always been a way for me to express my emotions, whenever I feel happy or sad."