Jason Benoit

I sat down with Jason Benoit during CMAO weekend in Hamilton, June 4, 2023

GM: With me today is Newfoundlander Jason Benoit.

When I heard you are from Stephenville, I looked the town up.  For our readers who don’t know, it is located between Port-Aux-Basques and Corner Brook, on the west coast of Newfoundland, and has a population of 6500. On their Wikipedia page under Notable People, along with the former Premier Brian Tobin, is country singer Jason Benoit.  What’s that like to be recognized by your home town in this manner?

JB: I grew up playing the bars and theaters in the Stephenville area. So to be considered a “Notable figure” is pretty dang cool.

GM: Are your family members musical?

JB: Yes my family is definitely musical. My two other brothers also sing and play guitar.  My oldest brother Myles taught me how to play guitar.  I have many uncles and cousins who play and sing also or play an instrument.  It made house parties a lot of fun growing up.

GM: What was the first time you sang in front of people?

JB: The first time I sang in front of people was when I was about 15. I sang so quietly that everyone had to stop talking so they could hear me sing. I was pretty nervous. Lol

GM: When did you take up an instrument?

JB:  I first picked up guitar when I was 14 years old. My oldest brother came home on vacation and he wrote out the chords on paper so I could learn them. I’ll never forget that.

GM: How did you go about making singing a career and when did you decide to do so?

JB: Turning singing and performing into a career was a long process. It started at singing at local fundraisers, then I moved to the bars when I was old enough to get in, then to soft seater theaters. Then I began posting my songs online then my first manager, who was a friend of my cousin’s, reached out to try to help me out. He became my first manager and then created the label, which was an imprint of Sony Canada, where I released my first songs that got me the notoriety I have today. A long process . . . and it’s still evolving.

GM: What was it like the first time you heard your song on the radio?

JB:  I actually have a video of the first time I heard my song on radio.

GM: You are no stranger to being nominated for and winning awards at the East Coast Awards and the Canadian Awards.  You won the CCMA Discovery Atlantic Award and were a finalist in the Sirius XM Top of the Country. What affect did those programs have on your career?

JB:  Any time you can be a part of a nationally recognized and acclaimed program and you get to learn so much from seasoned professionals, you should take it. I was very lucky to be a part of them. 

GM: What award would you say was your greatest honour to win? 

JB:  Every award is special in some way or another. But your first is always special. I received an award for winning “Bay St. George Idol” back when I was a teenager, and that’s what gave me the determination to do this as a career. So I’d consider that my most important award, as it set the stage for my whole career. 

GM: And what did touring with the likes of Old Dominion, The Washboard Union, Tim Hicks and Tenille Townes teach you?

JB:  When touring with any act, I always watch how they perform on stage. Performing has always been a challenge for me, so it’s interesting to watch and learn from some of the best out there.

GM: On the home front,  do you have children?

JB: Yes I have 3 children: Reagan, 14; Jack, 10; and Lily, 7.

GM: What is your family’s favourite recreational activity?

JB:  For recreation, we love going to the beach and looking for sea glass, as we live next to the ocean where we live in Newfoundland.  And when they aren’t with me, I love metal detecting. There’s a lot of history in Newfoundland to be found. 

GM: Do you like ice cream?

JB: I like ice-cream, but my waistband does not.

GM: In 2021 you and Manitoban Kendra Kay released “How Great Thou Art,” such a moving song. You and Kendra are both managed by Johnson Talent Management. How does having a management company behind, or beside, you affect your career?

JB: My current management company, Johnson Talent Management, is the best management I’ve had since I started. The music business is all about building relationships, and they do this flawlessly. I enjoy being with them and so do others. That paired with incredible business and organization skills, it truly makes them, in my opinion, one of the best management company in Canada. 

GM: You are no stranger to being noticed by the media. I mean you have been on ET Canada, etalk, Your Morning, Here and Now, and most recently on Breakfast Television. How does preparing for and appearing on those shows differ from performing at a festival?

JB: Doing interviews and performing on TV or radio is definitely a lot of pressure, but at the same time a lot of fun. I enjoy the challenge. Performing at festivals is a totally different vibe: it’s just about the music and the fans who want to have fun. Which can also be challenging sometimes . . .  both similar but different . . . but both very rewarding experiences.

GM: Last year, as Spotify’s “Indigenous Artist of the Month,” your face was displayed on the Eaton’s Centre Spotify billboard in Toronto.  Did you get to see it in person? I cannot imagine what that would feel like. 

JB: I did not get to see my face on the billboard in person, but did get lots of photos sent to me.  Not too many moments in life make you have to pinch yourself, but that was one of them for sure.

GM: Many of your songs have charted, but I would like to talk about your most recent album Time Traveller. After my copy arrived in the mail I have been playing it on repeat.  I can hear a 90s country sound, and that was a great decade for country music.  Mingled in is a 60s sound or one might say a classic country sound.  Am I on the mark, or how would you describe this album?

JB:  Yes definitely. I cut my teeth on classic and 90s country, so I really felt like I had to get back to my roots on this one. This is my favorite project I’ve ever released, and I’m very proud of what we accomplished so far with it.

GM: You co-wrote all the songs on this album except the 13th bonus track. Mostly with your friend Gerry Foote. How do you and Gerry know each other?

JB:  Gerry called me out of the blue probably about 13 years ago. Gerry used to work for a marketing company and was wondering if he could help me out in anyway because he thought I had what it takes. We’ve stayed in touch ever since and become great friends. Our families vacation together in PEI almost every year. 

GM: What shows do you have coming up this summer that you would like to mention?

JB: I’ve got a number of shows coming up this summer, some not announced yet. But one that I’m most excited about is hosting the Songwriters Round at Cavendish Beach Music Fest this year. My wife and kids will be joining me at a big festival for the first time, so it’s an extra special moment for me. I love the art of songwriting, so being asked to host this event is such an honor.

GM: Before we close, is there anything else you would like our readers to know about Jason Benoit?

JB:  I’d just like to let them know that I’m a normal guy who loves country music to my core, and I truly appreciate their support over the years. I couldn’t do this without them.