Victoria transplanted, Lethbridge based songwriter Leeroy Stagger received some much deserved validation by winning this year’s PEAK Performance competition for Alberta and B.C.
The PEAK Performance Project is a seven-year, $4.9 million contest open to all musicians in Alberta. The program, run by Calgary’s 95.3 The PEAK and Alberta Music, has the goal of developing Alberta-based emerging artists.
The project, originally created in Vancou
ver by 102.7 The PEAK and Music BC, has helped launch the careers of many fine bands including Edmonton’s the Wet Secrets, Good For Grapes, Said the Whale, Dear Rouge, Kyprios, The Belle Game, Current Swell and We Are the City and many others.
Each year, 12 finalists from Alberta receive an intensive, one week, training program in the music business, live performance, songwriting, marketing and promotion.
Artists benefit from mentorships from some of the music industry’s top professionals and performers. Each of the finalists receives a base camp award of $5,000 to spend towards career development.
All of these artists have the chance to perform live in Calgary as part of the PEAK Performance Project Concert Series. Of these 12 artists, three will receive cash prizes towards career development, with the top 3 performing live at the PEAK Performance Project Finale. The first prize is $100,953.00; Second Place $75,000 and Third Place is $50,000.
Stagger has been slogging it out as an independent musician over the course about a dozen years and 10 albums and was even considering giving up the business to focus on his family and furniture making business, so he was ecstatic to win the $100,953 grand prize.
“It’s like having a really great record deal and not having to pay it back,” he said, adding while he has a few different musical projects including his trio Easton Stagger and Phillips, the prize has been earmarked for his solo career, particularly recording a new album.
“It’s helped me to get back on track. There’s a lot to do in the spring,” Stagger said, adding the program was intensive.
“It was a 15 month program and a seven day boot camp, basically talking to publicists and agents,” he said, adding a lot of it covered the things he was already doing in his career, but he still learned a lot at the boot camp in Princeton, B.C. where he connected with fellow indie rockers Mike Edel and Jesse Roper.
He said it was amazing to work with so many people who are traveling the same road as he is.
“I didn’t realize how many artists there were who were influenced by me,” he said.
“But I also realized that I had to write better music,” he continued.
“It was a long process, but well worth it,” he said, adding he is focusing on a new album, which he will record in his Lethbridge studio with renown indie rock producer Colin Stewart who has worked with bands like Black Mountain and Dan Mangan.
In addition to his regular band including long time bassist Tyson Maiko, he is hiring some high powered talent including the Deep Dark Woods’ Geoff Hilhorst, drummer Pete Thomas who has played in Elvis Costello's band as well as Los Lobos and guitarist Paul Rigby who has worked with Garth Hudson, Neko Case, Bocephus King, Linda McRae, Calexico and many other well known musicians.
“I don’t know if I expected to win. I just went in trying to do the best job I could, I want to thank Lethbridge for all of their support,” he said, adding a large Lethbridge delegation went to Calgary to support Stagger in the Peak Performance final showcase in Calgary on Nov. 21.
Before starting work on the new CD he went to Chicago to play four shows with Los Lobos as of Dec. 14.
