Quin Etheridge-Pedden has one last shot at being named the Canadian Folk Music Awards’ Young Performer of the Year.
Last week it was announced that the Lantzville fiddler has been nominated for the award for his 2020 album Out of the Blue. It’s the second time he’s been up for the honour – his 2017 debut Embark was also nominated – and, as he turned 18 this year and therefore no longer qualifies as a “young” performer, it’s also his last.
Etheridge-Pedden said he was “pretty stoked” when he got the news about the second nomination, adding that it’s particularly significant because Out of the Blue is his first album made up entirely of original material.
“[It’s] super meaningful because I can really say this is truly, 100 per cent my work,” he said.
Etheridge-Pedden described the album as inspired by traditional fiddle music but with a “contemporary twist” that defies preconceptions people may have about the genre. He suspects it’s that approach that earned him his award nomination. As someone in the early stages of a music career, Etheridge-Pedden said being considered for awards is a confidence booster.
“Having two nominations this early on is super motivating and encouraging to me to keep creating,” he said.
Etheridge-Pedden said he’s already at work on his third album and this past fall he enrolled in the music program at VIU to study jazz violin. He said a lot of musicians he’s played with on the Island have gone through the program and he said it will benefit his playing as well.
“Even though I’m not really a jazz violinist and I am more into folk … just spending all that time and learning on your instrument in any particular genre is just valuable,” he said.
The 16th annual Canadian Folk Music Awards celebration will be held online on April 9 and 10, 2021.
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