There are a lot of great Canadian artists that may not have the record play of Justin Bieber, or Carly Rae Jepson, but are working hard to make a name for themselves. Such is the case for Toronto's Jesse Labelle. The singer-songwriter released his sophomore album Two in August and is currently on the road with Jordan Knight. He plays Edmonton October 16th and Calgary October 18th.

It isn't his first time on the road. Having toured with other Canadians on the rise like Alyssa Reid, Fefe Dobson and These Kids Wear Crowns, there is camaraderie of the up and comers and a good sign for the future of Canadian music.

"I've always subscribed to the notion that you need to open up to everyone and interact with as many people in your industry as possible. I've always tried to connect with the upcoming artists I've toured and worked with and it has only ever paid in dividends. We're all friends but more so we all support each other. That kind of representation of friendship is invaluable. I don't think there’s ever been a better time to be a Canadian making music. Whether it’s something you've done for years or just getting started, the worlds eyes are on us and our time is now."

Labelle spoke with GayCalgary.com while on the road. He has some great material to perform this tour. His current album Two is a pop record with a great deal of depth. Currently One Last Night about the end of the world is getting airplay, while his first single Heartbreak Coverup is a theme that anyone who has loved and lost can connect with.

"Heartbreak Coverup comes from a place of dark past experience. It’s about all of the wrong things you do to try and bury that feeling of loneliness. I've been there and done that and wanted to write a song that spoke the truth. The drinking and binging and literally tearing yourself apart. These are things that everyone does at one point, and sometimes you can have a blast doing them, but in the end it always winds up being a mask for something much deeper. I look at it as my very honest breakup song."

Labelle took his experiences from his first album Perfect Accident and applied them to Two.

"The recording of Perfect Accident was very fast and didn’t leave much room for reflection. Some will say this is the only way to go but this time around I applied a lot of time to the process. I was living with songs, tweaking and making sure that they had time to grow and breath before truly giving them life. I believe a great record much like a great song can never be finished, just abandoned. When I toured Perfect Accident I realized that vocally, the album I had written was very safe and easy to reproduce. I wanted to do something this time around that challenged me, and two has proved to translate very passionately on stage," he recalled. "The recording of Two was a much more cohesive and focused process then my first record. I had wanted to work with (producer) Tawgs Salter for some time based largely on the work I'd heard him do for Lights, among other artists. The songs I had written for this record were much more dynamic than the ones written for the last album and in their blank canvas state needed someone to really colour them in. Tawgs and I spent most of the recording time in a shed out near the border between Ontario and New York in isolation from the outside world. It allowed us to really focus and paint these songs the way I knew they needed to be. There are lots of reasons this record is titled "two". Besides the 2 years it took to create, the fact that its really my second sophomore record, as the first one I wrote was turned down by the label for sounding too much like Perfect Accident. The title also comes from the second verse of the opening song Won't Let You Down. "There’s to every story, two sides of a heart, the one that fears the end, and the one that fears the start." That line to me summed up all the emotion I could hope to put into the album. The record is about love, self discovery and the push and pull, the light and dark..the two sides it takes to make a whole."

Labelle has also started his own charity, "The Big Picture Project."

"It is a charity I founded after some time spent volunteering in Africa. I worked with a wonderful massai family who had dedicated their life to enriching the youth around them by working to provide better schooling for the children. While I was there I helped construct the first school they built and also taught a music class to the children. I left my guitar behind for them to learn and integrate into their curriculum, and since I have been back have made an effort to continually raise funds and awareness for these schools. The basis behind the big picture is that even though most of us know that huge change can come from the smallest of actions, we seem to forget this. Through awareness and advocating the cause I look to help these children in Kenya in any way I can. I decided to donate 1 dollar from every album sold out of my profits to the cause."

In an industry where image is as important if not more so then musical talent, Labelle has the tools to succeed. A good looking guy with memorable songs that are easy to connect to, he tries to let his talent instead of his sex appeal do the talking.

"I try to forget that looks have anything playing into my music. I like to believe no matter how I looked the music would speak for itself. That’s a lot of what I went to strive for with this new album. Perfect Accident was marketed as much on image as music. I suppose in today’s industry it’s hard to have it any other way, but I wanted to create music this time around that spoke for itself."

It seems like a perfect fit to tour with Jordan Knight on the New Kid on the Block member's solo tour across Canada. Labelle is excited both to expose his music to fans of Knights and learn from the 25 year veteran.

"I always knew about the New Kids, my cousin had their dolls at family gatherings. I think I was a little young at the time to be into music yet but I had known they were the biggest band in the world. Being able to tour with someone like Jordan who has years of expertise doing exactly what it is I've always wanted to do is something I'm truly honored to be doing. When I was 17 I started my music journey in a boy band as well, so there are more similarities then may be seen on the surface. Since I have gone on to my own solo career and in many ways, I feel like Jordan's path and my own haven’t been much different, albeit the millions of his screaming fans around the globe, something I hope to see one day. I am honoured and excited to be on this tour and can’t wait to get back out there and keep it going. I’ve seen a way Jordan connects with his fans that seems to defy any sort of artist and fan relationship. It transcends and seems to become a lifetime long bond that I only hope I can make with my listeners. One of these dates I hope to sit down and pick his brain a bit to hear some stories about the early days and talk some shop. Jordan’s been so friendly and stayed down to earth amongst his whirlwind career. I know I've got a lot to learn from a good dude like him."

With a couple of shows under their belt, which are receiving rave reviews, Labelle promises a memorable night for those in attendance.

"It is a killer show. Lots of excited fans and new fans to be won. Jordan is a supreme entertainer and I think I've crafted the perfect opening set for old and new fans alike. I can’t wait to get out there and play and eagerly await the shows to come."