Not everyone would boast that their life was a country song, at least not one of those songs about losing everything and the dog.
But country singer and teenage cutie Jordan McIntosh isn’t like that. He identifies with Taylor Swift’s style; naming himself the male antidote to her feminine, diary-like relationship-driven lyrics.
"I think my songs, especially the ones I’ve written...are about the guy’s side of the relationship," McIntosh says. "I think it’s nice to give the guys a say and their side of what’s going on."
"I’m a teenager so a lot goes on in your teenage years," he continues. "It’s cool to be able to put all of your experiences into a catchy song... cool and scary to share these songs with the public," he adds, explaining the vulnerability one opens themselves up to when they record an album almost entirely self composed.
You won’t hear about "the drinking and the partying and the tailgates and the girls" that a lot of male voices twang on about in McIntosh’s new album, slated for release this summer. At least not yet, though his hit video for the track Grew Up In A Country Song does feature a girl dancing on a tailgate. She’s McIntosh’s real life best friend.
"It’s just cool to be able to share that with her," he says, describing how important and rewarding it is to have the people he loves by his side, " ...and to look back and see everyone in my life was on board."
McIntosh says that, while every parent wants to have their kids realize their potential and fulfill their dreams, his parents have gotten to experience that reality in a special way.
"I think it’s really cool for them to see [the dream] actually happening with their kid," he says. "Since we all love music that much ...they’re all kind of a part of it...they’re living vicariously through me with the things I’ve got going on."
Music has always been a passion in McIntosh’s home’ "whether it’s play an instrument, or sing, or compose music."
"Music was always there for me growing up," he describes. "I’m the first one to take it to another level and make a career of it."
McIntosh drew a lot of inspiration from his older sister who is also a singer. Her talent drove him to summon his own.
His writing direction is simple but genuine. He writes about what he knows.
"I grew up in a small town," he says, speaking on the creation of Grew Up In A Country Song. "I took inspiration from that and thought of some of my favourite places and some of my favourite people that I grew up around."
His home is just outside of Ottawa, where he recently graduated from high school.
"At one point it got really difficult – balancing school, music and social life," he describes. "[Graduating is] one less thing on my plate."
Like his sister did, McIntosh is taking a year off following high school. He wants to delve into work and take a solid go at his career before he makes any decisions about further education.
"Starting off with The Young Guns Tour, I thinks it’s really going to take off," he says on a very hectic, and promising, 2014.
McIntosh is booked as special guest alongside fellow Canadian artists One More Girl and Brett Kissel for a cross-country tour that kicks off in Saskatoon on February 4th. The Young Guns Tour will be hitting Calgary on February 7th at the Cowboys Dance Hall and Edmonton on February 12th at the Cook County Saloon.
Though McIntosh has performed in Calgary before, at a radio stop and a morning show, this will be his first real show. He is "crossing his fingers" that he will be back in July to play the Stampede.
McIntosh won’t be taking the band he usually plays with around the Ottawa area on this tour. The singer will share a band with his co-performers. He will have one week with this band before setting off.
Asked what has been his biggest accomplishment thus far in his career he gratefully says signing with his current agency, Strut Entertainment.
"Over the past even few months they’ve really opened up a lot of things," he says. "I’ve gotten to experience a lot because of them."
This includes attending the Canadian Country Music Association Awards, appearing in the CMT holiday film Home for Christmas with George Canyon, going #1 on the DMDS Top 5 Downloads Chart in December for his holiday track Christmas Time, taking part in the Emerging Artist Showcase at the Boots & Hearts Music Festival last summer, and earning the Fresh Face Feature Artist title for the video for Grew Up In A Country Song on CMT.
That fresh face caught the attention of country artist Johnny Reid who, McIntosh recently learned, played a part in landing him with the entertainment group he is with today.
McIntosh was filling a seat at the Junos with a friend when Reid recognized him.
"He came up to me and said I know who you are and you’re doing a great job," McIntosh says, adding that he had covered some of Reid’s songs.
Inadvertently Reid was out for lunch with the right person at the right time when McIntosh’s manager was seeking an agency. Reid put in a good word for the budding musician.
"It’s really cool to think that someone like Johnny Reid was out there talking about me," McIntosh says.
Sound kind of like Bieber’s relationship with Usher? Similarities don’t stop there, nor do they end with both young artists’ teen-dream smiles, big brown eyes, or polished coiffures.
Both Canadians used Twitter and YouTube to reach out to their fan base and generate a great amount of publicity.
McIntosh had a cover of Lil’ Wayne’s How To Love for some time, tossed it for awhile, and then decided to bring it back. Audiences often don’t recognize the song until the chorus kicks in, and the lyrics become familiar.
"It always gets a really big response," McIntosh says. "It’s one of my favourite covers to do."
He decided to shoot a live video for the track, announcing so on Twitter to collect an audience for the taping.
"A lot of people showed up and were excited to be part of it," he says, adding that since it has been posted to YouTube, "the response has been unreal."
The video has already attracted more than 200,000 views. Certainly a good indicator that the young star is on the right track to meeting his big goal of attaining a worldwide platform from which to share his music.
"I just hope to have longevity; I think every artist hopes for longevity," he says.
After wrapping this tour McIntosh will be releasing a new single aimed for end of February or some time in March, planning for a summer full of festivals, and recording his album in Nashville.
"I do a lot of my writing in Nashville and recording as well," he says. "I’ve also been told countless times if you’re doing country music go to Nashville."
With any luck the album will be released in time for McIntosh’s hoped for performance during the Stampede. The artist definitely has a tone of determination. Unlike most late-teens his focus is not on dating and partying.
"My relationship is my music and my career," he says.