Backstage interviews with Dianemarie Collins, host of The DM Zone, at Country Thunder 2013. High Valley – 3 brothers hailing from Canada – talked with DM about their sibling harmony, touring with Alan Jackson, and much more live from Country Thunder Arizona.
ABOUT HIGH VALLEY
The title of High Valley’s second Eaglemont Entertainment/Open Road Recordings album, Love Is A Long Road, might raise an eyebrow among some cursory fans and critics. The band consists of three 20-something brothers — Brad, Bryan and Curtis Rempel — who seemingly came out of nowhere to earn four Canadian Country Music Association nominations and their first Juno nomination for their last project, High Valley. They’ve opened shows for Brad Paisley, Keith Urban and Reba and become friends with some of their heroes. What in the world could three young guys with such a quick ascent know about a long road?
In truth, the ascent has been gradual. And challenging. And High Valley would not be on anyone’s radar if the Rempels were not, in fact, all about long roads. They grew up in a remote region of Canada, 500 miles from the nearest international airport. To connect with the world at large required a commitment because geographically, it was literally a long road to anywhere.
“The first time Jeremy, Phil and I wrote together, we drove 75 miles west of Nashville to Centerville,” Brad remembers. “Phil has a ranch out there, a big log cabin and a beautiful place. That really impressed me. If our producer understands what it means to live 75 miles from something, he already speaks our language.”
The Rempels’ musical language was very much informed by its upbringing. They grew up on a 1,400-acre farm 18 miles outside of La Crete, an isolated, unincorporated community of about 2,000 people in the far-northern reaches of Alberta. The family purposely lived without a television until Brad was 14 years old, which allowed the brothers to grow up in an atmosphere where the family focused on its own agenda instead of the outside world.
“We made music, we played hockey, we worked on the farm, and we never spent our lives thinking about how much we needed to be somewhere else,” Brad recalls. “Our parents took us outside, and we had a blast being creative and making our own entertainment. I think it’s probably been very beneficial for us to have been raised out there.”
That journey is central to Love Is A Long Road, an album that’s as loaded with harmony and determination as High Valley itself.
TheDMZone.tv
The DM Zone is a syndicated, online television channel that is hosted across multiple video platforms across the Internet. With combined views exceeding 420,000 unique views over the last 18 months, the DM Zone is a compelling platform for politicians, authors, actors, athletes, musicians and other creative professionals. Host Dianemarie (DM) Collins interviews highly creative, talented professionals for this Online TV program. A veteran performer in acting, singing, dancing and choreography, DM has appeared in productions from Broadway and off-Broadway to nightclubs and dinner theaters throughout the country. DM has also been featured in numerous print advertisements as well as many voiceovers for radio, an actress in television commercials, and an actor in several feature films.
Contact Information:
Douglas Collins – Strategic Marketing, Video & GoPublic Transactions
Doug@DMProductionsLLC.com
Dianemarie (DM) Collins – Video, Host of The DM Zone Online Television Channel and Public Relations
DM@DMProductionsLLC.com
